A new version of The London Plan has recently been published. Here, Henry Bareham – Director of New Build for Alumasc Roofing Systems – outlines how Alumasc’s roofing solutions provide designers with the tools to comply with key requirements of the London Plan 2018.

Introduction to The London Plan 2018

The latest version of the plan includes policies to address three areas of focus for a more sustainable built environment in our capital city:

1. Policy G5 – Urban Greening

2. Policy S14 – Managing Heat Risk

3. Policy SI13 – Sustainable Drainage – applicable to Blue Roofs

1. Policy G5 Urban Greening

Policy G5 seeks to increase the amount of green space in the Greater London region. Green space has been proven to have significant health and wellbeing benefits in addition to environmental improvements.

Policy G5 requires that major development proposals “contribute to the greening of London by including urban greening as a fundamental element of site and building design, and by incorporating measures such as high-quality landscaping (including trees), green roofs, green walls and nature-based sustainable drainage.”

The Plan outlines how Boroughs should identify the amount of urban greening that is required. An Urban Greening Factor (UGF) is to be specified for each new development. The UGF will vary, but the Mayor has recommended target scores of 0.3 for commercial developments and 0.4 for residential developments.

2. Policy S14 Managing Heat Risk

Policy S14 seeks to reduce the need for air conditioning in buildings and to minimise the health risks caused by the urban heat island effect (UHIE).
Major developments will need to include energy strategy proposals that reduce the potential for overheating and reliance on air conditioning systems. Policy S4 sets out a hierarchy of measures that should be considered to achieve compliance with this requirement:

1. Energy efficient design of the building to minimise internal heat generation; and
2. Use of building orientation, shading, albedo, fenestration, insulation and green roofs to reduce the amount of heat entering the building.

3. Policy SI13 Sustainable Drainage – applicable to Blue Roofs

As in many urban areas, the replacement of previous surfaces with hard landscaping has increased the burden on urban drainage systems in the capital. Policy SI13 requires Lead Local Flood Authorities to operate Local Flood Risk Management Strategies and Surface Water Management Plans that identify areas of particular surface water management risks and set out strategies to reduce these risks.

The Policy requires that development proposals aim to achieve greenfield run-off rates and manage surface water run-off as close to its source as possible. Policy SI13 also sets out a hierarchy of solutions to achieve these requirements:

1. rainwater harvesting (including a combination of green and blue roofs)
2. infiltration techniques and green roofs
3. rainwater attenuation in open water features for gradual release
4. rainwater discharge direct to a watercourse (unless not appropriate)

Tried and Tested single-source solutions for the London Plan 2018

It is clear that whilst each policy addresses specific design issues, many of these problems are inter-related. The introduction of urban greening into the capital will not only provide the health and wellbeing, amenity and environmental benefits that are sought after in Policy G5. Urban greening is also cited as one of the preferred solutions to manage heat and stormwater management risks.

There are a number of ways that urban greening can be introduced into our capital city. However, in view of the scarce availability of landscape at ground level in city spaces, one of the key areas of focus for the introduction of vegetation has been the use of roof spaces for the inclusion of green or blue roofs.

Blackdown Green Roofs

Whilst many of the installed green roofs are often out of common sight, there are a growing number of green roofs in the Greater London area. Alumasc Roofing Systems have been providing green roof solutions in the capital for over 25 years and its specialist green roof division – Blackdown – has nearly 20 years of experience. One of the most visible examples of this is at the West Ham bus station, which remains one of the largest green roofs installed in the UK to date. Indeed, it is thought that this installation inspired the more recent incorporation of a green roof at a bus station in Chester, see here.

Alumasc recognises that there are numerous different drivers for green roof specifications. Alumasc’s technical team engages with designers and installers at each stage of the project lifecycle to ensure that the system design and installation are tailored to achieve the specific design objectives. Our experts are involved from pre-planning stage right through the installation phase and to project completion.

It is this early involvement that ultimately led to the development of Alumasc’s BluRoof solution nearly 5 years ago.

Alumasc BluRoof

Alumasc’s patented BluRoof system allows for stormwater to be detained at roof level and released gradually to reduce potentially flood-inducing peak rates of runoff whilst also regenerating its capacity ahead of any subsequent storm event. Alumasc Technical Services provide design calculations as part of its support package for BluRoof specifications.

