Introduction
Following our successful delivery of critical structural remediation for this client’s flagship London site, we were engaged to investigate widespread, active water ingress at their location in Cosenza, Italy.
Operating within a live commercial environment, retail estate managers require absolute clarity when structural defects threaten core operations. Following our successful delivery of critical structural remediation for this client’s flagship London site, we were engaged to investigate widespread, active water ingress at their location in Cosenza, Italy. Previous mitigation measures – such as drip trays and localised surface sealing – had entirely failed because they addressed the symptoms rather than the invisible structural source.
The Client & The Commercial Risk
The client is a globally recognised multinational clothing retailer. For several years, their estate management team had battled complex, recurring water ingress across multiple European flagship sites. Beyond the structural degradation, these persistent, multi-site leaks posed an unacceptable, ongoing risk of severe damage to high-value seasonal clothing stock and threatened the premium retail environment. They required a definitive, data-driven end to this historical operational risk.
The Diagnostic Investigation
Before any remediation could begin, our technical team had to map the true extent of the structural failure. The water infiltration at the Cosenza site was highly interconnected, with active leaks presenting across main corridors, recharge areas, and critical staircases.
We deployed a targeted structural investigation to identify the root causes, moving beyond visual assumptions to uncover multiple systemic defects:
Providing objective, data-driven structural condition reports at the end of a commercial lease to accurately assess required make-good works.
Detecting Out-of-Scope Ingress
Our thorough investigation identified a severe, previously undocumented active leak hidden near critical fire safety equipment.
Identifying Joint & Drainage Failure
We successfully traced recurring leakage back to concealed structural joint and drainage system failures.
Assessing Concrete Delamination
We assessed severe deterioration at the underside of the staircase slab, identifying areas where internal steel reinforcement was dangerously exposed to moisture.
The Outcome: The Scan & Repair Advantage
Armed with precise diagnostic data detailing the exact source of the failures, our in-house remediation team immediately executed a highly targeted repair strategy.
Because we had accurately mapped the internal leak pathways, we were able to deploy non-invasive polyurethane (PU) resin injection directly into the voids, arresting the active water ingress immediately. We then seamlessly transitioned into structural concrete reinstatement and joint waterproofing.
By handling both the complex diagnostics and the advanced remediation, we broke the client’s multi-year cycle of failed fixes. We delivered a durable, guaranteed solution that secured the long-term performance of the asset and permanently protected their high-value clothing inventory.