RENOLIT UK Ltd

Lightweight but very strong mounting profileCHALLENGEStraight lines, maximum light and a unique, remarkable design. This is how independent architect Lieze Vandael saw her own home. Due to the numerous voids and imposing windows up to 9 meters high, a traditional construction method was certainly not an option. A suitable alternative had to be found. Moreover, Lieze Vandael wanted to see the elegant, minimalist architectural style with straight lines envelop the building: a roof and façade finish in the same material - preferably timber - and moreover, seamlessly blending into each other. To have the building completely wrapped in wood. Definitely a real challenge! A neat and watertight connection between roof and façade is not an easy job at all. Besides, timber is never completely waterproof. So, the challenge for Lieze Vandael was to combine the roof and the façade into one uniform surface, ensuring a perfectly watertight roof.SOLUTIONArchitect Vandael wanted to step away from the traditional lightframe wood structure, and opted for an alternative mass timber construction: a load-bearing construction formed from tongue and groove stacked solid wood beams. After all, this type of construction creates a lot of possibilities and is, besides, a more durable and ecological solution. For the exterior finish of the building the architect chose thermowood Ayous, a knot-free, clear-grade exotic hardwood providing excellent durability. The façade was finished with thermowood in a traditional way. Finishing the roof, however, was a more complex task. Cladding a roof with timber, particularly a highly sloped roof poses a substantial risk. How to achieve a watertight roof?

A lightweight solution... CHALLENGE A lightweight solution was required for the mounting of the PV installation on a production hall from Opel in Rüsselheim. For some years there existed no smart solutions for PV installations on roofs. Today we start to see the downside of PV roof installations that are not coping well with the weather conditions on top of roof constructions. Common mistakes made on PV roofs: • PV panels flying off the roof due to high winds where the attachments have not been strong enough and not fully tested. • Water leaks due to structural damage from the PV installation itself. Mainly due to the minute movement of the metallic/ aluminium PV-mounting on the roofing membrane. • Water leaks due to perforations through the roofing membrane when fixing the PV installation to the roof. • Roofs collapsing due to an excess of ballast of the ballasted PV installations. • Accelerated ageing of roofing membranes due to the use of incompatible materials on the roofing surface. SOLUTION RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR PV fixing system. This lightweight PV fixing system does not require extra ballast nor perforates the roofing membrane. The main parts of the system are PVC or EVA profiles that are heat welded onto the synthetic roofing membranes. This system is the only system that is fully tested for wind loads up to 200 km/h, has an Avis technique (France) and a DIBT approval (Germany).

Five domed design... CHALLENGE The idea of the architect was to design a building with 5 parabolic roof surfaces or domes. The unique five domed design comprises of pods finished in a range of different materials, each contributing to the development’s remit to blend into the park landscape. The biggest issue for the architect was how to connect these different materials to become a complete watertight building. SOLUTION Each dome is waterproofed using a RENOLIT ALKORPLAN system and whilst the complex is thought to be the UK’s largest timber-built geodesic project, it also demonstrates possibly the most innovative use of single ply membrane ever seen in the UK. By using the RENOLIT ALKORPLAN membrane as the main layer to waterproof the five domes an easy joint could be made by means of hot air. On one dome our RENOLIT ALKORPLAN A membrane was used in combination with PVC profiles providing geometric aesthetic detailing. On another dome a RENOLIT ALKORPLAN L membrane was used under a green roof system. On the other domes the RENOLIT ALKORPLAN F membrane was used in combination with our RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR fixing system supporting respectively glazed aluminium sheeting and cedar shingle tiles.

