Completion year 2013
Key People
Structural Section Manager, Director
The heritage-listed Bickley Battery Defence Establishment was an Army base during World War II and includes bunkers, gun emplacements, plotting rooms, observational towers, magazine and ammunition stores.
The buildings were in a poor state of repair and accessible to the public, so preservation, public safety and risk mitigation were key considerations for this project. WGE’s structural team were appointed as Heritage Engineer and Superintendent.
An extensive program of steel treatment, concrete repair, glass replacement and masonry refurbishment was carried out using a minimal intervention philosophy in order to preserve and refurbish the building fabric, whilst maintaining elements of historic significance.
Significant concrete refurbishment was required as spalling concrete and corroding steel reinforcement was presenting a risk of roof collapse in several of the rooms. The team was able to maintain the original structure by introducing new reinforcement in places, treating existing steel reinforcement, repairing with a proprietary mortar and enhancing ongoing durability through the application of a chloride resisting migrating coating. A large set of blast resistant steel doors were retained through a steel preservation treatment which maintained the original painted signage.
The success of the project was achieved through a sensitive engineering approach balanced with the need for safety and risk reduction. WGE’s role required project management ability, contract understanding, heritage capability and specific and extensive product and general conservation knowledge.
The project was awarded the 2014 Heritage Award for Outstanding Conservation of a Non-Residential Place.