Climbing attraction at The O2 gets renovated with Elevate
‘Up at The O2’ is a climbing attraction located at The O2 arena in London. It offers thrill seekers the chance to climb the venue’s world-famous domed roof and enjoy panoramic views of London. Suspended 2 m above the surface of The O2 roof, the walkway is 52 m above ground level and 380 m long.
| Project ID | |
|---|---|
| Location | London, UK |
| Project type | Renovation |
| Building type | Cultural building |
| Roof surface | ca. 220 m² |
| Product used | RubberGard EPDM SA |
| System used | Fully adhered |
Elevate’s RubberGard EPDM SA membrane was specified for the Base Camp building, which welcomes the attraction’s participants and houses the equipment needed for the climb. The structure was in need of renovation. There was some water ingress that needed to be rectified quickly and effectively, with minimal disruption for visitors.
RubberGard EPDM SA is a self-adhesive single-ply roofing membrane that is highly flexible and resistant to UV exposure, ozone and extreme weather conditions. This allows it to achieve a life expectancy of more than 50 years. In addition, RubberGard EPDM SA can be installed much faster than a standard EPDM system and requires less labour. It features a factory-applied adhesive to its underside, so there is no need to apply bonding adhesive or wait for it to dry.
Supplied by Elevate Authorised Distributor Rubberseal Ltd, RubberGard EPDM SA was installed in just one day by Permacote, an Elevate Authorised Contractor. Working under a protective canopy, the membranes were applied to the OSB substrate across a total area of 220 m2. Adjacent membranes were spliced together using QuickSeam Splice Tape, which is designed to provide strong, watertight seams. The waterproofing around penetrations such as roof vents, together with the installation of base tie-ins and membrane termination details, were completed the following day.
Elton Day, Director at Permacote said: “Although we were very familiar with the standard RubberGard EPDM membrane, this was the first time we’d used the self-adhesive version. The installation was really simple. Within two and a half hours, we’d applied all the membranes needed to cover the roof. If we’d used adhesives and standard installation methods, the job would have taken at least a full working day”. The speed of RubberGard EPDM SA is amazing and I’m looking forward to using it again on other commercial projects.”
Carl Bailey, regional technical manager for Elevate UK & Ireland, added: “Several of the original buildings inside The O2 feature RubberGard EPDM roofs, so it was the natural choice for this refurbishment project.“
Designed with Secure Bond technology, RubberGard EPDM SA offered a solution that would significantly enhance on-site productivity. The absence of bonding adhesive also removed the need to dispose of empty cans minimising waste and costs. The only waste product generated by the membrane is the polyethylene release film, which is recyclable.”
Solvent-free and odourless, RubberGard EPDM SA is aimed at the commercial and industrial market and designed for time-critical flat and low-slope roof refurbishments. It can be installed in temperatures as low as -7 °C and requires little or no maintenance. If needed, it can be easily repaired using Elevate’s range of QuickSeam products.