Low environmental impact... CHALLENGE All over the world architects and building owners are trying to create buildings with a low environmental impact. For this private house, the architect wanted to combine an aesthetical finish of a metal roof in combination with PV and hot water panels. The biggest issue for the architect was the fixing of these panels without having leak problems in the future. SOLUTION The roof was waterproofed using a RENOLIT ALKORPLAN roofing membrane that is mechanically fastened onto the supporting roof structure. Two kinds of PVC profiles were heat welded onto the waterproofing membrane: on the one hand RENOLIT ALKORDESIGN profiles (for aesthetical value only), on the other hand there are RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR profiles, which function as the base to attach the hot water and the PV panels. The gable was also finished with the RENOLIT ALKORDESIGN system.

Ghelamco Arena CHALLENGE Ghent’s football club, KAA Gent, had big ambitions – having a big stadium was one of them. Its brand new home was built in order to seat more spectators and take the club to the top of the Belgian league. As the first newly-built stadium in Belgium since 1974, the multi-use Ghelamco Arena opened its doors in 2013. The stadium hosts - besides KAA Gent matches - a multitude of events throughout the year, as well a gym, supermarket, office facilities and a Guide Michelin restaurant. It’s located near the historical centre of Ghent, just outside the city. The arena, which seats 20,000 supporters, is one of Europe’s most modern stadiums. A stadium specifically designed for the ultimate football experience! How could RENOLIT help make the new stadium a success?SOLUTION The Ghelamco Arena is a real eye-catcher: impressive, fashionable in design and an architectural beauty. The stadium, however, is more than just design, it is above all environmentally friendly. The stadium was constructed with considerations towards its ecological footprint and as a result, the roof was made waterproof by means of the ecological, reflective RENOLIT ALKORBRIGHT waterproofing membrane. This completely white roofing membrane, together with the special protective coating on top of the membrane ensures a high reflection of the sunlight, which in summertime has a positive impact on the climate inside the building. With an initial reflection of 90%, the RENOLIT ALKORBRIGHT concept can consider itself to be at the absolute top of the “cool roof” roofing membranes. 

House of Tomorrow Today... CHALLENGE + SOLUTION Before your imagination runs away with you: HoTT stands for House of Tomorrow Today. This new Dutch concept is based on both the Smart Building and Active House principles. It tries to gather recent innovations as well as new technological developments in one project, entirely in line with future market trends. From the very beginning HoTT gathers together all parties involved in order to have a smooth running building process and thus limiting the number of contacts and intermediaries. Compared with traditional building methods this optimal cooperation already results in at least a 30 % cost reduction. Also it is worth mentioning the construction itself - HoTT strives for prefabrication and modular building components, resulting in a decrease of project schedules, project budget and construction site waste. Although prefabrication had over time developed the stigma of cheapness and poor quality, it has nowadays been turned around into a green trend in construction. The first HoTT healthy home in the Netherlands has just been completed. Comfort, energy and technology are the main issues. It is a house with comfortable living conditions, a lot of natural light and fresh air, and, above all it is energy neutral, modular and durable, reducing its ecological footprint. Electrical wiring, plumbing and wall components can all be easily adapted for the future needs of the building. Both sloping roofs are prefabricated steel frame structures with insulation, vapour barrier and roof covering already included, allowing a fast and easy installation. The less sloping, south facing roof has a RENOLIT ALKORPLAN PVC roof covering, provided with aesthetic RENOLIT ALKORDESIGN roof profiles. Also part of the roof has solar panels which have been installed using RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR profiles. The building is being constantly evaluated by means of sensors gathering data to continuously improve and develop future HoTT buildings. The concept will not only be applicable for detached housing, further developments will also aim at terraced houses, schools, hospitals, etc. This project proves once again RENOLIT is a reliable “green” partner, a company that is responding to the growing demand for ecological products by offering sustainable building materials. It’s the first HoTT of hopefully many more...

