Border watchtower

Repair of exposed concrete

The abandoned border watchtower

Object: Blakidi Border Watchtower
The Blakidi Border Watchtower is a historic monument commemorating the division of Germany
Location: Blakidi, Lüneburg District, Lower Saxony
Client: The municipalities of Blakey and Newhouse, Luneburg District

Our mission
The restoration of a former border tower near Blakidi on the River Elbe presented a particular challenge. The border tower, which was constructed from precast concrete elements, steel arches and in-situ concrete, exhibited significant cracking, particularly on the weather-facing side, as well as cracked and partially open joint areas at the precast joints. The reinforcing bars in the precast concrete elements were, in some places, close to the surface due to the manufacturing process and had partially corroded.

Our work involved restoring the exposed concrete structure in question and filling in the missing sections of the exposed concrete surface. Finally, we carried out concrete refinishing and touched up the metallic colours to restore the structure to its original condition.

Restoration of the exposed concrete on the border watchtower, carried out in harsh weather conditions

Challenge
The exposed concrete restoration work on the Blakidi border watchtower, situated on the River Elbe, had to be carried out in low temperatures and harsh weather conditions. As a precautionary measure, the entire structure was insulated and heated using heaters. The temperature of the structure and its surroundings was continuously monitored and documented throughout the exposed concrete restoration and refurbishment of the property. 

This involved repairing the damaged concrete areas, including carefully exposing and removing rust from the steel, applying corrosion protection and rebuilding the areas that had been removed, in keeping with the original surface finish and colour.

Restoration of surfaces whilst preserving as much of the original material as possible.

The restoration and repair of exposed listed concrete structures requires a balance between the preservation of the historic material, the preservation of the building’s architectural and artistic features, and compliance with structural requirements, guidelines and specifications relating to the protection of historic monuments.

Our aim when restoring exposed concrete structures within listed buildings is to minimise interference with the original fabric of the building as much as possible and to use repair materials that are appropriate to the current condition, both technically and aesthetically.

Do you have a similar project?

We would be happy to help you with its implementation. Please contact us to find out more and discuss the next steps together.

GDPR Cookie Consent with a Real Cookie Banner