A.b.e.
A wide variety of a.b.e Construction Chemicals products were specified and supplied to main contractor, Stefanutti Stocks, for the construction of the upmarket, Radisson Blu Mosi-oa-Tunya Resort at Livingstone, Zambia.
The ultra-luxury resort hotel was recently completed on the banks of the Zambezi, 5km south of Livingstone, and 4km north-west of the Victoria Falls, in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. The resort was developed by the Zambian National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) which commissioned the construction works in July 2021.
Trevor Enerson, Export Manager for a.b.e., part of Saint-Gobain Africa, says a.b.e. supplied a wide range of products for the project through the company’s official Zambian distributor, Mart Solutions. The applicator was a.b.e.-approved Tredstone Construction.
The a.b.e. products supplied included:
- 19 000m2 abelite finishing plaster.
- 3 500m2 Chryso Béton Ciré decorative finishing system, including, Chryso Concrete Primer and Finisol topcoat.
- 5 200m2 double layer a.b.e. Unigum 4mm and viscous 3mm torchon waterproofing membrane;
- 130m2 double layer asphalt tolerant 4mm and viscous 3mm torchon waterproofing membrane.
- 400m2 double layer 4mm anti-root torchon waterproofing membrane.
- 6 300m2 duraflex flexible cementitious waterproofing compound.
- 1 200m2 abescreed duraTop fast track flooring overlay.
- 780 m2 abeflo SL self-levelling epoxy floor overlay, primed with abecote WD 337.
- 4 700m2 abecote tough polyurethane paint, clear matt sealer.
- 60m2 abescreed PU 6 mm polyurethane floor screed.
- 370m2 abecote SF356 epoxy tar coating.
- 3 000ℓ/m flexothane 27 polyurethane sealant, epidermix 326 epoxy primer and duracord backing cord.
Other a.b.e. products utilised included super laykold, super laycryl, Painter’s Mate, durarep FC, duragrout, abeprime SLC and SLC P acrylic primer, as well as durarep 60.
Enerson says the highest number of 40kg a.b.e. abelite bags in a single order in Africa were required to cover the 19 000m2 of surfaces at the Radisson Blu Mosi-oa-Tunya Resort. “abelite is extremely popular as a combined base coat and finishing plaster for internal surfaces of upmarket commercial projects as well as home improvements. Only water need to be added to abelite powder to make a multi-purpose, lightweight, and high-strength finishing plaster that produces highly polished smooth, brush, or textured finishes. Consisting of formulated calcium sulphate hemihydrate – commonly known as ‘plaster of paris’ – abelite can be applied on brickwork, concrete blocks, drywalling, ceiling boards, and as a finishing coat over sand-cement renderings. The pot life of the mixed plaster is up to 70 minutes and typical drying time is 2.5 to 3.5 hours.”
Chryso Béton Ciré decorative concrete system offers a myriad of applications for the hospitality, residential and tertiary sectors. The product can be used to smoothen floors with blowholes or surface irregularities, and covers large surfaces in a short time: an average of about 200m2 per day. “Apart from residential applications, Chryso Béton Ciré is ideal as decorative highlight in hotels, stores, restaurants, commercial buildings, bathrooms, patios and showrooms,” Enerson states.
a.b.e.’s reinforced plastomeric bitumen polymer waterproofing membrane made of distilled bitumen and plastomers, was applied by Tredstone Construction in 3mm thickness as waterproofing underlay at the new hotel. The upper faces of the 3mm membranes are coated with a fine serigraphed talc, a patented treatment which allows the membrane to be unrolled easily during the application.
A 4mm layer of a.b.e.’s unigum dual reinforced membrane was also torched on to add extra waterproofing. The incorporation of two reinforcement materials – the membrane strength from the polyester content and the stability from the fibreglass mat – maximises the sealing qualities of unigum.
a.b.e. duraflex, a flexible cementitious waterproofing slurry was used to waterproof all the hotel’s bathrooms, balconies, and ‘back of house’ wet areas, totalling 6 300m2.
Enerson says Mart Solutions also supplied abescreed duraTop fast track 10mm floor overlay especially tinted (‘Livingstone Beige’) to match the Béton Ciré wall coatings. a.b.e. duraTop fast track is a self-smoothing cement-based floor system used to level and structurally strengthen the floors by adding increased resistance to wear and chemical attack. “This fast-track product dries quickly and can be walked on 24 hours after application. abescreed duraTop is one of a.b.e.’s acclaimed range of dustless cementitious products which reduce health risks and contamination of any the enclosed venue.”
abeflo self-levelling floor overlay systems, both epoxy and polyurethane based, were also applied in specific, ‘back of house’ service areas such as the kitchen freezer and chiller rooms, as well as passages.
a.b.e.’s flexothane 27, an elastic, low modulus moisture curing polyurethane sealant, was selected for the new hotel project. Flexothane 27 is widely used for sealing of expansion and contraction joints, external walling cladding joints, sealing of window and door joints, and for sealing of connecting joints between wall and windows.
