London Zoo, Regents Park

About our client

For more than two decades, Robex has undertaken various projects at London Zoo. Recently, the main contractor, CBRE, sought their expertise to install a new resin floor for Monkey Valley, the zoo’s newest and most impressive addition. The project involved the transformation of the iconic Snowdon Aviary into a state-of-the-art facility for the UK’s eastern black and white colobus monkeys; the first of its kind in the UK.
Soaring 80ft above the Primrose Hill skyline (the height of six London double-decker buses) the new walkthrough features a range of monkey upgrades, including multi-level sunny and shaded basking spots for the ten troop members to lounge in, more than 800 meters of rope to swing on, 1,347 new plants and trees to leap amongst and a 30ft waterfall, flowing into a peaceful lagoon.

Objective

The client was looking for a resilient, and aesthetically pleasing resin flooring solution that would be simple to maintain.

Materials used

Robex Gripmaster in Cobalt Blue with aggregate size 0.4 – 0.8mm

Featuring a vast range of colours, Gripmaster is a rapid-curing and exceptionally hard-wearing acrylic resin flooring system that incorporates various sizes of aggregate to create a safe anti-slip finish. Gripmaster can be installed both inside and out on almost all surfaces. Applications include walkways, metal ramps, tiled areas, loading bays, swimming pool surrounds and showers, changing rooms, steps and landings, gantries, bridge decks, platforms, and loading docks.

• Long service life
• Excellent wear protection
• Excellent chemical resistance
• Floors back in use in just 1-2 hours

Work undertaken

After mechanically grinding the substrate and vacuuming all the dust, a resin primer was installed. Robex Resin GP was then applied at a thickness of 2-3mm and a coloured aggregate was fully broadcasted into the resin. The excess aggregate was removed once the resin had dried and two sealer coats were applied. Coving was also installed using the same colored resin and aggregate.

Challenges

As anticipated with a project of this magnitude, there were various obstacles encountered on site, particularly in terms of collaborating with other trades to secure unrestricted floor laying access.

Outcome

The zoo will benefit from a superior quality flooring that promises longevity and exceptional performance.