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Tesco Extra, Lancashire, UK

Fire-Rated and Anti-Slip Walkways and Structural Stair Treads | Case Study

Project: Tesco Extra, Lancashire, UK

Client: KCR, Tesco

In this project for a Tesco Extra store in Burnley, Lancashire, KCR Ltd carried out extensive repair and refurbishment works to the public access staircases and walkways adjacent to the retail store and car park.

Originally fabricated from steel, the walkways, stair treads and risers had suffered significant damage and weathering due to lack of drainage and repeated exposure to the elements, with the surface becoming slippery and unsafe. In addition, water was leaking through the damaged top surface of the steel into the car park below, causing further hazardous conditions for drivers and pedestrians during heavy rain.

Principal contractor KCR Ltd and sub-contractor Smith and Rhodes Ltd worked with Glass Reinforced Polymer (GRP) specialist Dura Composites to deploy an innovative new composite walkway solution with in-built drainage to replace the rusted steel as well as single unit GRP structural stair treads with contrasting coloured nosings.

Using our in-house CAD and Design team’s extensive experience in walkway infrastructure projects, Dura Composites devised an installation method using Dura Slab 45mm floor panels with the bottom lap joint set in a repeating pattern, with each recess infilled with 22mm Dura Grating to aid surface water runoff and ensure maximum drainage.

All walkways and treads conformed to the required BS EN 13501 Class B fire rating and are compliant with a pedestrian load rating of BS EN 124 A15 at 2.5 metre spans. The advanced anti-slip surface is tested to over 1 million footfalls and offers outstanding safety, performance and durability versus traditional materials.

Before & After

Unlocking the Power of Composites for the Retail Sector

GRP composites can provide major design flexibility, time saving benefits and significant lifecycle advantages over traditional materials used in the retail industry such as plywood, hardwood, steel and concrete.

Recent clarification of key standards areas such as fire performance have made them more accessible than ever and the advanced nature of composites makes them inherently suitable for retail infrastructure projects which need to be carried out swiftly with minimum disruption to the client’s business.

All of Dura Composites’ advanced composite materials offer vast benefits including a superb strength to weight ratio, lightweight, non-corrosive and non-conducive properties and a long low-maintenance lifecycle.

KCR Ltd has three offices in Glasgow, Rochdale and Doncaster, specialising in retail maintenance and construction. Speaking about the project, Barrie Gibb at KCR Ltd said:

Dura Composites were extremely knowledgeable and worked with our project team to develop a solution that met all of our requirements from concept design through to installation. Within a matter of weeks all rusted walkway panels had been stripped off, all steelwork stripped back and the GRP structural Dura Slab panels fixed down along with Dura Slab Structural Stair Treads.

 

The new surface drainage that forms part of the deck ensures no standing water for Tesco customers and colleagues and has made a massive difference to the usability of this high traffic area. We are delighted with the results. Dura Composites provided us with a first-class service from start to finish.

Benefits of Dura Slab Structural Walkways & Treads

Designed, developed and manufactured by Dura Composites, Dura Slab structural floor panels and treads offer outstanding safety, performance and durability. In this project, Dura Slab Type 45 and Dura Slab Type 65 Structural Stair Treads were selected for their ability to meet the required fire-rating and pedestrian loading capability specified by Tesco for its pedestrian areas.

In addition, the principal contractor and subcontractor benefited from the products’ ability to be easily handled thanks to its lightweight nature, which sped up install time on site and saved on labour costs. The GRP solution from Dura Composites proved to be not only cost-effective and efficient to install, but was readily available from stock with minimal lead times.

Contact our Specialist Industrial Team about our Composite Solutions

Call us on 01255 440290


Joe Hunt

Industrial Sales Manager


Ian Dennis

Industrial Sales Key Account Manager


Danielle Lewis

Industrial Sales Account Manager