Forecourts, car wash bays and yards
For Euro Garages in Salisbury we refurbished a petrol station forecourt, built car wash bays, installed petrol interceptors and carried out extensive concrete works for hard-wearing, low-maintenance surfaces.
Concrete is the right choice where surfaces take heavy loads, turning wheels or fuel spills, and it needs very little maintenance once it’s down.
Concrete work we carry out
- Foundations, including strip, trench-fill and pad foundations to the engineer’s design
- Floor slabs, ground-bearing and reinforced
- Bases for plant, tanks, kiosks, car wash equipment, garages and outbuildings
- External hardstandings, service yards, forecourts and car wash bays
- Reinforced concrete for drainage chambers and flood defence structures
- Drainage set into the concrete, such as channel drains, gullies and petrol interceptors
- Concrete driveways and hardstandings for homes (see our driveways in Dorset page)
Getting concrete right
Formation and sub-base
Most problems with concrete start underneath it. We dig to firm ground, then lay and compact the sub-base in layers so the slab is evenly supported and won’t settle or crack.
Reinforcement and formwork
Steel mesh or bar is fixed to the engineer’s design, with the right cover so it’s protected once the concrete is placed. Formwork is set to line and level so the finished edges and falls are where they should be.
Pouring and finishing
The finish depends on the use: a smooth, power-floated finish suits internal floors, while a brushed or tamped finish gives grip on external areas.
Joints and curing
Joints are planned so the slab can move without cracking where it shows, and the concrete is kept from drying out too fast while it gains strength.
Concrete in Bournemouth and Poole
Ground conditions vary across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Much of the area sits on sands and gravels, with pockets of clay and a high water table near the harbour and the rivers. The foundation design follows the ground investigation, and we plan the dig and the pour around the ground we find.
Our yard is on Cortry Close in Poole, so getting crews and plant to sites across the conurbation is quick.
How a concrete job runs
- Drawings and specification. Send us the drawings, the engineer’s details and the concrete specification.
- Site visit. We check access for the concrete wagons or pump, the levels and the ground.
- Priced scope. You get a priced scope of works and a programme.
- Preparation, pour and finish. We dig, prepare the formation, fix the steel and formwork, then pour, finish and cure the concrete.
Reinforced concrete on the Salisbury Riverside Project
On the £6.5 million Salisbury Riverside Project, working with Kier and the Environment Agency, our work included reinforced concrete, flood defences and deep drainage.
It’s the same attention to setting out, reinforcement and finish that goes into every slab and base we pour.
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Concrete questions
Do you supply ready-mix concrete?
No. We’re contractors: we prepare the ground and place and finish the concrete as part of the job. If you only need concrete delivered, a ready-mix or volumetric supplier is who you want.
What size of concrete job do you take on?
Our concrete work is mostly on commercial, industrial and housing projects, from bases and slabs to forecourts and yards. Tell us about yours and we’ll let you know if we’re the right fit.
Do you do the groundworks before the concrete?
Yes. We handle the excavation, drainage and sub-base as well, so one contractor is responsible for what’s under the concrete as well as the concrete itself.
Can you lay a concrete driveway?
Yes. We lay concrete driveways as well as resin-bound, tarmac and block paving. See our pages for Bournemouth, Poole and the rest of Dorset.
Where do you work?
We’re based in Poole and work in Bournemouth, Christchurch and across Dorset, and into Hampshire and Wiltshire.