Client Brief and Design

Bridgend Life Centre is a community hub for all ages to come together to access sports and health facilities. With significant areas of failure across the roof our client urgently required a waterproofing solution. The foremost priority was finding a refurbishment option that did not disrupt access for customers. Caltech MEtcoat fit the bill perfectly with no need for roof strip whilst meeting budget expectations of the client.

Donna Owen, Area Technical Manager – North Wales, Shropshire & Cheshire, Alumasc Roofing “Caltech MEtcoat was the ideal choice for this type of refurbishment. A high-performance, cold-applied resin forms a seamless durable membrane with up to 20 years of waterproof protection”.

Compatible with all conventional metal profiled materials the METcoat application is a straightforward process. Crucially our registered contractors clean the roof area, ensuring the failing nuts, bolts and washers are expertly taped and prepared ahead of the METcoat application.

Challenges

Caltech METcoat is achieved with quick application and no disruption, the only challenge we face can be the UK weather!

Halo Leisure “Donna and the team walked us through every step of the process seamlessly. From the comprehensive free roof survey, followed by specification, a reliable cost breakdown, right through to speedy completion on site.”

Environmental Benefits

Giving this roof another lease of life means there is no need for a roof strip and therefore less landfill.

About

Halo is a registered charity and social enterprise running 20 sport and leisure centres on behalf of local authorities.

Client: Halo Leisure Services
Completion: December 2021

Client Brief and Design

“The roof was leaking continuously in multiple areas, and we needed a quick and safe waterproofing solution with quiet installation to ensure the safety and continuity of education for the children in the school.” Says specialist building consultant working in partnership with the school, E3 Cube Ltd.

Our technical team agreed that to meet the client brief requirements, the best option would be Caltech METcoat, a low odour, cold-applied liquid membrane, which could be applied in just two coats to form a seamless durable membrane with up to 20 years of waterproof protection.

Leon Ferguson, Area Technical Manager – North West, “We wanted to avoid any roof waste by preserving the metal sheet roofing with the Caltech METcoat coating system and the low odour option ensured there was no disruption to learning.”

Partnership

We have deep-rooted relationships with our registered contractors, and we are always pushing to continually set high standards in the Education sector.

Challenges

Leon Ferguson, Area Technical Manager – North West adds, “Time was of the essence as the cold winter weather was fast approaching. The METcoat system was an ideal solution because it is very quick to install once the detailing and reinforcement is complete. We were able to turn the job around in just under 10 weeks from specification to completion.”

Service

As part of the Alumasc Roofing service we offer transparent quality checking and timely site reporting. We are always on-site to assist with any difficulties or issues during or after the installation. Almost all projects come with their challenges but a roofing supplier’s ability and willingness to tackle them in
collaboration with the client and contractor is of key importance to Alumasc Roofing.

Sustainable Benefits

At the end of the system’s lifecycle, only the renewal of the topcoat will be necessary, with no need to strip and dispose of any existing membrane.

Safety Performance

Manufactured in accordance with ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 Alumasc offers a comprehensive range of single-source warranty options for up to 20 years. Installed exclusively by Registered Contractors and underpinned by Alumasc’s extensive project support service, Alumasc warranties cover product, workmanship, and design.

About

Completion: December 2021
Roofing Contractor: BBR Roofing Ltd

A 5-minute hop from Cardiff Queen Street and you’ll find the first blue roof in Wales. Upon what was formerly 1960’s office accommodation the Cromwell House site has been transformed into an 8 storey, 120-bedroom easyHotel with a rooftop stormwater management system.

Our Design Process

Our clients at Carter Lauren Construction were interested in learning about the benefits of a blue roof to meet planning conditions.

”Working in a compact city centre environment where ground attenuation was not possible, it made sense to install a blue roof. The Alumasc team demonstrated how their BluRoof System attenuates stormwater via controlled discharge over a 24-hour period at roof level.” Kevin Jenkins, Surveying Director, Carter Lauren Construction.

Client Brief and Design

Working closely with the appointed consulting engineer and architect, our team of technical experts designed a solution for stormwater attenuation to comply with planning and meet all other project objectives.

