Building better healthcare
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Visqueen Building Products is playing a part in one of largest design and construction projects seen in Scotland in recent years. The leading manufacturer of building films is supplying structural waterproofing and site protection products for use at the New South Glasgow Hospital, which is being built by Brookfield Multiplex Construction Europe Limited in the south-west of the city.
Part of an £842million, publicly funded project and due for completion in May 2015, the New South Glasgow Hospital will be one of the most advanced hospitals in the UK as well as the biggest critical care centre in Scotland. Consisting of a new 14 floor adult hospital with over 1,100 beds, a five floor children’s hospital offering 256 beds and various laboratories and specialist departments, it will provide care to approximately 110,000 patients every year.
Specific Visqueen products being used in the build include large volumes of the environmentally friendly Visqueen EcoMembrane®. This high performance damp proof membrane is produced entirely from recycled polythene waste helping to divert waste from landfill and to conserve resources. Visqueen EcoMembrane® is also produced from UK waste recycled at Visqueen’s own UK recycling facilities giving it a much lower carbon footprint than 100% recycled DPMs produced in the Far East.
Further benefits offered by Visqueen EcoMembrane® include impressive puncture and tear resistance. It is also manufactured as a centre folded product to limit creases. This helps to reduce the risk of cracks in structural concrete screed and aids jointing and welding on-site.
Other Visqueen products being employed at the new hospital include Visqueen Self Adhesive Membrane, which can be used as tanking or damp proof membrane for horizontal or vertical applications as well as Visqueen Liquid Gas Membrane. This latter product can be ‘painted’ on to primed surfaces before drying to form a membrane that protects against water and ground gases such as radon, methane and CO2.
Reflecting its ability to deliver complete solutions, Visqueen is also supplying jointing tapes, primers, detailing strips and TreadGuard boards which are being used to protect installed membranes during later phases of work. In addition, technical advisors from the manufacturer are helping to oversee product installation and offering on-site support.
Commenting on the manufacturer’s involvement in the landmark project, Cameron Yates, Product Manager at Visqueen Building Products, said: “We are delighted to be supplying products and technical advice to help with the construction of the New South Glasgow Hospital. Not only is it a massive undertaking with enormous social benefits, but it also clearly demonstrates our ability to offer a wide range of solutions to an even wider range of needs.
“As a business, Visqueen prides itself on being a complete solutions provider and on having the expertise to help protect even the most complex or ambitious projects from water and gas ingression.”
Peter Standley, Senior Architectural Technologist at Nightingale Associates, added: “We specified a range of Visqueen products for the construction of the New South Glasgow Hospital and found the service offered by their team particularly noteworthy. Their technical advisors provided a fast and knowledgeable response to all of our technical queries.”
