Case Study
Academy House
The roof of Academy House in Ballymena had been leaking for years due to concrete tiles being deployed on a low pitch.
DQ Contracts removed the concrete tiles from the 1,400 m2 roof, replacing them with BMI AeroDek tiles and upgrading a bank of solar panels on one side of the roof.
The design of the lightweight AeroDek tiles prevents water ingress, even with driving rain, while their Anthracite colour gives them the same appearance as their concrete predecessors. The choice of tiles also reduced the number of deliveries and allowed fast installation in a building that remained occupied throughout.
The resulting roof is fit for purpose and will have a long life, reducing lifetime maintenance and carbon costs. The new solar panels will also help reduce the operational carbon footprint of the building.
Because the building was occupied at the time, the 1400 m2 roof was replaced in four phases of varying sizes. This required close liaison between the contractor and the occupiers, as staff moved out of each area as it was re-roofed to avoid safety risks. With 75 tonnes of concrete roofing tiles to be removed, the initial stripping operation had to be carefully managed and executed too.
Access to the roof was through a staff car park which was in use throughout. The entire building was scaffolded and netted with the scaffold protected by safety fencing at its base. The site compound and loading bay moved with each phase. The contractor ensured that fire exits and entrances to the building were clear at all times and introduced traffic management measures to allow the safe movement of the telescopic handler around the building and the car park.
The re-roofing also required the installation of hips and valleys and ventilated eaves, all constructed using lightweight AeroDek system components. The project also involved the removal of solar panels on the back side of the building, replacing them with new ones.
The project was completed a couple of days ahead of its programmed 10-week duration, running from October to December, and within the £150,000 project budget. DQ Contracts Ltd employed six people to work on the project, including an apprentice roofer.
The Department of Finance, which oversaw the projects, and the building’s occupants are satisfied with the new roof.
Since the project was carried out during the period of Covid restrictions DQ Contracts had to modify its working methods to maintain safe working. There were no accidents during this installation.