The BluRoof system has been carefully designed to account for all of the risks associated with stormwater attenuation at roof level. Paramount in this is the single source nature of the solution – Alumasc’s BluRoof system comprises proven waterproofing solutions, insulation, outlets and green roof components all supplied by Alumasc as part of a quality-controlled system. This single source warranted solution is compatible with the requirements of key industry stakeholders, such as the NHBC and LABC. Alumasc clients also value the benefit of a single source BluRoof warranty. This exploits the combined expertise of Alumasc’s Roofing Division and Harmer Engineered Drainage Systems; allowing a truly single source solution that we believe is integral to a system of this nature.

BluRoof system specifications are built upon the Derbigum or Hydrotech waterproofing solutions that (a) have proven ‘durability beyond the laboratory’ performance records and (b) are supported by BBA certification for ‘completely flat roof’ designs. Both aspects are fundamental to successful blue roof strategies:

• Hydrotech Hot Melt boasts the longest track record of any Hot melt on the marketplace – spanning over 53 years. Over this time, over 180 million square metres have been installed without a single product failure!

• Derbigum high-performance bituminous membranes also offer a similarly impressive track record.
The product has been used for over 40 years – again without a product failure – and has been accredited by the BBA as having a life expectancy of 40+ years.

Alumasc’s BluRoof system has been specified at a host of sites across the UK and is undoubtedly now seen as an excellent option to provide relatively low cost sustainable drainage capacity as part of a broader Surface Water Management Plan. BluRoof case studies are presented on our website, including installations at Kew Bridge Phase 2 and North West Cambridge.

If you have any requirements for waterproofing, green roofs or BluRoof please feel free to contact Henry to discuss your requirement further.

Back in 2015 Alumasc Roofing Systems installed their pioneering Blue Roof Water Attenuation System ‘BluRoof’ at University of Bristol’s Arts and Social Sciences Lecture Theatre – the first Alumasc BluRoof system installed within the UK.

As part of University of Bristol’s sustainable construction project and aim of ensuring that any green space lost to the building is not only replaced, but actively enhanced, meant that a solution was needed for the Theatre roof that was not only highly sustainable but reliable.

Over the past three years the BluRoof System has provided the ideal solution for the University by avoiding the costly excavation of the bedrock beneath the University for added drainage by attenuating the rainwater and controlling the flow rate at which it leaves. This water attenuation, in conjunction with the drainage layers, has helped the Blackdown Green Roof’s variety of Bio-diverse plant species to flourish, which has made a noticeable difference in terms of benefitting the surrounding wildlife as observed by students, teachers and the local community alike.

University of Bristol’s BluRoof has also helped regulate the building’s temperature over the past three years via the warm roof/insulation layer included within the system – thus helping make the building more energy efficient.

Since the implementation of the various sustainable solutions and systems by Bristol University they have achieved the highest BREEAM rating possible – ‘Excellent’.

The university has undoubtedly benefitted from Alumasc’s patented BluRoof System along with Alumasc’s knowledge and experience within the roofing and drainage industry when implementing the system. This vital, tested, proven knowledge and experience not only of the roofing industry but also drainage gives Alumasc a unique advantage by being able to provide all components involved in designing a successful Blue Roof from one, single source.

This historic partnership between Alumasc Roofing Horticultural and Drainage Divisions is, we believe, integral to the success of a roofing system of this nature and backed up by Alumasc’s single source warranties provide the customer with ultimate peace of mind.

For further information regarding Alumasc’s BluRoof Systems click here, if you would like to find out the key benefits of Alumasc’s BluRoof Single Point Warranty click here.

Rea Street, located in Central Birmingham are Residential flats owned and provided to residents by Birmingham City Council. Following a recent, annual building survey, the decision was made that a full building envelope refurbishment needed to take place to further prolong the building’s life, improve thermal efficiency and improve the inhabitant’s lives.

Flat Roof System:

During the roof inspection survey that was carried out by Alumasc and Rio Asphalt various remedial repairs were identified to the main area of the roof. Localised strip and replacement was performed to allow the existing mastic asphalt substrate to be retained and maintain waterproofing integrity throughout the refurbishment of the fully occupied maisonettes.

Surface preparation and conditioning was carried out to provide a suitable substrate onto which the Caltech UV BUR system could be applied.

This system comprised of a vapour control layer, PU Insulation and Adhesive, Caltech Preparation Layer and finally the Caltech UV (UV Resistant) Cold Applied Liquid Waterproofing. A cut to falls insulation scheme (warm roof) was utilised not only to bring the building’s U-value down to an average 0.18W/m2K but also vastly improve drainage flow to the outlets and reducing ponding water. This system provided Birmingham City Council with a 25-year system warranty.