Ghent Diamond CHALLENGE The Ghent Diamond is proudly overlooking the Ghent-Sint-Pieters railway station and surrounding neighbourhood. On top of a stonelike base with a pattern inspired by the city of Ghent’s historical architecture, an impressive crystalline edifice rises. The 33m high office building has – as the name indicates – not only the brilliance, but also the shape of a gigantic, polished diamond with numerous facets. The special design makes the building unique, and that is exactly where the difficulty lies: roof surfaces with different inclines, steep and hard-to-reach slopes, kinks in the façade and a serious wind load. On the pitched roof segments connecting the glass facade, an exterior roof finish with Linius RENSON blades is to be installed. Just for aesthetic reasons! Such a finish creates a nice play of light, shadow and reflection. But this can only be achieved if the finish has been executed perfectly! But how to execute the construction so precisely, and at the same time be perfectly watertight? A true challenge for both architect and roofing contractor. SOLUTIONFor the internationally renowned New York-based architects practice Asymptote this monumental Diamond project is just another jewel in the crown. Innovative and visionary, they always pursue extreme and experimental challenges. And yes, this impressive Diamond really was a challenge, especially for the Belgian ROTEAM roof experts. The special shape, the height and the different slopes up to 47° made it a complex, gargantuan waterproofing project. On top of the steel deck structure tongue and groove insulation panels were installed. This guarantees a strong, perfectly fitting and smooth construction. After all this is very important in order to achieve this monumental task. The high wind load and shear forces were decisive for the choice of roofing membrane to be used on this difficult structure. Asymptote architects therefore opted for the mechanically fastened RENOLIT ALKORPLAN F membrane. This PVC-P roofing membrane is specifically suited for such a project, thanks mainly to its flexibility, lightweight and long life.

Blue-green roof solution on a London dwellingCHALLENGE8a Belmont Street comprises two unique semi-detached dwellings, which have been constructed in Chalk Farm, London by a private developer Maygrove Projects in collaboration with Martin Evans Architects. The total roof area covers only 55.03m² but features an unusual roof design; it is divided into five sections comprising two glazed roofs and three blue roof areas. For this warm roof construction, an alternative durable waterproofing was sought, suitable for blue roof application. SOLUTION Approved Roofing Contractor Gribben Solar Roofing provided an alternative blue roof solution to the original design proposed by the project architects, fully complying with their needs. Together with partner and single ply manufacturer RENOLIT they proposed a waterproofing solution for the blue roof in the form of a fully bonded RENOLIT ALKORPLAN L35A77 membrane, to be combined with the RENOLIT ALKORPLAN Green roof system. So, actually, a blue-green roof!

To create a Blob... CHALLENGE For the design of a Texaco service station on the highway near Antwerp the architect decided he wanted to create a Blob (Binary large objects) architectural design. The service station consists of three functional lobes that together look like an oil stain. The actual gas stations are covered with 4 lobe-shaped canopies. To accentuate this futuristic design the architect wanted to create liquid formed shapes in a metallic look. As the walls of the main building were planned using a polurea metallic finishing coating the architect sought a suitable compatible material to finish the rest of his Blob roof surfaces. SOLUTION Synthetic roofing membranes are the most flexible materials on the market and are suited to waterproof almost all possible roof shapes. For this particular project the silver coloured RENOLIT ALKORPLAN membrane was the best solution. This silver membrane is produced with a protective coating creating a roofing membrane that is easy to clean. The RENOLIT ALKORPLAN Metallic membranes combine excellent durability with added aesthetical appearance.

The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) The roof being part of the collection ...CHALLENGE The 19th-century neoclassical museum in the South district of Antwerp was in need of an entire refurbishment, including an ambitious extension. Therefore the decision was taken to transform the former inner courtyards into a new vertical museum area. A hidden modern museum showcasing contemporary art within the walls of the old historic one. Two different worlds within one building. To protect the valuable art collection of paintings and drawings a solution was sought to bring as much indirect and northern light into the art rooms as possible. SOLUTIONIn this respect, Claus en Kaan architects created a fabulously ingenious design for the roof. The rooftop would be completed with no fewer than 198 triangular skylights. As well as presenting aesthetic value, the roof triangles are designed in such a way as to have northern light entering the museum. As north-facing windows would allow indirect light, an important feature to protect the valuable works of art inside. In addition, to provide extra reflection of light, the architects opted for a white roof.

