Known as Scotland’s ‘best business park’, Skypark is based in Glasgow’s iconic West End. It has over 3,000 occupants and is home to almost 50 businesses including O2, Allied London Properties and The Glasgow School of Art.
Mastic Asphalt Council (MAC) contractor member BriggsAmasco was selected to complete a major refurbishment at Skypark which included waterproofing several surfaces with mastic asphalt in and around a car park located on the building’s fourth storey. BriggsAmasco overcame a number of challenges to provide the building with a durable, watertight surface in line with the client’s strict budgetary and deadline requirements.
This project was exceptional for BriggsAmasco in that the Glasgow branch became the first company in the Scottish region to put an apprentice through a mastic asphalt apprenticeship. The Skypark project was also recognised at the recent MAC Awards 2022 hosted at London’s Royal Horseguards Hotel, where BriggsAmasco was awarded the ‘Best Car Parks and Paving Project’ for this mastic asphalt application.
Mastic Asphalt Installation
BriggsAmasco completed the waterproofing element of the Skypark refurbishment on behalf of contractor Clark Contracts. The project included the installation of 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 site. It was the first time IKO Permascreed was used for a waterproofing project of this scale in Scotland.
IKO Permascreed’s fast-curing time allows roofs and decks to be trafficked a lot sooner than traditional cement screeds, which in the case of the Skypark programme, provided a rapid, waterproof seal for the surface and allowed refurbishment works to proceed in the office building below.
The product’s reduced curing time also limited working hours spent on site and machinery use, with the resulting reduction in emissions leading to a more sustainable works programme.
With the original mastic asphalt system having been removed, BriggsAmasco’s teams worked quickly and efficiently to temporarily waterproof the exposed concrete surfaces. This was achieved by installing a temporary felt waterproof layer 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 deck. A polymer-modified mastic asphalt paving system provided the deck’s final, watertight layer complete with a crimped finish.
Employment of Apprentices
BriggsAmasco employed two apprentices for the Skypark project. One apprentice 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 apprentice was responsible for operating the mechanical plant which transferred the mastic asphalt to and from the refurbishment site which was 500 metres from the material distribution area. A mobile asphalt lugger was therefore required to transport the mastic asphalt and keep the material hot, with the apprentice carrying out this challenging manoeuvre whilst under supervision at all times by a senior member of BriggsAmasco’s site team.
Project Challenges
Installing 2,200m2 of IKO Permascreed to create falls at different heights and requirements was a technically and physically challenging operation for BriggsAmasco’s spreaders in terms of ensuring gauges were set correctly.
The challenge was exacerbated due to much of the work taking place in the winter months when inclement conditions were most prevalent. Time was of the essence to prepare surfaces in order to receive paving 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. To overcome these constraints and keep the works programme on track, BriggsAmasco teams worked out-of-hours and at weekends.
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. Public health and safety is as much a matter for BriggsAmasco as the wellbeing of its site teams. Such was their dedication to this issue during the Skypark project, the company’s on-site teams were awarded the main contractor’s monthly Health and Safety Award.
Despite the huge challenges involved, BriggsAmasco teams completed the site’s waterproofing in line with the agreed timeframe.
This article featured within the September 2022 edition of RCi Magazine – click here to view the article.