Alumasc’s BBA Approved Caltech UV was selected due to the system’s highly durable properties that excel over 25 years. The seamless nature of the application and flame free (cold applied) installation was also essential for this fully occupied building to be refurbished successfully with minimal disruption. 700m2 installed in total by Rio Asphalt and Paving Co Ltd.

External Communal Walkways:

Over the years there had been substantial deterioration and degradation to the anti-slip coating to the external walkway areas thus becoming a health and safety hazard. Alumasc’s BBA Approved Caltech QC Liquid Waterproofing was utilised due to the products Quick Curing attributes.

This provided little inconvenience to inhabitants of the building as the system is fully cured within 30-40 minutes. The system also included quartz anti-slip granules to provide residents with a safer walkway.

Rooftop Edge Protection and CDM:

Aluamsc’s Surefoot Guardrail system now provides future protection to users of the flat roof when inspecting the or carrying out future maintenance. The free-standing, counterbalance design of the Guardrail system is ideal as it requires no drilling through the newly installed waterproofing thus guaranteeing the roofs’ waterproof integrity.

The system is supplied in kit form ready to build and the modular components are quick and easy to link together bringing the flat roof area in-line with current CDM regulations.

Facades/Walling:

Birmingham City Council and Acivico needed to improve the thermal efficiency of the building and to provide a facelift to the exterior of the property.

Alumasc VBriQ Pro External Wall Insulation (EWI) System was chosen as the most suitable solution to accommodate the Council’s needs. VBriQ Pro is a BBA certified system that consists of the Alumasc Pro Mineral Wool Insulation and the VBriQ Acrylic Brick Slip finish.

With the inhabitant’s safety being of paramount importance this system provided the perfect solution having obtained a Fire Rating of A2-s1, d0 (limited combustibility material) and is therefore safe to be installed above 18m. The VBriQ system provide the external façade with an incredible look giving it the new build feel.

The fundamental requirement for the new building façade is to resist impact loads. Building façades must cope with a variety of load conditions during their lifetime from self-weight and wind loads to everyday bumps and scrapes. These loadings must be accommodated by the EWI system without risk to the safety of the occupants or those around the building. VBriQ meets these requirements having achieved Category I impact resistance to ETAG004. 360m2 installed by Knowles and Madden.

Benefits of Alumasc’s single source building envelope solution

Exploiting the combined expertise of Alumasc Roofing and Facade Systems allows a truly single source building envelope that we believe is integral to a system of this nature. Alumasc’s nationwide network of registered contractors combined with our own site monitoring team(s) ensures compliance with the warranty and codes of practice are observed through to completion. One point of contact and one installation team provides a single source building envelope to the successful completion of the works thus limiting potential split responsibility.

The holistic approach to the design allowed for interfacing to be performed pre-contract allowing for installation on time, on budget and without compromise in terms of quality.
Split responsibility may result in the use of various trades and contractors, which in turn may lead to installation errors, damage to materials or negative warranty implications. The Alumasc Single Point Warranty limits this.

Alumasc’s single point warranties assure Birmingham City Council that if they require any further support in relation to this project in future it can be swiftly and efficiently provided from one single point of contact. This also includes details designed by Alumasc or any workmanship queries.

To find out more about Alumasc’s liquid waterproofing systems Click Here, for more Alumasc Facade Systems information Click Here. Alternatively to speak to our technical team call 03335 771 500.

Alumasc is proud to announce that we have two sustainable and innovative green roof projects shortlisted at this year’s 2018 NFRC  (National Federation of Roofing Contractors) Awards, below we look back at the green roof projects…

Project One:

Tucked away in the rolling hillsides of Monmouthshire is The Decoy Bunker. The original bunker was built in 1941 and was designed as a special decoy target for German bombers.

The secluded bunker has now been fully restored and is now a unique holiday home.

As part of the design, the bunker needed to blend directly into the hillside, therefore, a highly durable waterproofing system that could provide full protection from the water travelling down from the surrounding landscape was needed. A green roof waterproofing solution that would provide the maximum blending effect was also required to give it the desired ‘camouflage’ effect by using the existing soil and grass from the surrounding landscape. Blackdown Drainage Layers, Intensive Substrate and Washed Pebble Ballast was installed to finish the green roof.

With Derbigum being a system that holds 40-year durability certification with the BBA (British Board of Agrément) – a Derbigum Black Anti-Root Built-Up System was the ideal solution. The Derbigum system sits below the green roof and provides a highly reliable waterproofing solution and maximum peace of mind for the future. Alumasc’s Registered Contractors Span Roofing carried out the installation with great results.

