We are very proud to report that 60 London Wall, a project undertaken by Sentinel Contracting on behalf of Skanska, has surpassed environmental goals by achieving 80% less environmental impact.

Reworking a 1980s office building into 20,000 sq. ft of modern retail space and 325,000 sq. ft of prime workspace presents its challenges. Challenges which are amplified when the building is in the centre of London’s financial district, where noise and other environmental restrictions are rigorously imposed.

The building’s original board fire protection was stripped from the structural columns and beams to expose steelwork that would take centre stage in EPR Architects’ new design. This meant that a media blasting solution was required to prepare steelwork for a new decorative fire protection system.

In response Sentinel Contracting developed an innovative new sponge media blasting (a composite of open cell sponge and abrasive) and decorative structural solution. The first of its kind in UK construction, this solution minimised the environmental impact of this construction project, by greatly reducing dust and, because it is recyclable, also cutting the actual tonnage of waste media required compared to other products.

If this system is applied to future blasting works within the UK, the environmental impact of waste media would be reduced up to 80%. That’s 80% less product, 80% less landfill, 80% less delivery cost, 80% less disposal cost.