The challenge was to submit a material that could replicate the original terracotta, whilst at the same time providing the necessary guarantees of longevity and frost resistance. Our initial specification of Jesmonite AC730 proved to be flawed as the material is designed to be used only in thin sections with glass reinforcement.
We set about creating a new material that could be poured in thick sections, and had sufficient strength and durability to last well into the future. The material solution we developed is now called AC830 and we invested in a range of independent tests with CERAM to demonstrate its durability against a wide range of BS/EN standards.
It not only passed these standards but exceeded them by wide margins, resulting in the material still being used in the ongoing project to replace all of the terracotta on site.