A comprehensive roof refurbishment project of Aberystwyth University’s Great Hall and Theatre buildings has successfully resolved long-standing water ingress issues.
Originally constructed in the late 1960s, the two landmark campus buildings feature precast concrete flat roof structures.
Over time, the original bituminous waterproofing system, which had limited insulation and was overclad with profiled sheeting, had significantly deteriorated.
In the Great Hall, in particular, water ingress had become an ongoing issue for more than 15 years, with carefully positioned buckets used to catch rainwater becoming as commonplace as textbooks.
Working in partnership with RTL UK GROUP, BMI Icopal provided early-stage technical support to help determine a robust, long-term solution.
The presence of profiled metal sheeting initially limited visibility of the existing roof condition. Once safe access was established, sections of sheeting were carefully removed to allow detailed inspection of the underlying bituminous membrane.
Icopal’s refurbishment specification team, alongside RTL UK GROUP, carried out visual assessments, core sampling and surface level surveys across the nine separate roof areas. Adhesion and mechanical fixation tests were also undertaken by specialist partners, Dove Technologies and SFS, to determine substrate suitability.
The findings were used to develop tailored tapered insulation plans for each roof area, alongside performance calculations to support the final specification.
Given the University’s exposed coastal location, BMI Technical Services conducted wind uplift calculations to confirm the suitability of a fully adhered system. Thermal analysis was also used to mitigate the risk of interstitial condensation following the proposed installation of tapered insulation.
A key project requirement was that the buildings could not simply close their doors while work took place overhead.
The Great Hall required uninterrupted access during exam periods, while theatre productions and music concert schedules couldn’t disappoint fans with cancellations. Student safety, pedestrian movement across campus and the continued use of the terrazzo area adjacent to the Great Hall all had to be carefully managed.
As a result, a flame-free solution was selected to minimise risk within the live educational environment and to avoid additional fire watch procedures at the end of each working day – a particular benefit to keep the winter project on track during limited daylight hours.
The final specification comprised a fully adhered Monarplan GF PVC single ply membrane, Thermazone Roofboard PIR tapered insulation and a TorchSafe AVCL self-adhesive air and vapour control layer, all supplied by Icopal. The existing bituminous membrane was to be retained, with a new 18mm OSB layer mechanically fixed to form a suitable substrate for the specified warm roof system.
Simon Ashworth, Portfolio Manager – Flat Roofing at BMI UK & Ireland, said: “This project shows the value of taking a whole-system approach to roof refurbishment. By combining detailed site investigations with tapered insulation design and a robust waterproofing system, we were able to work alongside RTL UK Group to deliver a solution that resolves the long-standing issues while being installed safely in a live university environment.”
Single ply was identified as the preferred waterproofing solution due to the scale and layout of the roof areas, which were largely open plan with limited penetrations.
Large membrane roll sizes allowed extensive areas to be covered efficiently, while automatic welding equipment ensured consistent, high-quality seam integrity. The light grey membrane was selected to complement adjacent buildings and provide enhanced solar reflectance compared to darker alternatives.
Careful attention was paid to detailing around internal gutters, rainwater outlets, parapets, abutments to precast panels, free-standing handrails and designated anti-slip walkways to ensure long-term waterproofing integrity.
In addition to technical design support, Icopal worked closely with RTL UK GROUP to quantify project materials and coordinate distribution logistics to align with the time-sensitive programme. Material samples were also supplied to the project architects for approval during the specification process.
Stewart Britton, Projects Director at RTL UK Group, added, “Keeping the Great Hall and Theatre fully operational throughout the project was essential. The new roofs have addressed the ongoing water ingress issues which were originating from these areas and ensured that the buildings can now be used as intended, without disruption to students, staff or visitors.”
The completed refurbishment has delivered a high-performance warm roof solution that improves drainage, enhances thermal performance and provides long-term waterproofing reliability, all achieved while campus life continued uninterrupted below.
