The floor before
The floor before
The finished floor with green walkway
The finished floor with green walkway
The finished floor with markings
Contrasting colours to design a floor layout
Introduction
As part of the BBC’s return to the historic Television Centre in London, BBC Studioworks needed the scenery runway to be upgraded with a robust industrial floor. This key service area links studios and storage, handling constant movement of scenery, flight cases and equipment. Elgood Industrial Flooring was appointed to install a new industrial flooring system over 175 m² of rough concrete, using a fast drying industrial floor screed and Britdura 3000 solvent free epoxy flowed coating to deliver a hard wearing, slip resistant and clearly marked surface within a two week programme.
Background
Ahead of the relaunch of broadcasting from the three studios at BBC Television Centre, a number of studio floors and service spaces required refurbishment. The scenery runway is a vital circulation route for sets and technical equipment, meaning the condition of the floor has a direct impact on safety, handling and day to day efficiency.
The existing sub floor was a rough concrete slab from which a 25 mm asphalt layer had been removed. This left an uneven, open textured surface that was not suitable as a finished industrial floor. BBC Studioworks needed a durable, easy to clean and visually organised surface that would protect the slab and stand up to intensive use.
With over 125 years of industrial flooring experience and full UK coverage from its Kent base, Elgood Industrial Flooring was engaged to design and install a British manufactured industrial flooring solution appropriate for a high profile broadcast environment and a busy construction site.
The Challenge
The project had several clear requirements:
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Upgrade a 175 m² rough concrete surface where a 25 mm asphalt layer had been removed
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Provide a level, strong and hard wearing industrial floor capable of handling heavy wheeled loads and frequent traffic
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Achieve finished floor levels that tied in with surrounding areas using a 25-30 mm screed build
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Deliver a fine slip resistant finish suitable for safe movement of staff, trolleys and scenery wagons
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Use colour and line marking to define routes and warn users to keep studio doors clear
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Operate safely within a live construction site at BBC Television Centre, using appropriately qualified staff and equipment operators
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Complete the works in a tightly managed two week programme
The Solution
Elgood Industrial Flooring designed a two layer build up combining fast drying industrial floor screed with a high performance solvent free epoxy coating.
Preparation for industrial flooring
The rough concrete slab, still carrying traces of the removed asphalt, was prepared using Von Arx scabbling machines. This process:
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Removed remaining asphalt residues and weak surface material
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Cleaned and textured the concrete to provide a strong mechanical key
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Was carried out with vacuums attached to the preparation machinery to capture dust and debris and keep the working area clean
Industrial flooring system
Once preparation was complete, Elgood installed:
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Pre-blended fast drying industrial floor screed (25-30 mm)
A pre-blended fast drying industrial floor screed was laid at a thickness of 25-30 mm, carefully levelled to meet the existing finished floor levels. This screed provided a dense, stable base, eliminating the roughness of the exposed concrete and creating a consistent platform for the epoxy finish. -
Britdura 3000 solvent free epoxy flowed coating
The screed was then finished with Britdura 3000 Solvent Free Epoxy Flowed Coating at approximately 3 mm thickness in Grass Green and Light Grey. This coating:-
Formed a seamless industrial floor with excellent durability
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Provided a fine slip resistant texture suitable for frequent handling of scenery and equipment
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Offered good cleanability, helping to maintain a tidy, professional appearance in a high profile back of house area
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Layout and markings
Line markings and contrasting colours were incorporated into the floor design to:
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Define the main walkway in Grass Green
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Highlight key areas in Light Grey
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Warn users to keep studio doors free from obstruction, supporting safe access and emergency egress
All works were project managed and installed by Elgood’s own SMSTS, SSSTS and CPCS qualified team, ensuring safe working on a busy construction site and a single point of responsibility from start to finish.
Outcome
The completed industrial floor at the BBC Television Centre scenery runway has delivered a practical and long lasting solution for BBC Studioworks:
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A level, robust industrial floor built on a 25-30 mm fast drying screed and finished with a Britdura 3000 solvent free epoxy coating
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A fine slip resistant surface that supports safe movement of scenery, flight cases and personnel
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A clearly defined layout using Grass Green, Light Grey and line markings to guide traffic and keep critical doors clear
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A cleaner, brighter and more professional looking service area that supports efficient studio operations
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A project completed in a two week programme by a British manufacturer-installer with full control over materials, preparation and installation
By converting a rough, exposed slab into a carefully engineered industrial flooring system, Elgood Industrial Flooring has provided BBC Studioworks with a durable, clearly organised scenery runway that underpins day to day operations at the renewed BBC Television Centre.