Project Two:

Blackdown are proud to have completed the sedum green roof at the Chester Bus Interchange site which is a £10 million ‘key enabling’ project and part of the wider £300m Chester Northgate Redevelopment.

The bus interchange is capable of handling 156 bus movements per hour & opened in early 2017. Blackdown worked alongside Lakesmere, who installed the Kalzip roof and Graham Construction the main contractor.

The project has a 3,434sqm sedum green roof with a varied pitch from 0-35 degrees installed over a Kalzip standing seam roof.

Blackdown would like to thank both Graham Construction and Lakesmere for the positive and close working partnership throughout the duration of this exciting project.

To find out more about Alumasc’s Blackdown Green Roof and Derbigum Bituminous Membrane products products click here.

Alumasc’s Blue Roof system is a single source, fully warranted waterproofing and sustainable drainage solution.

Exploiting the combined expertise of Alumasc’s Roofing Division and Harmer Engineered Drainage Systems; allowing a truly single source solution that we believe is integral to a system of this nature. This is because the system has been tested by Alumasc working in conjunction with consulting engineers and test houses to guarantee system performance throughout the life cycle of the roof or podium.

Alumasc’s nationwide network of registered contractors combined with our own site monitoring team(s) ensures compliance with the warranty and codes of practice are observed through to completion.

This is followed by our Blu Roof leak detection policy applicable to all Blue Roof specifications or projects to provide further peace of mind to all parties involved.

From specification through to completion of installation one point of contact and one installation team provides a single source solution to the successful completion of the works thus limiting potential split responsibility.

Split responsibility may result in the use of various trades and contractors, which in turn may lead to installation errors, damage to materials or negative warranty implications.
Alumasc’s Blue Roof warranty assures the building owner that, if the roof fails to remain watertight as a consequence of latent defect in the Blue Roof Waterproofing System, Drainage Components, Accessories and associated surface finishes such as green roof as supplied by Alumasc, the integrity of the waterproofing will be reinstated.

This also includes details designed by Alumasc or faulty workmanship of the Alumasc Registered Contractor. Warranties of up to 40 years available.

For further product information about Alumasc’s BluRoof Drainage System click here or call our technical team on 03335 771 500.

The Triangle, the new international headquarters brings together all Cambridge Assessment’s Cambridge-based staff, currently based in 11 different offices across the city, bringing them all under one roof. The site is on what was previously Cambridge University Press’s Edinburgh Building on Shaftesbury Road Cambridge, to the South-East of Cambridge City Centre.

Designed by HLM/Sidell Gibson Architects, all flat roof areas utilised Alumasc Roofing Systems’ Hydrotech Hot Melt and Alumasc XPS insulation offering a total system solution. All upper main roof areas drain onto 3 x single storey podiums that have the Alumasc BluRoof Drainage System along with Blackdown Green Roof to provide a habitable space for people to enjoy. This BluRoof System comes with Alumasc’s single point warranty that provides the University with ultimate peace of mind for the foreseeable future. This assures the University that if the roof fails to remain watertight as a consequence of latent defect in the BluRoof Waterproofing System, Drainage Components, Accessories and associated surface finishes such as green roof as supplied by Alumasc, the integrity of the waterproofing will be reinstated by Alumasc.

Alumasc’s BluRoof system reduces and controls the peak rate of stormwater discharge from roof areas. Detention of storm water up to a prescribed maximum hydraulic head occurs, with subsequent discharge controlled over an elongated time period.

The BluRoof drainage strategies were introduced at design stage to help meet SuDS requirements and Alumasc worked extensively with Capita to achieve the required reduction in rainwater run-off.

The installation was carried out by Alumasc registered approved contractor Cambridge Flat Roofing acting as sub-contractor to Bouygues UK.

blue roof

Wayne Farrington from Cambridge Flat Roofing says:

“This has been an excellent contract to be involved in, one of our first major BluRoof projects. The level of service and input from Alumasc’s Technical department, both internally and on-site along with Alumasc’s Customer Services team has been outstanding.

Combined with the Hydrotech BluRoof Structural Waterproofing system, a system we have significant trust and experience in installing, we feel we’ve delivered a project we can be proud of. The feedback we’ve received from our client has been extremely positive and we look forward to our next Alumasc BluRoof.”

blue roof

For further product information about Alumasc’s BluRoof Drainage System click here or call our technical team on 03335 771 500.

Hydrotech Structural Waterproofing contains an impressive post-consumer recycled content of 30%, making it the choice of professionals in an ever-growing sustainable environment.

Independently verified by Underwriters Laboratories – Hydrotech offers 30% recycled content.