Alumasc’s Matt Davies, Area Technical Manager – Mid, West & South Wales commented, “Given the urban location, the Alumasc BluRoof system was the perfect fit in providing a fully warranted single-source waterproofing and sustainable drainage solution.”

The Alumasc technical team provided a full specification service and specialist drainage design using key data from the project brief. By incorporating our BBA Accredited Derbigum APP polymer modified bituminous waterproofing system the longevity of the total solution is assured with a proven track record since 1967.

Other key components comprise of a BluRoof geotextile filter fabric, BluRoof interlocking void former, flow control outlets, and overflow system.

Environmentally Focussed Solution

Extreme weather events are now the new normal, says the World Meteorological Organisation. Our rainfall patterns are becoming increasingly unpredictable, and we must plan accordingly to adapt the built environment to help alleviate flood risk.

Partnership

Working with the contractor to construct the first blue roof in Wales. Kevin Jenkins, Surveying Director, Carter Lauren Construction, “Matt and the Alumasc team were available throughout the design and installation process. We knew that installing the BluRoof by Alumasc was the right decision for the future of the easyHotel and the benefit to reduce pressure off the drains.”

Safety Performance

The easyHotel has a 35-year warranty for the works and life expectancy of at least 40 years.

About

Easy Hotel Cromwell House, Cardiff – Wales’s first blue roof.

Completion: Spring 2021
Main Contractor: Carter Lauren Construction
Architect: Axiom Architects

Built in 1936 Haven Green Court is a prominent fixture in the local roofscape. This locally listed residential 4-storey mansion block of flats is steeped in rich history at the heart of the west London Borough of Ealing.

Client Brief and Design

The site itself dates back to 1890 and due to the age of the property and several areas of failure, the contractor Tower Flat Roofing was tasked by the client Haven Court Green Ltd with refurbishment, whilst preserving the most distinguishing feature, a mansard roof covered with glazed green pantiles.

The priority was to provide a full roof overlay using sustainable, durable materials to extend the current roof’s life, stop the failing areas and prevent a full re-roof scenario from an environmental waste and cost reduction point of view.

Paramount in the clients’ brief was the longevity of the refurbishment system. The decision to select Alumasc Roofing’s Derbigum Insulated Overlay to the existing waterproofing system was made due to the reputation and the minimum 40-year durability provided in the BBA statement.

The Solution

Alumasc Roofing supplied a built-up Derbigum system along with Alumasc BGT Polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation, a CFC and HCFC free rigid urethane thermal insulation board. This built-up system comprised of a torch applied membrane.

In addition, Roofpro accessories including freestanding guardrail system pipe supports, and Caltech QC terminations were used, incorporating tapered insulated gutters.

Derbigum High Performance Roofing Systems are reinforced APP polymer modified bituminous waterproofing membranes, underlays, insulation boards and air and vapour control layers (AVCL).

Sensitive Refurbishment

The priority was to avoid roof removal and replacement and undergo a timely, sympathetic roof refurbishment with an overlay, causing minimal disruption to residents and reduce the environmental impact of replacing the roof entirely in terms of sustainability and waste reduction.

Complexity

As the roof was beginning to fail due to its’ age the concern was whether it could be overlaid. Time was critical and if left longer the project scope would have been removal and replacement. The avoidance of landfill and prolonging the performance of the building were key to the success of the preservation.

A significant challenge was to protect the glazed green mansard pantiles and ridge interfaces to preserve the history and aesthetics of the building. The project centred on protecting the character of the historical building, by delicately working around the original features and details.

The project began in June 2020 and the building was at full occupancy during challenges of both the refurbishment and the pandemic, which presented additional health and safety considerations. Minimal interaction with the residents was ensured by erecting scaffold with single traffic flow at the rear of the building.

Partnership

The Commercial Director of Tower Flat Roofing, Barry Yardley and James Bentley of Lamberts Surveyors nurtured a close relationship with the premises manager Chris Lubbock, Haven Court Ltd. A consistent onsite presence giving the project regular focus and both liaising closely with Chris ensured any unforeseen problems were kept to a minimum.

The Alumasc Roofing local site technician also supported this project extensively, with regular reports which demonstrated the weekly progress through photos and inspection.

