Tauranga Council built the tidal stairs in 2017. Shortly after completing the project, they started getting multiple people from the public calling them and complaining that the stairs were very slippery and some people were hurt.

The problem was that all the silt from the harbour was settling on the finished surface and creating a very slimy and slippery surface. ‘Tauranga council tried various different solutions but all had their own problems and hazards. They then started getting a company to water blast all the silt off twice a week, which was costing them a fortune given that the stairs are 350m2. The water blasting was still not doing the job as people were still complaining that the stairs were dangerous.

We approached the council to offer them a free sample of our bush-hammered finish which they agreed to. After a month of testing the finish, it appeared to be working a treat so they agreed to do bush hammer the whole lot.

The council is now only water blasting once a month and it is only to keep the area looking smart not for slipperiness.

GrindKing did a coarse bush hammer texture and applied a super hard densifier over the surface to harden, dustproof and tighten the concrete which has helped keep the silt from penetrating into the concrete as much.

It is safe to say that the cost saving from water blasting twice a week has well and truly paid for the bush hammering job.