Family houses renovated... CHALLENGE 134 single family houses needed to be renovated to liveable conditions. The main problem for the architect and building contractors was the fact these houses had to remain occupied during the works. SOLUTION For the roof two prefabricated timber roof elements covered with the RENOLIT ALKORDESIGN roofing system were installed to replace the existing roof structure. The roofing elements consisted of a layer of OSB, a layer of 350 mm cellulose fibre insulation, another OSB plate and a 2 mm thick RENOLIT ALKORPLAN roofing membrane. The prefabricated roof element has a U-Value of 0.11 W/m². On top of the prefab roof elements hot water panels were installed. 

Roof and facade cover... CHALLENGE For the design of a youth centre a Belgian architect wanted to have a fully homogeneous and waterproof cover for the roof and the facade. This envelope technique needed to be combined with a more ecological and aesthetically pleasing green wall design. SOLUTION For the waterproofing of the roof surface a standard RENOLIT ALKORPLAN roofing membrane was used. For the facades the architects opted for a RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR fixing system as the base to attach the final greenwall system. As the roof and the wall covering (waterproofing) are the same material there were no jointing issues. The whole building has been covered with RENOLIT ALKORPLAN roofing membrane. The facade details were similarly accomplished as standard roof details and RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR profiles were used to fix the rain water pipes from the roof.

UNIZO office building CHALLENGE Dedalus Architects specified zinc for waterproofing the timber frame UNIZO office building in Eeklo. Not only for the roof, but also for the facade and bottom side of a unique construction detail. To be precise, waterproofing horizontally, vertically and even upside down! To entirely cover the structure however, appeared not to be possible when using zinc. If you opt to use this traditional waterproofing material a ventilated air space must be provided underneath the zinc covering. This of course entails an opening for ventilation purposes underneath the roof edge, if not, condensation will occur. In the case of a building where the facade has to connect seamlessly with the roof and the underside, leaving an opening is not a possibility. So, despite the attractive appearance of zinc, a waterproofing solution with this material was not an option. SOLUTION Thanks to their collaboration with roofer ALBITUM and previous experiences with RENOLIT roofing products, Dedalus Architects came up with a nice alternative: RENOLIT ALKORDESIGN standing seam imitation. A perfect solution for a difficult challenge. No ventilation needed, no connection problems, the same looks as a zinc roof and, above all, more cost effective! 

Gent Sint-Pieters railway stationCHALLENGE Gent Sint-Pieters, the main railway station in Ghent, is undergoing a spectacular metamorphosis today. The listed main building, constructed for the 1913 World Exhibition, has to remain untouched. Behind the old building however the platforms, waiting rooms and the central passengers corridor are being entirely refurbished. Architect Voncke’s objective was to create a pleasant atmospheric site with a 35,000 sqm open and attractive central hall, broadened and completely covered platforms and renovated rails. Functional, well-designed and above all spacious! As the 12 rail tracks had to stay on ground level, the passengers alley was excavated to a lower level under the railroad tracks. This necessitated permitting considerable daylight to enter the underlying levels.SOLUTION Transparent canopies, featuring large glass sections and translucent floors were all designed with this purpose in mind. To gain even more light the architect chose RENOLIT ALKORBRIGHT for waterproofing the platform canopies. The six long rectangular platform blocks, differing in height, are interconnected and make one large roof. The white highly reflective RENOLIT ALKORBRIGHT membrane on top of the construction reflects the daylight through the high side windows. A clever way to add extra day-light to the underlying areas. 

