The striking and complex decked pontoon at Herons Quay, Canary Wharf was designed by the landscape architect with three key specification challenges, slip resistance, durability and aesthetics.
The finished project needed to have a high aesthetic appeal as the pontoon was visible from the high buildings surrounding the site. A finish similar to the look of a hardwood was required for visual appeal, but at a lower cost.
As the deck was for a pontoon in the Thames, durability and resistance to salt water was very important; as was the need for superior performance in a high slip risk area.
The solution was John Brash AntiSlip Plus timber decking, European redwood slow grown for the best quality timber, which was preservative treated with a brown pigment to replicate the finish of a hardwood. The deck boards were treated to 'Use Class 4' to cope with the demands of a challenging salt water location on the Thames. Two JB Anti-Slip inserts were used to give a superior non-slip finish exceeding the HSE requirements for 'extremely low slip risk' requirement for BS7976 by 25%.
In addition to the specification requirements there were also technical challenges in the installation of the timber deck. Chestnut Products Ltd, the specialist contactor, was presented with a report on the varying level of the concrete substrate from which the deck frame would be installed. To ensure the finished deck was perfectly level a laser level was used for the duration of the project, while the different frame sections were cut and shimmed for a perfect finish. Also, the pontoon edge required a pedestrian guard rail which would require complex cutting and fixing. The stunning finish was created using directional changes of the deck boards on diagonals which also added to the intricacy of the installation.
Mark Tyrrell of Chestnut says "We're really proud of this job, it took eight men four weeks as it was such a complex job. We used 22,200 screws and installed 4564 linear metres of deck boards on the pontoon which ended up perfectly level."
Chris Wellbelove from Blakedown Landscapes also comments; "We chose John Brash timber decking for the quality, it's a trusted durable product that could meet the projects requirements."
