Ultracrete Keeps Traffic Flowing At Northern Europe Art Nouveau Capital

Riga's historical centre is a World Heritage site, noted for its Art Nouveau architecture, with over a third of its buildings featuring beautiful and elaborate maidens, floral motifs and gargoyles made popular with this distinctive style.

Three of Riga's most popular Art Nouveau streets - Brivibas, Lacplesa and Juglas - have recently been resurfaced with many manhole covers reinstated at the same time. With a population of 1 million and an additional 2 million tourists visiting Riga each year, it was imperative that the materials chosen to reinstate the manhole covers and frames could withstand constant and heavy trafficking and be opened quickly causing minimal disruption to residents and tourists alike.

Riga Transport Department has specified the use of UltraCrete highway maintenance materials since 2007 due to their permanent, high performance, rapid setting and early trafficking qualities.

Delta Urban supplied the chosen contractor with UltraCrete M60 rapid strength bedding mortar and QC10 F rapid set flowable concrete for these repairs.

UltraCrete M60 is a rapid strength bedding mortar ideal for use with all access covers as well as for the bonding of granite setts, flags and bedding kerbs. M60 boasts superior compressive strength which means areas repaired with M60 can be opened to traffic in just 1 hour - ideal for the busy streets of Riga where traffic needs to keep flowing.

Part of UltraCrete's range of high specification concretes, QC10 F is a rapid setting, fibre modified concrete formulated for the backfilling around manhole frames and gullies. QC10 F has an impressive compressive strength and can be opened to traffic in just 90 minutes.

Both M60 and QC10 F have been independently tested and approved by the Highways Authority Product Approval Scheme (HAPAS) for over 10 years and are proven to provide first time, permanent and durable repairs with a service life of at least 5 years.