The job
Frank Cole Waterproofing was re-waterproofing a plant deck at a hospital in Birtinya on the Sunshine Coast. The deck carries condensers, fan units, pipework and steel plant frames, and the old coating had to come off back to clean concrete before the new membrane could go down.
Perfect Concrete Care did the waterproofing membrane removal over six day shifts in March and April 2025, with the plant staying in place and the hospital running below.
What the waterproofing membrane removal involved
- The old coating ground off the open areas of the deck with a floor grinder and dust vacuum
- Hand grinding around condenser plinths, pipework, pipe supports and steel frames
- Grinding under fixed access ladders and raised plant, where the floor grinder would not reach
- The deck left ground back and clean for the waterproofing crew
What made it hard
The plant stayed in place. Condensers, fans, pipework and frames sit all over the deck, so large parts of the floor could only be reached with hand grinders, working around and under the equipment.
It is a hospital. The work area was protected, permits and the site SWMS were signed each day, and the dust was captured at the grinder so none of it went into the plant or down the building.
The deck is enclosed by screens, so the gear had to be brought up and worked in tight corridors between the units.
How it was done
The crew ran a walk behind floor grinder with a dust vacuum across the open walkways and bays first, then went back in with hand grinders and vacuums for the edges, plinths, pipes and frames.
Each area was ground back to clean concrete and left tidy, ready for Frank Cole's new membrane.
Outcome
The plant deck was handed back to Frank Cole ground back to concrete around all the plant, ready for the new waterproofing system.
Lessons learned on this job
Every job teaches the crew something. These are the ones we took from Birtinya.
What worked
- Floor grinder for the open areas first, then hand grinders for everything around the plant
- Dust captured at the grinder, which matters on a hospital
- A vacuum on every grinder, floor and hand held
What was difficult
- Working around and under plant that stayed in place
- Tight corridors between condensers, frames and screens
- Hand grinding a large share of the deck
If you have something similar
Plant decks and roofs with equipment in place need careful membrane removal before re-waterproofing. Have a look at our concrete grinding Sunshine Coast and waterproofing membrane removal Brisbane pages, see similar jobs at Coorparoo and Caloundra, or get in touch.
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Perfect Concrete Care acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Traditional Custodians of the country on which we live and work. We pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians and Elders past, present and future, and honour their connection to the land and ongoing contribution to society.