Bus Station, Avenham & Market Car Parks

Thomas Consulting Ltd were appointed by Preston City Council to undertake full structural inspections of the Bus Station, Avenham and Market Car Parks. All three car parks dating from the 1960’s are of reinforced concrete (RC) construction and exhibited significant defects due to deterioration of the reinforced concrete decks and column superstructure. The inspections included full touch type inspections with hammer tap testing of all exposed/ accessible elements. This included Mechanical Elevating Working Platform (MEWP) access to the external elevations. Storage of de-icing salts on the car park decks had led to chloride contamination of the superstructure and extensive concrete repairs were needed to ensure the future life of the structures. The commission was extended to undertake limited specialist concrete testing to verify the results of the structural inspection. Additional services included structural assessments of vehicle containment barriers. The inspections were undertaken by three teams each led by a Chartered Engineer and took approximately 4 weeks to complete.