Chris Lubbock, Haven Green Court Ltd, “Being made aware of Barry and the team and Tower Flat Roofing’s track record on similar large mansion blocks in London, we already had confidence that they had the skillset and experience in managing such a complex project, whilst ensuring they met our key requirements and the priority unique expectations of protecting and preserving the delicate features of this historical building.

We also wanted to use Alumasc Roofing’s Derbigum product on this job, as we were aware of the fantastic products and their longevity, coupled with the fact that Alumasc give such a robust warranty due to the high durability properties of the solution proposed.”

James Bentley, Lamberts Chartered Surveyors, “Barry’s commitment and the consistent on-site presence between us all demonstrated that the Tower team really care about the project running on time and on budget, and that approach even saved four whole weeks on completion date! The job ran seamlessly, and we are proud to have contributed to successful completion during the hazard that was COVID-19 and delivering to such high standards.’

To meet the specific client requirements, the design team at Alumasc Roofing, Tower Flat Roofing and Lamberts Chartered Surevyors worked together to create a strategy so that the original features of the building could be retained with confidence.”

About

Haven Green Court’s iconic imposing stature made it a popular filming location for Ealing Studios films including, ‘The 39 Steps’ 1959, ‘The Wrong Arm of the Law’ 1962, and ‘Doctor in Distress’ 1963. A great team effort to be part of maintaining a piece of London’s history and avoiding re-roof to reduce waste.

Contractor: Tower Flat Roofing
Contract Administrator: Lamberts Chartered Surveyors
Completion: November 2020

In the heart of what is now the Royal Docklands, a former industrial zone south of Royal Victoria Dock lies a brand new carefully considered Academy. Set to serve 600 students in this emerging community, the “superblock” thrusts modern educational facilities well into the 21st century. Despite the constrained site, the building design harmoniously incorporates vantage points from outdoor social spaces at varying levels.

There’s no need to worry about a gravelly all weather pitch causing havoc at your hockey match. There’s a state-of-the-art full size Multi-Use Games Area, lush planted external roof spaces, a double height sports hall, and main hall/performance area making up the core of the building inside.

Client Brief and Design

Renowned in their field, regeneration experts Morgan Sindall required a single sourced end-to-end roofing solution that could deliver a full system specification underpinned by a 35-year system warranty, installation expertise and site management.

Understanding the Architect’s vision at award winning Rivington Street Studio to create a transformative educational haven and maximise the potential of the outdoor roof areas helped the Alumasc Roofing team bring this roof to life.

Partnership

Working with the project teams across Morgan Sindall, Rivington Street Studio and Fenland Flat Roofing pushing the boundaries and setting the standard for the future of the built environment in the Education sector.

Tim Mott, Senior Design Manager, Morgan Sindall, “Brian and the Alumasc team have been on-site with additional safety constraints and delivered high-quality regular progress reporting to achieve the deadlines for the students to move in next year and really put these fantastic facilities to use.”

Brian Cottington, New Build Regional Manager – South East & London, “The original specification included warm roof build ups which utilised tapered insulation, however this was subsequently adapted and working closely together with the Architect, Morgan Sindall and Fenland Flat Roofing we implemented a universal standard build up using an inverted system, with less complexity whilst achieving the high system performance and BROOF (t4).”

Richard Trew, Associate, Rivington Street Studio, “The garden roof areas and outdoor space bring this building to life and against the industrial backdrop create a nurturing school environment. It was great working with the Alumasc team solving problems and overcoming design challenges along the way.”

Chris Preston, Estimator, Fenland Flat Roofing, “Working closely with the local Alumasc Roofing Site Technicians and engaging in extensive discussions agreeing the final system requirements meant the installation process ran smoothly.”

Environmentally Focussed Solution

The high performance Hydrotech inverted roof is a special formulation of refined asphalts and synthetic rubbers with 30% recycled content. Installing insulation with exceptional thermal properties including 300mm extruded polystyrene insulation and 56mm inverted upstand insulation effectively reduces heat loss.

Safety Performance

The application is a one-component, hot-applied, fully reinforced, flexible, self-healing hot melt monolithic membrane, applied in a liquid state to the substrate giving a 100% absolute and seamless bond.

The Academy has a 35-year warranty for the works and has a fire classification of BROOF (t4) in accordance with BS EN 13501-5.

