| Millennium Dome/ O2, Greenwich, London |
| Contract: |
Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) Europe |
| Contractor: |
Byrne Bros (Formwork) Ltd |
| Concrete Supplier: |
Hanson Premix |
| Concrete Desription |
Flowing Concrete for Columns |
| Admixtures Used: |
Glenium SKY 544 & Glenium 27 |
Background
Originally designed by the Richard Rogers Partnership as the Millennium Dome, The O2 is now owned by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) Europe, part of the Meridian Delta consortia, through a 999-year lease. As part of its £200 million scheme to transform the O2, due to complete in 2007, AEG/Meridian Delta are re-developing part of the structure to create a soundproof 23,000 seat capacity entertainment and sports stadium/arena and a world-class casino. The O2’s new arena will host the 2012 Olympic Gymnastics and the finals of the Basketball competition as well as the trampolining event. In 2009, it will also play host to the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. The casino will be removed for the Olympics and reinstalled after the event.
Designed by renowned architect Terry Farrell, the new arena has its own roof under the main canopy, designed to prevent noise escaping and obscure the shell’s trusses. The 4,500-tonne structure sits 40 metres above the ground - five metres below the original roof. In an unusual situation for a major construction, cranes were unable to fit under the existing structure. As such, the roof had to be constructed at ground level and lifted by 16 computer-controlled 'strand jacks' over a period of six weeks to its final position.
BASF Admixtures
BASF has supplied Glenium SKY 544 and Glenium 27 admixtures to be used in three large pours of flowing concrete for the arena’s columns. The most important factor in the specification of these products was the need for an excellent aesthetic finish.
Glenium SKY 544 is specially engineered for ready-mix concrete and its particular configuration allows its delayed adsorption onto the cement particles and disperses them efficiently, obtaining a high quality concrete mix with accelerated strength development and extended workability without delayed setting characteristics.
Glenium 27 is a new generation high range water-reducing admixture, primarily developed for the ready-mix concrete industry where slump retention, high strength and durability are required. It has a primary role in producing ‘self compacting concrete’ and gives the ability to work with a very low water/cement ratio and still obtain extended slump retention, again allowing the manufacture of high quality concrete.