watertight seal

The Francis Crick Institute – guaranteed waterproofing products for a state-of-the art facility

Building Products Index Ltd July 19, 2025 waterproofing Leave a Comment

Architects: HOK and PLP Architecture
Main Contractor: Laing O’Rourke
Radmat Products used:
PermaQuik PQ6100 Hot Melt Bitumen Membrane
PQ2017 Reinforcing fabric
PQ2061Detailing Membrane
EshaFlex 370 FireSafe SBS modified bituminised cap sheet
Radmat 370 RootSafe bitumen-based waterproofing membrane, with anti-root treatment
Protherm XPS X MK Water Flow Reducing Layer
ProTherm G XPS X 300SL Insulation

Europe’s largest biomedical research facility

The Francis Crick Institute in Kings Cross, London is a state-of-the-art biomedical research facility that exemplifies innovative design and complex engineering. Completed in 2016, the institute was developed as a collaboration between major research organisations, including Cancer Research UK and University College London (UCL), with the aim of advancing scientific understanding of health and disease. Designed by HOK and PLP Architecture and constructed by Laing O’Rourke, the building spans 980,000 square feet and houses specialised laboratories and collaborative spaces for over 1,500 scientists.

David King, HOK’s lead architect on the project, remarked, “The Crick is a building designed to break down traditional research barriers. Its architecture promotes the interdisciplinary work needed to tackle some of the biggestchallenges in health and disease today.”

Five years ago, the Crick’s Clinical Research Director, Peter Ratliffe was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, alongside William Kaelin and Gregg Semenza, for the discovery of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability.

This design philosophy was crucial in developing a building that meets both the technical requirements of a research facility and the collaborative aspirations of a leading scientific institute. The Francis Crick Institute’s design incorporates a range of features that support its mission of interdisciplinary scientific research. The Institute stands as a massive and intricately designed facility. It spans 980,000 square feet (91,000 square meters) and rises to 46 meters (151 feet) in height across 12 floors, including six above ground and six below ground, housing labs, collaborative spaces, and administrative areas. Its open layout encourages collaboration, a core philosophy of the institute. The building is equipped with highly specialised laboratories, including those for bioinformatics, genomics, and imaging, with strict vibration control and containment measures essential for sensitive research. The lab spaces are flexible and modular, designed to be easily reconfigurable to meet research needs, and the open lab structure fosters knowledge sharing and collaboration between diﬀerent research teams.

Sustainability at its core

Sustainability is a core element of the building’s design, incorporating energy-eﬃcient systems, extensive natural lighting, rainwater harvesting, and brown roofs, all aimed at reducing the building’s environmental footprint. The building integrates communal spaces, such as atriums, open staircases, and lounge areas, to

encourage spontaneous interaction among scientists from diﬀerent disciplines. The architecture is distinguished by a curving roof with natural timber accents, which enhances the building’s visual impact while helping it blend into the surrounding landscape. Positioned near St. Pancras International, the institute also benefits from strong transportation links, facilitating collaboration with scientists globally.

The unique shell structure is reinforced with a steel frame and concrete, providing the strength necessary for roofs to manage stormwater and support biodiversity. The building incorporates brown roofs, where wildflowers and plants can grow and bat boxes that encourage wildlife, support local biodiversity, manages stormwater, and reduces runoﬀ. Additionally, the roof is designed with energy-eﬃcient materials that help regulate internal temperatures, reducing heating and cooling costs. The roof not only serves as a visual element but also contributes significantly to the building’s sustainability and environmental integration, helping the building achieve a BREAMM excellent accreditation.

Integral to the roof structure is the waterproofing. Radmat’s PermaQuik Hot-Melt Monolithic Waterproofing System ensured a watertight seal with a 40-year guarantee and BBA Certification for the “design life of the building on which it is incorporated.” The PermaQuik waterproofing system ensured the maiin roof areas, terrace and brown roof will remain watertight for its lifetime. ProTherm G XPS X 300 SL insulation was installed above the waterproofing.

