The first ever installation of Alumasc’s BluRoof waterproofing system has been completed at the new University of Bristol Lecture Theatre.
Around 400m2 of the BluRoof system was installed as part of the project by Alumasc’s registered contractor, M&J Roofing of Bedford, along with a Blackdown fully bio-diverse green roof system, also from Alumasc.
According to architect Tim Healy, of Fielden Clegg Bradley Studios, the main challenge of the project was to achieve water attenuation despite the constraints placed on the project by planners.
Mr. Healy explained: “It was a planning stipulation that there should be no increase in the amount of excess water that was discharged into the existing drain infrastructure, but due to the site’s location in a conservation area, planners were also adamant that there be no visible ventilation equipment or tanks used on the build. Additionally, Priory Road is subject to very high bedrock which would have meant very expensive excavation to provide hidden water attenuation.”
Alumasc has called its BluRoof system a new concept in water management, offering the combined expertise of Alumasc Roofing Systems and Harmer Engineered Drainage Systems. The system uses flat roofing spaces to capture stormwater, releasing it at a controlled rate into the drainage network via a flow-restricting device or further attenuation structures – in this case, the bio-diverse green roof.
The combination of Alumasc’s BluRoof and Blackdown Green Roof systems used at Priory Road meant that the retention of stormwater in the green roof’s build-up – i.e. the plants, substrate and drainage/reservoir layer – complemented the detention of stormwater by the BluRoof, providing additional drainage capacity.
The company says the finished roofing system at the Theatre provides a fully warranted, cost effective and visually attractive water attenuation solution, preventing the need for underground attenuation tanks within a highly built up urban section of Bristol City Centre.
Steve Roche of M&J Roofing said: “This was the first ever installation of Alumasc BluRoof in the UK and we were pleased to have been involved with this revolutionary project. The fitting of both the waterproofing and the green roof element went very smoothly, and we were provided with first class technical support from Alumasc through every step of the project.”
