Skypark

Description:

BriggsAmasco’s industry-leading waterproofing expertise was called upon to carry out a multi-surface application at Scotland’s ‘best business park’.

Based in Glasgow and home to 3,000 occupants and nearly 50 businesses including telecoms, solicitors, nurseries and cafes, Skypark is a landmark hive of commercial activity. It is the self-styled ‘best business park in Scotland’ with an eye-catching main building to match its superlative billing due to it offering 360 views of the country’s capital city.

In order to uphold its grand reputation, the Skypark site underwent a refurbishment in 2019, which included waterproofing path and road surfaces in and around the site and a garden area. Renowned for its expert delivery of high-profile waterproofing projects varying in size and complexity, BriggsAmasco was selected to deliver the Skypark programme.

BriggsAmasco was appointed to deliver Skypark’s waterproofing element by contractor Clark Contracts on behalf of client, Britel Fund Trust. It included installing IKO Permascreed, a super-strong, rapid-setting mastic asphalt waterproofing solution to a surface area totalling 2,200m2 to eliminate the potential for standing water and improve driver and pedestrian safety throughout the rooftop car park site. It was the first time IKO Permascreed was used for a waterproofing project in Scotland of such size.

With the original mastic asphalt system having been removed, BriggsAmasco’s teams worked quickly and efficiently to temporary waterproof the exposed concrete surfaces. This was achieved by installing a temporary felt sacrificial waterproof layer (IKO Glass Torch on underlay), which provided the foundation for the IKO Permascreed. The system was installed across the 2,200m2 surface to falls between 240mm and 10mm in height in order to eliminate the risk of standing water on the car park deck. IKO Permapark, a polymer-modified mastic asphalt paving system, provided the deck’s final, watertight layer complete with a crimped finish.

BriggsAmasco’s waterproofing programme wasn’t without its challenges. Creating fall levels across such a wide area was a technically and physically demanding operation in terms of ensuring gauges were set correctly. The challenge was exacerbated due to much of the work taking place in winter months when inclement conditions were more prevalent. It meant time was of the essence to prepare surfaces in order to receive paving and paviour, and ensure a safe, watertight finish for walkways on approach to the building’s main entrance.

Covid restrictions were also a hinderance to BriggsAmasco completing this huge waterproofing project to the agreed time. Post-lockdown, new working policies restricted the number of workers allowed on site. The measures also affected material deliveries, which were significantly limited. The presence of a children’s nursery on the building’s ground floor also led to waterproofing work being intermittently interrupted to reduce noise levels during term time. (The working day in some instances extended to 16 hours, where varying trades were required to be co-ordinated to sequence low noise works to the normal working day and have noisy works carried out between 5am and 7.30am, as wells as 5.00pm to 8.00pm.)

BriggsAmasco employed two apprentices for the Skypark project. One trainee was specifically tasked to support the installation of mastic asphalt to the deck’s surface, thus becoming the first apprentice in 12 years to be put through a mastic asphalt apprenticeship in Scotland. The other trainee was responsible for operating the mechanical plant which transferred the mastic asphalt to and from the car park site which was 500 metres from the material distribution area. Both trainees are now vital to the BriggsAmasco contracts and site operations team.

Speaking of BriggsAmasco’s performance on the Skypark project, Archie Whitehead, Site Manager at Clark Contracts, said: “The professionalism of BriggsAmasco’s asphalt squad was evident in the way they organised the day’s works, setting up levels and equipment well ahead of the deliveries to ensure the full quota was placed efficiently. I would add that the aftercare was very good, with repeated assistance from the team at BriggsAmasco.”

Despite the huge challenges involved, BriggsAmasco teams completed the site’s waterproofing in January 2021 in line with the agreed timeframe. Such was the company’s superb performance on this demanding project, BriggsAmasco has been invited to tender for further waterproofing works at Skypark, as part of a second phase of refurbishment for which Adam Consultants has been appointed main contractor.