
Contributing to the BREEAM Very Good rating of an exciting Dublin city centre regeneration development, Soprema waterproofing, insulation and green roofing systems have been installed across the building’s rooftop. Collaborating closely with main contractor BAM Ireland, the Soprema team supported throughout the Newmarket Square project from technical specification, final warranty inspection and BCAR signoff.
Designed by Reddy Architecture+Urbanism, the 29,570 sqm mixed-use new build consists of a 151-bed hotel and 413 apartments across eight to 13 storeys. It is located in the redeveloped Newmarket Square area of Dublin’s historic Liberties district, now known as the ‘Distillery Quarter’ because of all the whiskey distilleries nearby.
Appointed main contractor, BAM Ireland took responsibility for achieving the BREAAM Very Good rating and managing the Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems or SUDS element, a planning requirement for new builds in the city centre. Effective rainwater management, covering the disposal of rainwater into the public system, was vital. This made the specification of the roof build-up a priority, leading to Soprema being invited onto the project.
EFFECTIVE RAINWATER MANAGEMENT SOLUTION
Soprema worked with the design and build team on the technical design and specification at every step providing U-value and rainwater calculations, plus the detailing for an effective tapered scheme as well as other bespoke details.
Commenting on the working partnership, a BAM Ireland project manager said: “We have extensive experience working with Soprema on other projects. The team knows their product. As a main contractor, time is of the essence and with Soprema, they don’t just hand over the technical information and expect you to take it away and get on with it. They’ll take it from inception through the design process and install to completion.”
MARRYING THE MEMBRANES
He continues: “We’re all fully aware with D&B projects, we need to find an alternative to the ‘typical’ detail. Soprema attended multiple workshops with the architect, design team and other supply chain partners to get all junction details right, marrying the membranes together for airtight and watertight seals, determining the waterline paths, coordinating overlaps and positioning the cladding and windows – there was a lot of sweating out the detail.”
Working alongside the approved roofing contractor, Crannog Roofing, the Soprema team agreed on a robust inspection plan. Soprema monitored the installation progress at key milestones until the final site inspection. The BAM Ireland spokesperson reinforces the benefit of this approach: “It provides peace of mind for us as a D&B contractor that work has been done to the exact standard to meet the warranty.”
DOWN TO THE DETAIL
Primarily, the roofing build-up was consistent across the project, with a few bespoke detailing exceptions. For instance, the areas with high foot traffic, such as those with decking and a rooftop jacuzzi, required slightly denser insulation.
The flat roofs are built up from a concrete deck sloped for water drainage. A primer, Sopradere Quick is applied to the concrete surface to ensure secure adhesion of subsequent layers. Next, a vapour control later, Plastigum VV3TF 3Kg is installed. The insulation is affixed using Soprema Coltac Evolution PU Adhesive, adding thermal efficiency with Sopratherm ‘T’ boards. A base sheet, Sopralene Ventiglass SBS 3 TF, is then laid down for added stability. Finally, one of two cap sheets, either Sopralene Flam 250 AF has been fitted, or Sopralene Flam Garden 250 AF beneath the green roof areas for root resistance.
The green roof spaces feature a low-maintenance and self-maintaining product in terms of the variety of sedums specified. The substrate is a Soprema Bitumen Felt Roof system for a durable and waterproof foundation. On top of this, a drainage layer is installed using Soprema 4+1h drainage and protection board. Above this, the growth medium is added with Soprema synthetic SM-50 substrate panels, which provide a stable and nutrient-rich base for plant growth. The green roof layer follows, featuring a Soprema Sedum Blanket. This pre-grown vegetation covering consists of nine different sedum varieties, produced in Ireland. The difference in variety ensures good coverage for all different roof conditions. Depending on the season an attractive range of flowers and colours will be displayed.
To define the edges and ensure a clean separation from other roof areas, Soprema Aluminium Edge Profile is installed with 12-20mm washed rounded stone around the perimeter for drainage and soil erosion prevention at the edges.
The challenging nature of the tight city centre location made the installation difficult, but Soprema helped to make sure the process went as smoothly as possible, on to the next one!