Abraham Moss Centre with Single-ply Waterproofing

The Project

Abraham Moss Centre is situated in the Crumpsall area of north Manchester. The centre is a multi-use facility providing accommodation for Abraham Moss High School, a district library, a city learning centre, a leisure centre, a theatre, City College Manchester, and a variety of other groups and agencies. The underlying ethos of the centre is to become the main focal point for the surrounding community. As a result, development of the centre and its various functions and services has continued over several years. Icopal initially became involved during works to the Abraham Moss High School and were subsequently asked to provide advice on the next phase of development which involved the refurbishment of the existing single ply roofs to the remainder of the centre.

The renovation project had to take place without interruption to the internal functions and services of the centre. As a result the speed of installation, site management and watertight night joints were all important factors in the specification of the new waterproofing system. Existing falls in the plywood deck were adequate, however the tight budget did not allow for the introduction of a new tapered insulation scheme to improve the falls, requiring the contractor to remain aware of the danger of standing water during detailing and installation. This was important particularly on the lower level roofs, as water drained from the higher level roofs onto these areas increasing the volume of water flowing across the roof areas.