Flat Roofing Framework (FR2) case study: Walthamstow School for Girls
About the project
Having been in place for more than 50 years, the original concrete roof at Walthamstow School for Girls was showing signs of structural deterioration and the roof structure and finish needed replacing.
As the responsible local authority, London Borough of Waltham Forest wanted to find a roofing contractor with the necessary construction knowledge and experience to carry out the work to the highest standard and within the required timescales. They also needed to have already completed the full OJEU process.
Given the fact the entire roof had to be replaced, the scale and type of work involved was complex and required specialist roofing expertise. Despite the project emerging during the first full UK lockdown when schools weren’t fully open, it was essential it was completed in time for when they reopened in September.
Project key facts – at a glance:
Sector: Education
Client: London Borough of Waltham Forest, Waltham Town Hall, Forest Rd, London, E17 4JF
Contact: Gary Marchant, Senior Building Surveyor
Contract value: £497,000
Contact period: 6 months
The partnership
London Borough of Waltham Forest needed a reliable contactor with a proven track record, which they were able to find through the LHC Flat Roofing Framework (FR2).
They were looking for a roofing specialist, who was flexible and reliable and had the skills and experience to provide innovative solutions to on-site problems, particularly within school environments.
“The framework gave us the quality reassurance we required to proceed with a single contractor call off, which at the time was particularly important because we had just entered the first COVID-19 lockdown,” explains, Gary Marchant, from NPS, the consultancy firm currently responsible for procuring and managing capital and maintenance work for London Borough of Waltham Forest.
Within the space of just two weeks, CWG Group had been appointed to deliver the project, with Langley Waterproofing as the system supplier. which started in July 2020 and was completed by December 2020.
The solution
The new roof coverings and roof, which spans 600m2, was designed and installed a month early.
The new roof had to be installed within the existing steel framework structure, which meant a bespoke solution was required. This involved CWG working with the school and NPS to make sure existing drawings were identified, which enabled specific design factors and calculations to be incorporated. This also helped ensure the overall design met current building and fire safety regulations and standards.
Chris Pearce from CWG, said: “We’ve delivered a number of projects through various different LHC frameworks, not just FR2. We worked closely with NPS and the school throughout the entire project, from procurement to delivery, which enabled us to finish work ahead of schedule.
“This included identifying and solving problems before they became an issue. We used the same team throughout and made the most of the lockdown period and summer holiday by completing high risk tasks while the school wasn’t fully open. This meant the building could be used again from September onwards while we completed the rest of the work at roof level.”
For more information about FR2 or LHC’s other frameworks, visit www.lhc.gov.uk/frameworks
