International advertising agency DDB, renowned for its creativity & innovation, faced an ongoing problem with its showcase headquarters in Sydney. A total of 600 SQM of polished cement topping started to fail with unsightly cracks, high heel marks & delamination appearing only three months after installation.

The agency assigned specialist contractor Concrete Artisans Pty Ltd who approached ARDEX, the manufacturers of PANDOMO, to help devise a solution. Guaranteed performance & minimal disruption was integral to the overall brief, which placed heavy emphasis on the desire for a visual result in keeping with the rest of the office interior design.

First of all, two and a half tonnes of the non performing cement topping was removed exposing a lightweight polystyrene cement substrate. Then the entire area primed with ARDEX epoxy primer and pre-levelled with ARDEX K15 levelling compound. ARDEX allayed the concerns of DDB that a second floor could fail by recreating a polystyrene cement substrate floor in its laboratories and trialling three different systems of primers and levellers to prepare the substrate for the Pandomo installation. The proposed system was then trialled on site, in a heavy traffic area, for three months.  It passed with flying colours.

Each section, from removal of original floor to application of sealer, took just one weekend without interrupting or inconveniencing any staff.  And although ARDEX recommends waiting 28 days for Pandomo to attain full strength, DDB Advertising held a function for 300 people only seven days after completion of the project.  Again, the Concrete Artisans/ARDEX system was pronounced an outstanding success with DDB expressing complete satisfaction with the new floor.