RENOLIT ALKORPLAN scores high on Deltion College! CHALLENGE A sports field on top of the roof. A surprising and exceptional RENOLIT achievement that absolutely draws the attention… Deltion College in Zwolle (NL) really is an exceptional case. This college offers amongst others education courses to prepare for service in the Armed Forces - Navy, Army as well as the Air Forces. No doubt sports are an important part of life on the campus. Then came the inspiration to install an artificial grass sports field on top of the roof of the newly constructed multifunctional building. Space-saving and functional! The choice to specify RENOLIT ALKORPLAN as roofing material was a shrewd decision, as RENOLIT ALKORPLAN offers a solution not only for mechanically fixed roofs but also for ballasted roof systems… SOLUTION The highest rooftop, a steel frame construction, has been installed with a PES-reinforced mechanically fixed RENOLIT ALKORPLAN F roofing membrane. For the lower concrete roof – the sports field to be – a different product was required: RENOLIT ALKORPLAN L! A glass fleece reinforced membrane with an excellent resistance to microorganisms, specifically conceived for ballasted roofs. Before installing the insulation, a bituminous vapour barrier was placed on top of the concrete. Next came a first layer of 70 mm thick aluminium-faced PIR insulation, followed by a second layer of 100 mm thick unfaced polystyrene insulation. To avoid direct contact between the roofing membrane and the PS insulation a glass fleece separation layer was added. Afterwards the RENOLIT ALKORPLAN membrane was loose laid and hot air welded. In accordance with the RENOLIT installation instructions the seams were sealed with RENOLIT ALKORPLAN seam sealer. A little bit of effort for extra security! 

Childcare Center, Bruges CHALLENGE Day after day, De Kleine Wereld (The Small World), a building complex composed of 4 separate blocks, is buzzing with activity. Hardly surprising, since this Social Welfare building has been housing a childcare centre for many years. As the building was expanded with a modern new-build extension, it was decided to replace the roof of the existing building as well. After barely 10 years the weathered zinc roof with a solar panel installation was ready for refurbishment. It looked as if the carrier system for the PV panels on the zinc roof could not withstand the high wind load: the zinc had been torn o from roof structure. This resulted in moisture and condensation problems in the building below. Owner, Mintus, was looking for a durable, waterproof and aesthetic solution for the curved roof, and, above all, a reliable system for installing photovoltaics. For the architect it was important that the appearance of the existing metal roof was somehow preserved, preferably with a slightly more modern touch. In-addition there was an important practical issue as well: under no circumstances could the childcare facility be moved to another location during the refurbishment works. So, fi re safety was paramount as well. SOLUTION Building owner, Mintus, fi nally opted for the mechanically fi xed PVC-P roofi ng membrane RENOLIT ALKORPLAN F. The main and decisive reason behind this choice was the innovative RENOLIT ALKORPLAN Solar system, a secure, ultralight and versatile carrier system for mounting photovoltaics. RENOLIT ALKORPLAN Solar has been active on the market for over 10 years without the slightest issue. Direct proof of the reliability and durability of this unique RENOLIT system. For Mintus, the benefi ts were clear.

Private house, Jersey CHALLENGE Glulam beams – or glued laminated timber – are an ideal light weight alternative for steel or reinforced concrete that allow for much longer spans, heavier loads and complex shapes. Over the years timber rot may occur to such a degree that renovation becomes imminent and irreversible. That’s exactly what has happened to the property of a Jersey customer of RENOLIT’s approved contractor Advanced Roofing. A solution was sought to “save” the existing Glulam beam structure without too many structural changes. SOLUTION The RENOLIT ALKORPLAN roofing contractor solved the problem as follows: For the first stage they removed the failed, rotten areas and treated the remaining areas for insect infestation. Then they covered the glulam beams at each change of direction with RENOLIT ALKORPLAN metal sheet. Over the metal the beams were completely wrapped in reinforced RENOLIT ALKORPLAN membrane. Nicely packed… and completely waterproof. It worked really well and actually quite an ingenious idea! The glulam beams can start a second life resistant to all weather conditions. Once the glulam beams were encased there was still the issue of the solar shading to be re-fitted. Preferably without having to penetrate the newly applied membrane! The brilliant idea of using RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR profiles welded to the top edges of the glulam beams as a safe and solid support for the solar shading evolved. This project is again an excellent proof of the versatility of our RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR mounting system.

