Structural Concrete Repair

Sherrington Building, University of Oxford, May 2026

Buildings & Residential

Project overview

Concrete Repair Solutions were appointed to carry out a structural repair to a damaged concrete floor rib at the Sherrington Building, University of Oxford, during the building’s refurbishment.

Reinforcement in one of the ribs of the clay pot floor slab had been severed, so the rib needed to be strengthened and rebuilt. Working to the structural engineer’s design, our team installed temporary propping, reinstated the reinforcement and rebuilt the rib.

The works were delivered within a live refurbishment project, working closely with the main contractor and the engineers.

What we did

Temporary Works

Installed an engineered propping system beneath the slab
Built to the temporary works engineer’s design
Inspected and approved before any breakout

Breakout

Carefully broke out the damaged rib
Exposed the severed reinforcement
Protected the surrounding clay pot slab

Reinforcement

Reinstated the reinforcement with mechanical couplers
Fitted new replacement bar
Followed the approved structural methodology

Concrete Repair

Applied a bonding coat to the prepared concrete
Rebuilt the rib in structural repair mortar
Cured the repair before the props were removed

Technical overview

The Sherrington Building has a clay pot floor slab, where concrete ribs carry the load between rows of hollow clay blocks. With reinforcement in one rib severed, the floor needed temporary support before any repair could begin.

A propping system was designed by a temporary works engineer and installed by our team, then inspected and approved before the rib was opened up.

The damaged concrete was removed to expose the reinforcement, which was reconnected using mechanical couplers and a new section of bar to restore its strength.

The rib was then rebuilt with a structural repair mortar and left to cure fully, with the propping kept in place until the engineer confirmed it could be safely removed.

Project challenges

Supporting a damaged structural floor before repair
Working to strict structural and temporary works designs
Working inside a university building under refurbishment
Coordinating closely with the main contractor and engineers

The outcome

The rib was fully reinstated, restoring the structural integrity of the floor slab in line with the engineer’s design.

The temporary works were installed, maintained and signed off by the engineer, with the repair left to cure before the props were removed.

The client received a full handover pack with photographs, engineer sign-off and product information, backed by a 12-month workmanship warranty.

Services demonstrated

Structural concrete repair
Temporary works and propping
Reinforcement reinstatement with couplers
Repairs to clay pot and historic slabs
Working to engineers’ designs
Specialist support to main contractors

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