Park Plaza Riverbank hotel receives five star roofing extension

Sika Trocal Type S and Type SGmA single ply roofing membranes have been specified at the Park Plaza Riverbank in Central London as part of a multi-million pound extension and reconfiguration.

Located on the South Bank of the River Thames, the Park Plaza Riverbank is positioned within a short distance of Big Ben and the London Eye, accommodating guess from all over the world.

As part of a European development programme by PPHE Hotel Group, the hotel is receiving an eight-storey extension to be completed by 2016, which will add 184 new rooms and a private penthouse with terraces to the hotel.

Working in partnership with ESA architects and Gear Construction, the building design has been delivered including the creation of eight separate roof areas of different sizes, shapes and pitches.

The mechanically fixed Sika Trocal S and SGmA systems were specified to offer fast and reliable installation, excellent flexibility and precise, simple detailing.

Innovative installation at the Park Plaza Riverbank

Due to the city centre location of the Park Plaza Riverbank, two roof pitches of 25° and 44° were required within eight separate sections.

ICS Roofing was appointed as the roofing contractor for the project, who employed specialist Sika Trocal installers Brightside Roofing to complete the application over a period of 18 weeks.

Gear Construction supplied a cantilevered scaffold off the building, which allowed ICS to abseil equipment as a means of fall arrest and to create safe access to various roof areas.

Tom Peach, Contracts Manager at ICS Roofing, explained: “Many flat roof membranes do not lend themselves to installation using an abseil, due to the double fix method of insulation and membrane. 

Heat welding can also become an issue when working on steeper pitched areas, however, Sika-Trocal system offered us a speedy installation that saw the first two roofs installed in under two weeks – much quicker than the 25 days predicted.”

Brightside installed a total of 1,755m² of the Sika Trocal Type S roofing membrane across the three main roof areas. 

The use of Sika Trocal Laminated Metal Discs and thermally broken fasteners allowed ICS to secure both the membrane and the insulation at once, reducing the fasteners required by 40-60% and therefore speeding up the installation process.

The system also allowed the team to achieve exceptional waterproofing and durability – BBA certified to have a life expectancy in excess of 35 years.

Balancing aesthetics and safety

The Type S membrane has been developed to offer exceptional malleability and allow for high quality detailing.

On the 44° pitched roof, insulation was installed in a step formation to allow installers safe and easy access to the highest point of the roof. The S membrane allowed a single continuous application towards a box gutter and parapet detail.

ICS turned to Sika Trocal Metal for a number of complex details, including a neat aesthetic and crisp finish to the perimeter flashings and junctions. 

In addition the the fast application and stylish aesthetic, the health and safety of site operatives was a perquisite from the start to finish of the application.

ICS worked closely with Gear Construction to carefully coordinate site delivers and use of the crane to minimise disruption and risk.

ICS also considered the wind load calculations prior to the application. Tom Peach added: “Due to the complexity of the roofs and with health and safety absolutely paramount, it was imperative that the roofs were correctly designed and secured to resist wind loads, ensuring outstanding performance and longevity.”

Sustainable solutions

As part of the development, ICS Roofing contacted Eco Green Roofs to overlay 227m² of Sika-Trocal SGmA membrane with sedum matting to create a garden roof area, improving the roof’s thermal performance in the process.

Once installed, the garden roof systems will extend the life of the green roof, help reduce heating and air-conditioning costs and even water sewage charges.

The living roof system includes traditional sedum mats, drainage layers, edge trims, security railings and harnesses.

Low environmental impact was a key factor on site, as ICS utilised a complex array of insulation ranging from flat board and tapered to new ultra-thin vacuum insulation panels (VIPs). 100m² of VIPs were installed on a series of four terraces to overcome the common on-site challenge of door threshold heights.

The project was completed over a four month summer period. Despite the wettest August on record, the fast, high quality application of Type S and SGmA single ply membranes from Sika Trocal ensured that Park Plaza Riverbank will meet its 2016 completion date.

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Watchmead,
Welwyn Garden City,
Hertfordshire,
AL7 1BQ,
United Kingdom

Phone: 01707 394444
Fax: 01707 329129

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