Friesland Campina CHALLENGE An absolute must for refrigerated warehouses or dairy processing facilities is to try to keep the building as cool as possible and to avoid all causes of heat, in order to keep the cooling costs as low as possible. Some decisions can have detrimental effects though. Mechanical fixing of the roofing membrane for example, in case the wrong fastenings are used. Thermal bridging may cause cold – or in this case heat - penetrating through the flat roof fasteners resulting in higher energy bills. And, quite important as well, mechanical fixing will perforate the vapour control layer, which in the case of cool buildings sits uppermost on the insulation. The result being moisture-related damage to the insulation! Furthermore, it has also been proved that the darker the roofing membrane, the less the sunlight will be reflected, the more heat will be absorbed. Again resulting in escalating energy costs. Waterproofing a cool storage warehouse is definitely not easy! In this regard Friesland Campina were looking for a durable and ecological roof solution for their brand new refrigerated distribution centre in Maasdam. SOLUTION RENOLIT came up with the perfect answer: the RENOLIT ALKORBRIGHT cool roof membrane. Here’s why! RENOLIT ALKORBRIGHT is a completely white PVC membrane reflecting the sunlight up to 90%. Absolutely the highest solar reflectance rate ever. Thanks to this membrane, which prevents the interior from warming up, there will be no extra air conditioning expenses. In addition, an extra protective coating makes sure less dirt sticks to the roofing membrane. This layer will in turn help to maintain a durable reflection. 

Roof with a message... CHALLENGEFor the renovation of the arena Antwerp Sports Palace the architect wanted to design a roof that gave a message. From the air people should see an “A” appearing. This A would be the A of the county Antwerp and not the A from the city Antwerp. Also with the possibility to have (solar) energy production installed on the roof. SOLUTION Six new colours within the RENOLIT ALKORPLAN roofing range were developed specially for this prestigious project. The existing green coloured synthetic roof was used as substructure. The whole roof received extra insulation (thermal and acoustic) and the new RENOLIT ALKORPLAN roofing membranes were mechanically fastened following an installation plan. All the membranes for the Antwerp Sports Palace not only had a special colour but also a special finish with an invisible protective coating. All membranes have excellent fire resistance for roofs with a higher slope. On the south side of the roof amorphous solar panels were installed upon the RENOLIT ALKORPLAN roofing membranes. 

HMS Caroline – Museum ship... CHALLENGE HMS Caroline, the last surviving vessel from the 1916 Battle of Jutland, now rests in the Titanic Quarter in Belfast. After a second life as floating Headquarters of the Royal Navy during World War II, this living legend will continue to serve the country as a museum ship. For this purpose, however, extensive restoration appeared to be essential. The key requirement on HMS Caroline was to avoid penetration of the deck surface. To safeguard its historic heritage against damage, the Royal Navy sought a reliable waterproofing solution. SOLUTION Versatile and impenetrable! What used to be the properties of this battle cruiser, happen to apply to the RENOLIT synthetic single ply roofing membranes as well. That’s why RENOLIT ALKORPLAN was heralded as the optimal solution for the refurbishment of the ship’s gun deck. The lead grey RENOLIT ALKORPLAN A provided an ideal modern day solution with an impressive finish. On top of a new layer of insulation board, the calendered and laminated fleece-backed PVC membrane was fully bonded with a combination of the RENOLIT ALKORPLUS81068 polyurethane adhesive and the universal RENOLIT DUALFIX81065 glue. RENOLIT ALKORPLAN stands out above the competition given its excellent weldability, simplicity of detailing and overall versatility. Once installed, ongoing maintenance of the membrane will be minimal with a predicted life expectancy in excess of 35 years (BBA approved). On 31st of May 2016 the freshly refurbished HMS Caroline stole the show as a fitting backdrop for a commemoration honouring its centenary.