About

The Oasis Academy is set to open its’ doors February 2022.

Images courtesy of Rivington Street Studio

Contractor: Morgan Sindall

Installer: Fenland Flat Roofing

Architect: Rivington Street Studio

Completion: Autumn 2021

Sadly, our industry lost a bright young talent on 27th August when the life of beautiful Maddie Hollamby was tragically cut short in such devastating circumstances.

Maddie was advancing her marketing career in our industry and had just been appointed Project Director of Visibility on the Travis Perkins Youth Board. A key member of the marketing team at Keyline Civils, Maddie was respected, well liked, and had her whole future ahead of her.

Tomorrow, as an industry, we are all coming together to share Maddie’s story to raise awareness for a fund that’s been set up in her memory through The Construction Youth Trust. Their work helps inspire young people to join the construction sector and our aim is to help them raise as much money as possible to continue to enable more school leavers and young people to join the industry, like Maddie did.

Donations can be made at: Donate | Construction Youth Trust

Our thoughts and prayers are with Maddie’s family, friends and colleagues tomorrow.

Client Brief and Design

Alumasc Roofing’s understanding of the client brief is evident at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust who needed help towards becoming carbon neutral and more sustainable.

Maintaining NHS Trust property of roughly 28.4 million square metres whilst in constant use is no mean feat. The Trust initially tasked Alumasc Roofing with delivering a full condition report across both the University Hospital of Hartlepool and the University Hospital of North Tees.

Environmentally Focussed Solution

After intensively working together to reveal the extent of the work needed, the technical report recommended a full refurbishment roofing solution to ensure minimal disruption whilst giving maximum long-term performance. In total at North Tees, 6 large roof areas were refurbished and 3 at the Hartlepool site. This approach would prevent further damage, prevent waste from re-roof and crucially minimise disruption to the staff and patients.

Alumasc’s full range of products were installed on the refurbishment: rooflights, tapered insulation, rainwater goods, Alumasc’s Self-Adhesive Olivine membrane in a flame-free application, and Alumasc’s Caltech cold-applied liquid systems.

The cold-applied product was chosen so it could be laid safely without the need for naked flame in a very sensitive working hospital environment. Low odour liquid was selected to ensure there was no loss of comfort to staff and patients.

Sustainable Performance

The olivine felt system will save the Trust the equivalent of 44,750km travelled by car of CO2 during the life-cycle of the roof.

The roofing system is comprised of a CO2 neutralising, reinforced SBS polymer modified bituminous waterproofing membrane, underlays, insulation boards, and air and vapour control layers.

Our Self-Adhesive Olivine system not only requires a flamefree installation but is surfaced with a natural olivine granule, a magnesium iron silicate. The olivine granules initiate a chemical reaction with CO2 from rainwater which converts to silicon dioxide (sand) and magnesium carbonate, two elements harmless to the environment.

1m² of olivine has the capacity to capture approximately 1.75kg of CO₂

The Trust has a 25 Year warranty for the works and has a fire classification of BROOF (t4) in accordance with BS EN 13501-5.

Teamwork

Local Alumasc Site Technicians keep a close eye on the installation process and feed back to the client with regular progress reporting, cost reports and images. The Technicians, Installers and Surveyors worked throughout winter during the pandemic in a highly sensitive infection control environment. Additional access and PPE considerations for each area were tightly controlled.

“I’d like to give you a bit of feedback on the reports because working with a number of different roofing manufacturers I think Alumasc Roofing are certainly outshining the rest when it comes to keeping the client up to speed on how things are going. Your Surveyor communicated survey reports regularly and was always on hand to ask any technical questions and explained the processes. This level of cooperation ensures the Contractors deliver a quality install for the Trust.

The regular reports help understand the progress of each project, what is outstanding, and any issued rectified. This was vital when reporting back to my Director and the Board for budgetary purposes. Please keep this up because it certainly is working and a valuable asset to the Trust.” Glen Newby, Design and Development Manager, NTH Solutions.

Area Manager Matty Hyson adds, “delivering much needed refurbishment to the NHS is what it’s all about for the Alumasc team. Pulling together during the pandemic and achieving projects like this really makes a difference.”

