Tram depot benefits from safe flooring

The construction of a new tram depot in Scotland, has seen market leading industrial concrete floors laid, to provide safety for staff and visitors.

The depot at Gogar to the west of Edinburgh, is part of the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Program (EGIP). – a £1billion plus investment to dramatically improve the rail corridor between Scotland’s two major cities.

A key part of EGIP is the integration of the tram network, in which the Gogar depot plays a major part.

The depot buildings comprise a two storey accommodation block, staff offices and facilities, the control room, workshop areas, and internal tram wash area, maintenance pits and stabling areas.

For the work areas, the design brief demanded resilient and anti-slip flooring. It is important that it is hard wearing, easy to clean and resistant to chemical spillages. As a result, a solvent-free epoxy resin coating with anti-slip aggregate has been laid onto the concrete flooring.

With natural abrasion resistant qualities, it can cope with the heavy volumes of traffic the depot will experience on a daily basis. It is also extremely robust, and so affords great protection for the flooring beneath from the tram cleaning chemicals and any oil leaks.

Before application of the first coat, the concrete substrate was prepared through shotblasting to provide a superior finish. The anti-slip aggregate was then laid, before a final coating was applied to bond and provide greater resilience.

Following a trial, more than 5000m2 of the coating was laid, with necessary safety and guidance colours being included in the final product.