The Hydrotech component formula is a unique combination of recycled materials found exclusively in Hydrotech, including rubber crumb from used tyres, process oil and inert fillers, along with the basic bituminous element. These recycled products are typically disposed of via landfill, therefore, the heightened use of these post-consumer materials within this hot melt system helps save the landscape and the atmosphere.

REACH Compliance

Hydrotech is additionally fully compliant with the REACH legislation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals), which originated as a mandatory regulation of the European Union, implemented to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the from the risks that can be posed by some materials.

Sustainability

Not only does Hydrotech contain sustainable raw materials, it also uses hydro-electrical power as the primary energy source in manufacture. These manufacturing procedures are independently audited to the ISO9001 Quality Management Standard, and the product is imported under Alumasc’s ISO14001 Environmental Management system, thus ensuring that upstream production processes are monitored for their environmental impact and that careful consideration are made in terms of packaging, transport and disposal to deliver as sustainable a construction product as practicable.

This particular hot melt system also has over 50 years of proven zero project failures worldwide, on projects of all types and sizes.

For further information click here or call our technical team on (0) 3335 771 500.

The £4.5 million Moondance Sports Hall will provide a new space for the students of the college to work together to improve their health, fitness and wellbeing.

Image Source: Lawray Architects

This project utilised 1,500m2 of Hydrotech Hot Melt Waterproofing and Blackdown Green Roof NatureMat. NatureMat is a vegetated mat consisting of a biodegradable base layer, a specially formulated substrate layer and a 90% mature plant cover comprising of 6 core species (predominantly Sedums) along with 13 randomly sown species. All grown to maturity in Blackdowns’s own fields in Somerset.

A roofing system was needed that would provide students with an environmentally beneficial solution that would help improve their lives. NatureMat provides that solution by helping clean the air from surrounding pollution and contributing to the required acoustic and thermal properties needed for this project.

Another benefit of this system is that the location in Glamorgan receives high levels of rainfall, therefore a system was needed that could absorb high levels of rainwater and deal with it effectively – Blackdown NatureMat is highly efficient in absorbing rainwater and along with Hydrotech Hot Melt Waterproofing having Zero Product Failures in over 50 years this system will provide the sports hall with a long, reliable and efficient Flat Roof solution for the long term.

For further information regarding Hydrotech and Blackdown NatureMat click here or call our technical team on (0) 3335 771 500.

Smithfield Square is one of St James Homes latest developments offering luxury suites, 1 and 2 bedroom apartments. The two live work units give residents the opportunity to relax in luxury and comfort, whilst being able to work with convenience.

Image Source: St James Property Developers, London

At roof and podium level a reliable, long lasting solution was needed for waterproofing the various areas, public spaces and recreational areas prior to architectural landscaping being installed.

Alumasc Roofing’s Hydrotech Hot Melt system, which demonstrates a zero product failure over a 50 year track record, provided the ideal waterproofing solution, 12,000m2 was installed in total.

The project included Brown roofs designed in accordance with planning constraints and London Plan guidelines, materials supplied by Blackdown Green Roofs, a Division of Alumasc Roofing. This combination of Hydrotech waterproofing and Blackdown Green Roofing systems allows Hornsey Depot to benefit from various ‘green’ spaces and St James with a one-stop solution in compliance to NHBC Part 7 policy.

For further information regarding Blackdown Green Roofs or Hydrotech Structural Waterproofing please call our technical department on 03335 771 500.

Monoscreed is a fast curing PMMA based compound screed (solvent and isocyanate free) comprising of resin + filler + aggregate mix. The cold applied compound can be mixed at roof level and applied to concrete decks (3mm – 50mm) to bring deck levels back to tolerance i.e. zero falls’ thus reducing deck deflection/back-falls.

FAST CURE TIME

The system is unaffected by ambient temperatures, is rainproof within 15 minutes of being applied and will fully cure in circa 45 minutes, thus offering significant programme benefits when compared with more

APPLICATION TO SUBSTRATE

Monoscreed can be applied directly to suitably prepared cementitious concrete which is free from dust, dampness, laitance, grease, oil or other contamination, and if necessary primed with Alumasc Bitumen Primer. The system comes in pre-measured packs of components palletised to ensure easy transportation to roof level and accuracy of the compound mix.

OVERLAYING

Monoscreed is also suitable to be installed over Hydrotech 6125, Derbigum bituminous membranes & Caltech QC cold-applied liquid where necessary.

For further information regarding Alumasc Monoscreed please call our technical team on 03335 771 500, alternatively call (0)3335 771 500