In the north, too, joints are grouted

Hamburg’s world-famous fish market is one of the city’s most iconic public spaces. Every Sunday, it draws up to 70,000 visitors to the banks of the Elbe, serving as a symbol of the vibrant urban landscape between St. Pauli and Altona. As part of a renovation project in late fall 2014, various paved areas in Hamburg were re-grouted—including sections at the fish market and on Ottenser Hauptstraße.

In total, the project covered approximately 2,000 m² of paved area.

Requirements and Challenges

The paving areas, traditionally laid in sand, were subjected to extremely high loads. In addition to the heavy foot traffic at the fish market, cleaning operations, delivery traffic, and the specific site conditions along the Elbe River also took their toll on the surfaces. Recurring flooding posed an additional challenge, as it could wash away loose joint material and compromise the stability of the paving.

Therefore, a joint solution was needed that is durable, flexible, and resistant to the specific stresses in the urban port area.

ROMEX® Solution

For the renovation, the clients opted to use ROMPOX® - FLEX-FUGE as well as ROMPOX® - D2000. The combination of both products enabled a tailor-made solution for different load-bearing areas and requirements within the project.

ROMPOX® - FLEX-FUGE was used where a flexible joint solution was required to better accommodate movements in the paving structure. ROMPOX® - D2000 complemented the system as a high-performance two-component paving joint mortar for heavily trafficked areas. The solid jointing replaced loose joint material, reduced maintenance requirements, and improved the long-term stability of the paved surfaces.