Supporting the launch of the AVIKTAS, the UK’s newest ride

While much of our work at Complete Driveways focuses on improving homes, transforming gardens and extending drives, we often support our parent company, Terrabuild, on bigger commercial contracts.

Especially when it comes to pattern imprinted concrete.

Earlier this year, we were chosen to help bring the brand new flat ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach – AVIKTAS – to life.

After excavations had taken place all around the swinging ride to set the huge support columns that swing riders 138ft into the air, the Pleasure Beach needed to transform the whole area around it.

They came to us to help create a large open plaza area at the ride entrance, printed walkways and lots of viewing areas.

And when we say large, we mean large!

Laying the foundations at Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Just like with any home driveway transformation, we started with a plan of what the site was going to look like and began marking out the foundations.

As with any concrete job, you need to section off areas and pour in increments to make sure it stays strong and solid, and prevent cracking.

We laid out dozens of rectangles across the huge site, adding other essential features like drainage and manhole covers (we all know it rains a lot in Blackpool!)

Pouring the concrete

Next it was time for the pour. We brought several truckloads of ready-mix concrete to fill in each of the areas we’d marked out and built up, often piping in the concrete from across the site.

After each section was poured, our team set about levelling and preparing the surface.

Printing and colouring

Blackpool Pleasure Beach asked for two distinct areas for the AVIKTAS entrance – a large open plaza area before the actual ride entrance – for groups to gather and visitors to watch, and then a distinct flooring area once you entered the ride queue itself.

So we coloured the entire exterior area in one of our favourite colours – Steadman Buff – a tan-like shade that gives a great sandstone effect. It’s popular with homeowners.

At the ride itself, we went for a modern, light grey colour that aligned with the ride’s theme.

Then, section by section, we set about printing the hexagonal pattern that would come to define the whole ground area around AVIKTAS.

It took our team weeks to prepare, pour, colour and carefully print every section, but the results look fantastic. At this scale, the pattern looks incredible.

Ready to welcome riders to AVIKTAS

After putting some finishing touches on the concrete, the area was all set.

It was an amazing project to work on, in the shadow of the Big One, one of the UK’s most iconic roller coasters, with a ginormous pendulum swinging over our heads during ride testing.

But what a fantastic ride – and fantastic looking flooring to guide riders to their seats!

If you’ve got a commercial project that needs pattern imprinted concrete, our parent company Terrabuild can help.

And if you like the look of the colours and patterns here – or you’re a huge Pleasure Beach fan and want to recreate the same look on your own drive – then get your free design and quote today.