About SHIMPAC® Systems
Peter Rieck
Johnny Jonas
Peter Rieck
Johnny Jonas
Driven by the hammering their vintage cars were taking in the early 1980s two young British innovators and long-standing friends with inquisitive engineering minds, Peter Rieck and Johnny Jonas, started work to develop a permanent solution to an age-old and common problem – unsecured and failed highway ironwork.
Their quest for an answer led them to turn convention on its head and do away with the normal practice of “filling the gap” between the chamber top and ironwork with anything that came to hand; bits of pallet, quarry tiles, beer cans and even telephone directories packed round with mortar.
Their research made them believe the key to solving the problem was to build up and reinforce the top of chambers in the carriageway to provide a properly constructed platform for the ironwork to sit on. The concept they came up with also allowed the respective ironwork to be lifted up to the exact level of the surface surrounding it whilst creating a structural component that was strong enough to withstand the forces of a busy highway.
This product had to be “fast and simple” to install, cost “effective” and able to last the whole life cycle of the carriageway, ironwork and chamber. They found a company able to manufacture the right raw materials to their exact specifications and the SHIMPAC® ROADSHIM® was born.
At the time Kent County Council was at the forefront of the industry’s drive to improve carriageway performance so the two young innovators approached them to help rigorously test this fledgling product. The Head of Roads and Engineering and the Chief Highways Engineer at Kent County Council agreed to support the project with a tough two-year testing program using some of their most troublesome sites.
The fledgeling ROADSHIMS® proved capable of withstanding the extreme compression and sheer forces they were exposed to and surpassed the requirements laid down by Council’s Highways Team, in fact those test installations were still in place keeping the ironwork level with the road surface many years later.
Over the years, the product range has grown and developed to meet expanding demands…
To date over 11 million SHIMPAC® ROADSHIMS® have been manufactured and sold in the UK, when installed correctly there have been no reported failures. With their justifiable reputation for ensuring that ironwork installations and repairs last for years SHIMPAC® systems have gained approval for use by highway, port, airport and rail operators as well as water authorities, communication companies and utilities companies.
As a result the product range has expanded and now comes in various sizes, shapes and thicknesses to suit the huge number of individual ironwork units; ROADSHIMS®, GULLY COLLARS, UTILITY COLLARS, BUNGS & TEMPORARY SAFETY COVERS, REDUCERS & ADAPTORS and CONTROL BOX SEATING. There is even a SPECIAL PRODUCTS department whose job is to design and manufacture bespoke products for unique customer applications.
At SHIMPAC® Systems no-one in the SHIMPAC® team has ever stopped exploring ways to improve and develop its products and their versatility.
BUILDING ON SUCCESS, 2020 AND BEYOND…
Barry Andrews joined SHIMPAC® in 2020, from senior project and contract management roles at Highways England. He knows the huge problems faced by the highway industry and believes that SHIMPAC® offers the best permanent solution for ironwork seating and levelling. “My brief is simple,” he says: “Strengthen the knowledge of our customers and provide products that the industry needs.
SHIMPAC® SYSTEMS has entered a new chapter of growth and development, with all SHIMPAC® products fully compliant with the requirements of Highway Authorities’ Technical Specifications and approved for use by both Housing and Utility companies.
SHIMPAC® Systems are now seen by many in the civil engineering and asphalting world as the permanent solution to stabilise ironworks for both flexible and rigid surfaces
© 2023 Marcmoor™ Limited, registered in England and Wales. Shimpac is a Registered Trademark.
CONTACT
Head Office
8a Lower Road Trading Estate
Ledbury
Herefordshire HR8 2DJ
© 2021 Marcmoor™ Limited, registered in England and Wales.
Shimpac is a Registered Trademark.
