The new Centre for Virus Research at the University of Glasgow has been constructed to BREEAM Excellent standards by a project team embracing some of the best known names in the UK industry and utilising an intelligent membrane from the range of tremco illbruck to help achieve the required airtightness and energy performance.
The design team was led by Sheppard Robson Architects, supported by Arup Engineering while Laing O'Rourke was the main contractor.
Linear Projects Limited, as the fit-out specialist, was the sub-contractor tasked with wrapping the building's complex structure, featuring reinforced concrete and composite panel elevations, using the ME501. A total of 7,000 (sub-contractor says 3-4000) square metres of ME501 was consumed in completing the work.
Joe MacNamee of Linear Projects recounts: "We had to apply the ME501 to cement particle boards - mounted on the SFS (steel framing system) - as well as concrete surfaces, both external to the building and in some interior locations, such as the staircases and plant rooms. It also went across plasterboard internally.
"This was the first time we had used the illbruck product - which Glasgow University had specified the use of - and the manufacturer's technical representative carried out a demonstration for our operatives prior to the installation. We didn't have to prime the surfaces and it went on very easily, before most of it was hidden by the copper coloured cladding."
As a result of being preferred to the EPDM product originally specified, illbruck's ME501 offers the benefit of being fully vapour permeable while assisting in making the structure highly airtight; saving energy and contributing to the ‘Excellent' environmental rating.
Work on site at the University was completed to schedule last year.