About

Spread across two large sites, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust is an integrated hospital and community services healthcare organisation serving around 400,000 people in Hartlepool, Stockton and parts of County Durham.

For more information on our public sector projects and range of roofing solutions, please contact us at info@alumascroofing.com

Sensitively designed to keep a low profile in its exceptional surroundings, the new Conwy Culture Centre has recently opened its doors to the public.

A Blackdown extensive sedum green roof completes the low-lying, single storey centre, helping it to become part of, and give back to the natural environment.

Completed in 2019 on the site of an ex-primary school building, it is now a modern masterpiece designed to inform and entertain visitors in a beautiful, relaxing setting.

Alumasc provided a complete roofing solution which included the waterproofing and green roof system. Blackdown’s extensive sedum green roof provides a variety of planting, generally comprising drought tolerant succulents such as sedum, rockery and alpine plants. An example of an extensive green roof, it was an ideal choice for the project as it enabled its roofing element to both blend in with surroundings and positively contribute to the natural environment.

“It was important for the Culture Centre to create a serene environment that would break the barrier between nature and building,” explained Matthew Davies, Area Technical Manager at Alumasc Roofing Systems, who specified materials for the project. “Meeting the BREEAM Excellent certification standard was paramount, and the installation of a green roof was a vital step on this path.”

“The team at Blackdown Greenroofs, an Alumasc company, were extremely diligent in ensuring every effort was made to meet and even exceed the brief. The final result has the added benefit of providing a high level of insulation; another way that a green roof can help a building become more sustainable. People using the centre will find that it is cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter and overall, less energy may be used internally.”

Beneath the greenery, Derbigum high-performance membranes were also specified to ensure a completely watertight installation. The bituminous membranes can be used with a variety of insulation choices including PIR, mineral wool, and extruded polystyrene to suit specification and U-value parameters.

“We worked with 200mm of pre-bonded PIR, which provided the flexibility and easy application we needed for the project,” Matthew said. “Derbigum offers enhanced performance properties including excellent flexibility, fire ratings, strong reinforcement and ease of application, so it’s an extremely popular choice. Critically though, they have a 40-year BBA durability approval with use at zero-falls.”

Throughout the design and construction stages Alumasc Roofing Systems worked closely with DarntonB3 Architecture, the Project Architect. “We were extremely pleased with the workmanship and overall installation of the waterproofing and green roof systems” commented the Project Architect.

Along the duration of the project, the Alumasc team paid the Centre a visit, to assist with the project’s design. “We were able to provide a cost-effective solution, whilst delivering excellent insulation standards by Alumasc,” Matthew says. Although the overall project ran smoothly throughout its building phase, Conwy Culture Centre project did come with some challenges. “The weather was our biggest obstacle,” Matthew revealed, “which slightly delayed the installation of the new roofing system.”

Located in the corner of Bodlondeb Park, North Wales, Conwy Culture Centre is of walking distance from Conwy’s sumptuous medieval town. This light and airy building houses a brand-new county archive, library area, heritage exhibitions, café and community arts hub and the exhibitions on display take visitors through five thousand years of history. The Culture Centre is also dementia friendly. This comes as a result of the landscaped areas around the centre which include a peaceful sensory garden with dementia-friendly and accessible paths and seating and a carefully considered interior.

This Bodlondeb Park land was a gift from Albert Wood, whose family had made their fortune from manufacturing ships’ anchors and cables. The £2.5 million Culture Centre has stunning views towards Conwy Castle and has been constructed to the BREEAM Excellent standard, meeting the standard for best practice in sustainable building design.

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The University of East Anglia (UEA), Norfolk, has recently benefited from a £19 million refurbishment project which saw specialised rooftop machinery safely supported by Roof-Pro support systems.

Purpose-built as the university’s new science building, Building 60, was officially opened at the university in October 2019.

The brand new 6000m² state-of-the-art teaching facility is situated at the western end of the University of East Anglia campus, which resides within 230 hectares of land in Norwich Research Park.

Roof-Pro, an Alumasc company, provided specialised pivoting supports around three Daikin Chillers, air conditioning units, and two VES AHU units, energy saving heat recovery units, that sit on the roof of Building 60. These supports are designed to provide stability and balanced weight distribution across the roof area for the utmost safety and no roof damage.