The Francis Crick Institute stands as a model of innovative design in biomedical research, merging cutting-edge architectural features with functional research space. By integrating sustainable design elements with state-of-the-art labs, flexible workspaces, and collaborative areas, the building fosters the interdisciplinary research necessary to tackle complex health challenges. Its unique roof design, along with other environmental features, enhances both the aesthetic appeal and ecological footprint of the building, making the Francis Crick Institute a key milestone in the future of scientific research facilities. Radmat’s PermaQuik Hot Melt Waterproofing system will ensure the roof structure’s integrity for many years to come.

For more information visit scan the QR code or visit https://radmat.com/products/permaquik/ or contact sales@radmat.com

Evidence-based FACTA Compliance Critical to Ensuring Paving Cover Performance, Warns Drainage Expert

Building Products Index Ltd May 26, 2025 access covers Leave a Comment

View the ACO Building Drainage entry on BPindex

Visit the ACO Building Drainage website

A lack of evidence-based testing threatens to undermine the operational impact of paving covers in external applications, according to a leading voice in the industry.

ACO Building Drainage is urging professionals working on projects involving external paving covers to request a test report from manufacturers to ensure the longevity and resilience of installations.

Key performance criteria for external paving covers should include load testing as outlined by the Fabricated Access Covers Trade Association (FACTA) classifications.

In flood-prone scenarios, external covers should also be subjected to a water test to demonstrate a watertight seal under a static head of water for 24 hours.

Failure to use products which have met the necessary testing criteria can result in a host of issues including early failure, water damage to underlying plant or services, and unsafe routes for pedestrians and vehicles, leading to unforeseen maintenance and inefficiencies later down the line.

In response to growing concerns around the impact of untested products in the marketplace, ACO has launched its own range of UK-manufactured external paving covers. Tested to *FACTA B and FACTA D load classifications, The single cover units have shown to maintain a watertight seal for 24 hours under a static head of 100mm as required by the FACTA specification.

The new covers are engineered for public and commercial applications, which meet the growing demand for products, combining sustainability with rigorous testing.

The new paving covers offer an innovative retrofit capability which allows the easy conversion of a plain-seated configuration to a locked and sealed variant. This flexibility means if an installation initially meets a project’s basic requirements but later demands enhanced sealing for odour and water resistance, the covers can be quickly adapted without replacing the entire unit.

Manufactured with a high percentage of recycled content and fully recyclable at the end of their lifecycle, the paving covers can help reduce carbon emissions and support the circular economy, promoting a more sustainable approach to infrastructure development. Manufactured in the UK, ACO’s external paving cover range also contains less embodied carbon than imported alternatives thereby contributing to lower Scope 3 emissions for the client.

Andrea Polti, Product Manager at ACO, said: “ACO ensures our covers are manufactured to the highest standards and test results are readily available on request. This level of transparency is essential for specifiers who demand verified reliable performance. Our new paving covers have been meticulously designed and rigorously tested to ensure they deliver industry-leading quality and performance.”

With a lead time of three to five days ACO’s paving covers combine high integrity with a competitive price.

Andrea continues: “I would encourage specifiers, civil engineers and all industry professionals to verify that products are supported by evidence-based test reports. In doing so, they ensure compliance with the necessary specifications required while contributing to the overall safety and long-term performance of the project.”

For more on ACO’s new range of external paving covers, see ACO.co.uk.

*FACTA B is designed for slow-moving(≤20mph) wheel loads, up to 5t for pneumatic tyred vehicles and 0.75t for solid tyres, while FACTA D accommodates 11t for pneumatic, and 3t for solid, suitable for environments with mixed vehicular traffic, including emergency vehicle access.

Table of FACTA load classes available here https://www.aco.co.uk/access-covers-facta

Access Cover ACO Building Drainage FACTA B and FACTA D load classifications fully recyclable paving covers watertight seal