Plymouth Market – heritage building gets the Hydrostop AH+ treatment to restore civil pride

Liquid Waterproofing

Project: Plymouth Market, Devon
Client: Plymouth City Council
Main contractors: Ryearch Limited
Roofing contractor: Clegg & Shortman Asphalt Co. Ltd
Liquid waterproofing system: Hydrostop AH+

Rising from the ashes of WWII damaged Plymouth, the city’s market is more than just a place to shop. It represents a symbol of the naval city’s survival and regeneration after the destruction caused by relentless wartime bombing.

Today’s Plymouth Market is housed in a tall, reinforced concrete building which was completed in 1959 and designed by local architects, Walls and Pearn. It was built in the west end of Plymouth to support trade in that area and replaced the original city market, which was destroyed in the Blitz of 1941.

Throughout the war, stallholders continued to trade in a series of temporary iron structures, so that the market’s permanent rebuilding is truly an emblem of Plymouth’s survival and regeneration.

Because of its heritage, the current market facility is a Grade II listed building and included on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural and Historical Interest.

Curved shell formation roof structure

In addition to its history, the building is noteworthy because of its height and distinctive vaulted roof design. The main roofing area is comprised of a curved shell formation, which added to the challenges of re-roofing.

SIG Design & Technology became involved when the market, which is operated by Plymouth City Council, required substantial repairs to its roof membrane.

As well as this work, which was completed between October […]

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Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church – R G Scott’s architectural jewel restored to former glory with Repoma liquid

Liquid Waterproofing

Project: Our Lady Help of Christians Church, Kitts Green, Birmingham
Client: Archdiocese of Birmingham
Architect: APEC Architects
Main contractors: Midland Conservation Limited
Roofing contractor: The Rio Group
Liquid waterproofing system: Repoma Rapid Cure in patina green

Celebrated architect Richard Gilbert Scott, who passed away in July 2017 represented the fourth generation of England’s greatest architectural dynasty. He was well known for his ecclesiastical designs with three of his churches having attracted Grade II listed status.

One of these is Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Birmingham, which is among his most famous designs and a noteworthy example of 1960’s ‘Brutalist’ architectural design.

Along with its distinctive obelisk roof, which has an existing copper membrane finish, other features of the Our Lady Help of Christians Church include its striking concrete building envelope. The project was among the late Mr Gilbert Scott’s favourites as it represents his breakaway project from his practice.

The architect’s design for the church is described by the Twentieth Century Society as “a subtly polygonal T-shaped plan (which) allowed a forward altar surrounded by seating”.

The description on the society’s website continues to say: “Above this, the roof is partly formed by extraordinary curved serrated ribbed trusses of reinforced concrete faced externally in copper bonded bitumen membrane – a dramatic, theatrical treatment which suggests both a delight in expressive, sculptural forms and a desire to continue with the modern Gothic spirit.”

Roof had reached the end of its design life

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Hydrostop AH+ solution provides a Tempest proof roof to Old Toll House

Liquid Waterproofing

Project: The Old Toll House, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Client: Stratford Historic Building Trust
Architect: Mark Evans Architect Ltd
Main contractors: Stone Edge
Roofing contractor: Stone Edge
Liquid waterproofing system: Hydrostop AH+

With its crenelated roofline and gothic windows, Stratford-upon-Avon’s Old Toll House is a distinctive landmark in Shakespeare’s birthplace.

However, the Grade I listed structure, located on the medieval Clopton Bridge and built in 1814, had fallen into serious disrepair over a 30 year period. This part of Stratford-upon-Avon’s heritage has been included on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk buildings register.

Decay to the building had included the failure of the roof, which originally had a lead membrane, and the inner upper floor structures.

However, in 2016 a project with an overall value of £450,000 was agreed to rejuvenate this sandstone building. It was funded by a £232,400 National Lottery grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and grants from Historic England, the Architectural Heritage Fund, Stratford District Council and several charitable trusts.

Repairs included the installation of a new roof and internal mezzanine floor, extensive repairs to the historic fabric of the building, two new staircases, plumbing and electrical installations and a new water supply.

The restoration has preserved the historic building fabric and provided it with a new use as office space at ground floor and mezzanine level. In addition, the project has included a public display area in the basement and a range of activities exploring the history of the Toll House and Stratford’s wider […]

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Hydrostop AH+ offers fast track solution at Gatwick Diamond “Blue-Light” offices

Liquid Waterproofing

Project: Gatwick Diamond Manor Royal
Client: Surrey County Council
Architect: HGP Architects
Main contractors: Willmott Dixon
Roofing contractors: Southern Industrial Roofing
Liquid waterproofing system: Hydrostop AH+

Hydrostop AH+ liquid waterproofing was chosen as a better alternative to built-up roofing for installation to a new build Surrey County Council office development.

The local authority has been developing a brownfield site known as Gatwick Diamond Manor Royal which has been pre-let by South East Coast Ambulance Service and scheduled for occupation in September 2016.

Willmott Dixon’s Cobham Surrey office, which enjoys a strong reputation for commercial office development, has managed the construction of the £19milllion four-storey development, designed by award winning architects, HGP.

NFRC member, Southern Industrial Roofing of Portsmouth was appointed by the main contractor to undertake the 1800m² roofing project.

