Complex roofing project shows high levels of expertise

BriggsAmasco operatives overcame challenges relating to an intricate green roof application to ensure a multi-level project at a high-profile university was carried out with the highest specification.

The Adam Smith Business School was built as part of the University of Glasgow’s Western Infirmary Redevelopment. The £86m, 22-metre-high building is a unique multidisciplinary home for postgraduate students, providing world-leading facilities for the university. Located in an excellent setting, the business school delivers a world class student and learning experience. Its diverse and engaging programme supports collaborative research, connections with practice and a wide range of approaches to studying and teaching, delivering a world class student and learning experience.

As an approved Bauder installer, BriggsAmasco was selected by contractor, Multiplex, to supply its esteemed roofing skills and experience and deliver a bitumen roofing system to the business school’s 2,000m² main roof. The project was part of a complex, multidisciplinary application across three building levels that also involved terracing and green roof areas. The value of the project’s roofing aspect, designed by award-winning architects Hassell, was £1.020m.

Challenging application

This was a huge application involving multiple disciplines and numerous challenges. Firstly, the Adam Smith Business School is based at a site containing limited space. It required BriggsAmasco to coordinate material storage and deliveries. This ensured products were only used when required, which reduced waste and provided cost-certainty for the client.

In terms of the roof’s installation, the greatest challenge for BriggsAmasco operatives was negotiating an intricate green roof application involving more than 80 sedum systems across a 400m² area. It was complicated by BriggsAmasco installers needing to cut and retrofit the sedum elements around the main roof’s weighted roof edge protection. This was a lengthy process requiring precision detailing to make good the green roofs’ aesthetic qualities and long-term performance.

Products installed by BriggsAmasco operatives as part of the roof’s waterproofing build-up and finish comprised Bauder flame-free, self-adhesive vapour control barrier; a tapered PIR Insulation scheme; Bauder KSA Tech Duo self-adhesive underlay; charcoal grey torch-on capsheet; Bauder Plant E roofing membrane; 620m² paving slabs; 100m² ballast; 400m² Bauder green roof.

As well as the logistics and design intricacies involved in delivering an application containing mastic asphalt, green roof and terrace elements, BriggsAmasco faced significant time pressure to complete the project. The roof’s completion was essential to allowing interior building works to begin. Hence, any delays on BriggsAmasco’s part jeopardised the business school’s scheduled opening.

The elements also conspired to provide a further hinderance to the roof installation programme. Even during the height of summer, rain clouds are seldom far off Scotland’s meteorological radar. However, the roof installation aspect of Adam Smith Business School’s construction took place during a drought. As a consequence, BriggsAmasco teams needed to devise a water irrigation system to ensure green roof systems didn’t die off before they had taken hold.

With the client accelerating the completion date midway through the roof installation, BriggsAmasco teams worked additional hours to overcome each challenge and get the job done.

Premier project management

The Adam Smith Business School roofing programme was a masterclass in project management. installation, BriggsAmasco’s team was to the left, right and centre of the coordination process, ensuring work was carried out with optimum efficiency and safety. As an example of how the team remained on-point in respect of detail throughout the roofing programme, high-level quality assurance checks were carried out across the site each day.

The team’s coordination with the contractor was also core to the crane’s safe operation. Interface meetings were held each day with Multiplex and Briggs’ crane operators to synchronise safety procedures and crane usage times. This tied in with the need to ensure material delivery times were carefully planned. The business school site was spatially-challenged hence for safety reasons, Briggs’ project management team needed to locate an alternative, exterior storage site. This ensured materials were not damaged by weather and remained fit-for-use when required. As a result, material waste was kept to a minimum, which provided cost-certainty for Multiplex and increased the project’s environmental credentials.

Testimonial

In a note of tribute to BriggsAmasco for its team’s performance at Adam Smith Business School, Gillon Armstrong, Project Director at Multiplex, wrote: “I’d like to note how much of a pleasure it was working with you and your team at BriggsAmasco.

“For reasons out of your control, we found ourselves with a need to achieve an accelerated programme right from the outset. The approach taken by you and your team in response to this situation was extremely understanding. An accelerated programme was agreed and executed with minimal disruption.

“The professionalism and attention to detail throughout your works was excellent. An ability to adapt and embrace our very detailed safety and quality processes is also to be commended.”

BriggsAmasco’s expert delivery of the business school’s bitumen roofing system went a long way to ensuring the multimillion-pound building programme was completed to the highest quality and within the agreed timeframe, much to the satisfaction of the contractor and client.