The roof finish, wind-load, space constraints and future maintenance requirements were all taken into account when producing this bespoke Roof-Pro support system for the project.

“One of the many reasons Roof-Pro was specified on the project was the appealing 20-year warranty which is available for all Roof-Pro bespoke systems,” explained Jimi Ogunsola, Regional Technical Manager for the project. “It’s a highly trusted system that’s well known in the industry.”

“Roof-Pro supports are a safe and efficient way to quickly access and allow maintenance to important systems situated on the roof, whilst avoiding penetrating or damaging the roof’s membrane.”

The campus’ busy activity required the Roof-Pro team to be extremely efficient, with only two weeks to design, manufacture and deliver the frames in order to meet the deadline.

“The contractors were very pleased to see our products arriving already partly assembled, with all mounting plates pre-drilled, which saved them much labour time on site. Installing Roof-Pro’s support system is very easy, therefore great to work with within a tight time limit,” said Jimi.

“This logistically challenging site required our team to coordinate daily with the UEA Estates Department,” said James Mitchel, Main Contractor at RG Carter, who worked on the project, “as well as the nearby Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and other campus users to ensure construction activities did not disrupt routine.”

As part of a range that can be tailored bespoke to a client’s needs, Roof-Pro’s large unit support solutions are able to meet the requirements of many various sizes and weights of building service units, as well as specific roof designs and site parameters.

Building 60 provides the university with a comprehensive range of high‑specification lecture and seminar rooms for students across all disciplines. Its top three floors comprise teaching laboratories, with the ground floor maintaining an open interactive space for over 500 students.

Aiming to provide students, professors and associates with a multi-faceted space for many faculties, it features laboratories and social learning spaces where both traditional study and creative interaction are able to grow side by side. The idea informing the entire building design originates from the campus’ ideology of collaboration and discovery.

The buildings bespoke laboratories include large numbers of data connections, sensory lighting and localised fume extraction systems which allow students to carry out advanced experiments under controlled conditions.

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East London’s Whitechapel Station, which will eventually become one of the stations on Crossrail’s brand new Elizabeth Line, has taken advantage of its canopy roof area and transformed it into a valuable environmental asset.

An extensive sedum NatureMat^® green roof from Blackdown Greenroofs, an Alumasc company, was specified and installed at the station. This came as a result of the horticultural partnership between the Transport for London network and Kalzip Standing Seam Roofing Systems, which has been a partner company of Blackdown since 1999.

Being experts in the green roof field, Blackdown were able to effectively recommend the most appropriate green roof system to be installed over the Kalzip standing seam roof.

NatureMat® is part of Blackdown’s extensive green roof range. It is lightweight with a relatively shallow substrate, however, still offers a wide range of planting possibilities, including drought tolerant succulents such as sedum, rockery and alpine plants. Blackdown extensive green roofs provide a wealth of ecological and economic benefits such as reduced water run-off and increased biodiversity.

The £50,000 project was completed in November 2019, installed by contractors BBMV, a partnership between Balfour Beatty, Bemo Tunnelling, Morgan Sindall, and Vinci Construction.

BBMV Section Engineer Nasi Payman, who worked on the project explained: “This project involved a lot of coordination with other services and trades due to the restricted access, location above a rail track, and the fact that it is a prestigious project.”

One of the main challenges with this project was that the station roof was curved from 0 to 22 degrees, which meant the green roof system had to be specially designed to function on a unique sloping surface. A specialised NatureMat® system was specified as it incorporated a 25mm fully wrapped drainage layer, a 50mm substrate and a 25mm sedum mat. 

“As the roof pitches at 22 degrees it required a high degree of planning and meticulous attention to detail throughout planning and installation,” explained Nasi. “Moreover, the pitched areas required the addition of substrate retention battens to stop the migration of the materials down the slope.”

“Blackdown are known for offering high quality installations on sites that demand a high degree of management and safety input. We were delighted to work with them on this really interesting and innovative project.” said Nasi.

“We are delighted with the very successful outcome, which delivered an addition to the scheme that will have both aesthetic and environmental benefits for anyone using the Crossrail facility,” concluded Nasi.

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