Hydrostop AH+ is a wet-on-wet cold applied liquid waterproofing system that contains no solvents or isocyanates, with a very low VOC content.

The Hydrostop AH+ system was applied over a concrete substrate with a bituminous vapour control layer with Eurodeck liquid roofing board and cut to falls insulation.

For the installation process, the roof was first cleaned. Then a base coat of Hydrostop AH+ was applied, into which an 110gsm layer of polyester reinforcing fleece was embedded, whereupon it was immediately saturated with a second coat of liquid. Hydrostop AH+ is totally impervious to standing water, and as it is a single component liquid, it does not require a catalyst to be mixed into the product before use. The product comes with a 25-year guarantee which can only be offered by SIG’s DATAC accredited installers.

The Managing Director of […]

Vue Cinema Doncaster – a cool customer

Liquid Waterproofing

Project:  Vue Cinema Doncaster
Client: Vue Entertainment
Architect: DG Architects Ltd
Main contractor: Key Property Solutions
Roofing contractor: AROOFA Ltd
Liquid Waterproofing membrane: Hydrostop AH+

When a Vue Cinema on the outskirts of Doncaster needed a section of the asphalt flat roof refurbished as part of extension and maintenance works, a zero odour solution was required that would allow the building to stay open to the public throughout installation.

­­­­The 750m² roof, located in the centre of the cinema above a stair and lift core and projection rooms, was covered with a lot of mounted plant, equipment and trunking, making it too disruptive and noisy to take up and replace the existing asphalt. A liquid cold-applied waterproofing product was considered ideal to avoid the need for complex edge detailing associated with single ply or bitumen products around the plant.

With the cinema screens in operation a few feet away there was also potential for fumes to enter the building through air conditioning intakes on the roof. As these units could not be shut down, it was vital to both the client and project that a solvent and fume free solution was used in the course of the refurbishment.

With these concerns in mind, specification manager Cameron MacAndrew, from SIG Design & Technology chose to recommend Hydrostop AH+, a wet-on-wet cold applied liquid waterproofing system that contains no solvents or isocyanates, with a very low VOC content.

Hydrostop AH+ emits no fumes and no odour, which meant the cinema could continue business as usual for the week,’ said MacAndrew; ‘Installers like Hydrostop AH+ because it goes down wet on wet in a single pass install.’

For the […]

Sacred Heart Primary School

Liquid Waterproofing

Project:  Sacred Heart Primary School
Contractor: City Building Glasgow
Liquid waterproofing system: Hydrostop AH+

SIG Design & Technology’s Hydrostop AH+ product was chosen to refurbish 450m² of roof at the Sacred Heart Primary School in the Bridgeton area of Glasgow. The project was specified by contractor City Building Glasgow, formerly the building service department of the local authority, as part of a wider refurbishment of the school premises. The school buildings date back to the 1950s. Areas of the roof had been leaking, leading to considerable water damage and disruption to some classrooms.

According to City Building Glasgow assistant investment manager Charlie McLean, the priority for the roof works was to procure a waterproofing system with minimal hot works that would cause as little disruption to the school’s everyday activities as possible. The chosen system would also need to be suitable for installation on a distinctively pyramidal part of the school roof. Another important factor was health and safety, both for those installing the product and the school community.

Before and after photographs of the roof at Sacred Heart Primary School

City Building Glasgow chose the Hydrostop AH+ system because it met these criteria and offered additional safety, health and time benefits. Hydrostop AH+ is a wet-on-wet, cold applied liquid waterproofing product that is reinforced with a polyester fabric. It is free of solvents and hazardous materials, and has a very low VOC content, making it fume-free and virtually odourless. Installers like Hydrostop AH+ because it goes down […]

Balcony Waterproofing – why use a liquid?

Liquid Waterproofing

Project: Riverwalk, London
Client: Ronson Capital Partners
Architect: Stanton Williams
Main contractors: Sir Robert McAlpine
Roofing contractors: Knight Asphalte Co Ltd
Balcony membrane: Hydrostop AH+

Rising up from its Thames-side site at Pimlico at the meeting of Millbank and Vauxhall Bridge, River Walk is an elegant new development of 116 high specification apartments.  The sinuous form of the buildings is picked out in limestone and bronze cladding, forming ‘strata’ which curve in and out to form balconies and terraces, tied into an organic whole by the careful use of materials and exquisite detailing.

Towards the top of the buildings, the floors step back to create large roof terraces, but overall the scheme has 170 crescent-shaped balconies, all of which need to be carefully waterproofed.  Specialist roofing contractor Knight Asphalte Co Ltd is carrying out this task, using Hydrostop AH+, an alpha-hybid liquid waterproofing product supplied by SIG Design & Technology.

Why use a Liquid for Balcony Waterproofing?
The balconies at Riverwalk provided a unique challenge to the contractors. Each one is a different crescent shape, but all have tight tapers at the edges to ensure the continuity of flow of the sinuous limestone cladding externally. The balconies themselves are a combination of in-situ concrete casting and prefabricated steel end sections; each individually made in Italy and shipped to the site via the port of Rye.

Adding to the physical constraints of each balcony shape was the fact that the building was to be built without external scaffolding, so the waterproofing contractor […]