Vegetated Roof Assemblies: Complexity requires the right questions to uncover problems lurking in the details

American Hydrotech MM6125 solving detailing and application problems on the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care, CHoP.

The Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

The Buerger Center features beautifully landscaped outdoor areas for recreation, relaxation and rehabilitation, including the 16,000-square-foot rooftop garden and a 2.3-acre ground-level plaza filled with grasses, trees and ground cover that serves as the roof of a 1,500-car underground garage. These spaces include almost an acre of vegetation that filters rain water during storms and provides a respite for families and staff. Within the parking garage, a sophisticated system of unseen, computer-controlled tanks work in conjunction with the highly visible rooftop green space where patients relax.

https://www.chop.edu/locations/buerger-center-advanced-pediatric-care

http://www.turnerconstruction.com/experience/project/70DA/buerger-center-for-advanced-pediatric-care

Fundamentally these critical spaces had to be detailed and installed to provide long term watertight integrity for the client and to accommodate the design vision of the design architect and landscape architect team. The problem the design team is then faced with is how to make their design buildable and watertight for the life of the structure. There were a variety of details on this project that could not be accommodated by the originally specified products and manufacturers. Some of those details were associated with the water features, others with curbs, posts and other penetrations. So, the contractors approached THOMCO and American Hydrotech with the problems and they provided the answers, leading to a successfully completed project.

THOMCO was able to provide direction in a number of critical areas, including dimensional stone clad vertical walls with stone clips. MM6125 can be used in vertical applications with no height limitations and Hydrotech developed a detail to accommodate the stone anchors.

The concrete curbs needed to be left exposed in many areas. Traditional detailing requires the curbs to be poured then the waterproofing to be applied vertically, then terminated on the surface of the concrete, creating significant performance issues and unacceptable sight lines. By placing the rebar first, then waterproofing those penetrations with MM6125,the waterproofing could be run continuously with less flashing, less vulnerability to damage and allowing the concrete curbs to provide the clean exposed look desired.

Photos tell a great story and add dimension that aids understanding. Use this link to visit a library of construction photos associated with the at grade and roof top garden and the application and detailing of American Hydrotech products on the Buerger Center.

CLICK HERE FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THIS PROJECT

The complexity of these projects requires the assistance of a representative and manufacturer who understands what questions to ask during and in order to uncover problem areas and to assist in providing direction in the development of details and specifications that address these problems and satisfy project goals.