UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD | BROAD LANE
BROAD LANE
UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD
RE-ROOFING & ASSOCIATED WORKS TO LIVE ENVIRONMENT
PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR
£600,000
16 Weeks
JCT INTERMEDIATE BUILDING CONTRACT WITH CONTRACTORS DESIGN
LIVE ENVIRONMENT EXPERTISE
Assix were appointed as Principal Contractor following a competitive tender process to carry out re-roofing to the Broad Lane Block housing the University’s Civil and Structural Engineering Department. The works were carried out above and within live teaching environments which required meticulously planned operations to complete the works safely and with minimal disruption. Innovate solutions for lifting and distribution of materials was also required to work within the permitted roof loadings and to enable the lifting equipment to be manoeuvred within the tight confines of the site area. Internally Assix developed an innovative solution for the replacement of 11nr large roof lights over occupied spaces.
Overlay existing roof covering with Insulated Mineral Felt Waterproofing System.
Replacement of lantern roof lights with structural glazing.
Isolation and reinstatement of mechanical ventilation services.
Roof Access Equipment including fabricated walkways and platforms.
Remedial works to the internal concrete soffit.
The Broad Lane Block is a two-storey flat-roofed building with a workshop located beneath. The building houses The University Department of Civil and Structural Engineering and contains workshops and teaching areas.
The works were completed in a single phase with a duration of 16 weeks and involved working within, and more significantly above a live University teaching environment. Therefore, Assix had to meticulously plan all aspects of this work, to reduce the risks to UoS staff and students. At an early stage, it was decided to de-risk the vertical movement of materials, by restricting crane lifts to weekends only, which eliminated the interaction with students and staff. Assix identified a small 7T truck mounted crane, which was large enough to lift the items of plant and materials, but also small and agile enough to gain access through a neighbouring congested construction site.
Another significant risk was the removal and replacement of the large 11nr roof lights over occupied workshops and teaching spaces, whilst enabling constant use of the Overhead Craneage, which operated below. Assix developed an innovate solution to this issue, which involved the installation of high-level scaffold crash decks, which were fixed to the reveals of the roof light and above the height of the Overhead Cranes. This allowed the UoS workshops to function as normal and provided safe access/egress for the operatives installing the new roof lights.
The project comprises the following key aspects:
Replacement of existing roof coverings to the Level D workshop areas using a new insulated mineral felt waterproofing system overlaid on the existing asphalt roof coverings.
The replacement of 11Nr lantern roof lights using aluminium framed lanterns roof lights with structural glazing to match the existing appearance.
Isolation, removal and temporary reinstatement (at ground level) of existing mechanical plant to facilitate the roofing whilst maintaining mechanical services to the building.
Reinstatement and commissioning of mechanical plant on new purpose made roof plant deck following completion of roofing works.
Renewal of existing metal access staircase and step over.
Internal remedial works to defective internal concrete soffit within workshop areas.
Fixed / temporary access scaffolding to facilitate the works.
This re-roofing scheme commenced in November and proceeded through the winter months, which brought considerable challenges to the project team, as Sheffield suffered one of the wettest winters on record. In the pre-construction stage, Assix recognised that keeping the building water-tight during the works would be the key aspect of a successful project. To this end, Assix erected a fully designed scaffold weather tent, which when fully erected, fully enveloped the area of the roof lights, forming a weather-tight cover over approximately 250m2 of the roof. This also had a programme benefit, as it enabled the roof lights to be removed and the new ones to be installed, even during inclement weather.
To ensure that the project caused the minimum possible disruption to the University’s staff and students, the Assix Site Manager had regular meetings with the University’s stakeholders to ensure that they were briefed on the proposed works, and any activities were co-ordinated with them. The scope of works involved the isolation of key services, which Assix ensured was communicated well in advance, and that works were completed ahead of schedule where possible, in order to minimise downtime.
