Aluminium welded roof spans the Thames at Blackfriars station

When specialist roofing services were required for the £550m renovation of the historic Blackfriars Station, M.R. Site Services were called in to provide the highest quality in standing seam welding of the aluminium roof.

Blackfriars Station, boasting the largest solar array in London on its roof, has become a landmark for the city. The historic station, which is the only railway station to span the River Thames, has undergone a complete redevelopment to bring it to the forefront of sustainable buildings, and its roof now provides more than half of its energy requirements. M.R. Site Services brought water-tight welding and technical expertise to the innovative roof, which is designed especially to integrate with and support the photovoltaic panels.

The rebuilding scheme sees the improved interchange between National Rail and London underground services. The extension of the station concourse across the entire length of the bridge presented the opportunity to turn the new roof space into a source of energy for Network Rail. The roofing programme, which won a Kalzip award, was a complex and challenging project for contractor Prater, with much of the equipment having to be brought to site by barge from a nearby wharf. Stucco embossed aluminium sheets provided by Kalzip, with two penetrations in each, cover a total of 94 roof shells, ranged in parallel along the roof to span the Thames. M.R. Site Services was contracted to weld the individual roofing sheets of this standing seam roof as the installation of roof shells progressed.

The company overcame the challenges of the location and site access to create a strong, durable and corrosion free welded roof to support the solar panels covering its surface. The specialist expertise and flexible working practices of M.R. Site Services were essential to completing over 1,300 metres of welding during the project despite logistical constraints. Usual welding vehicles had to be replaced by portable welding sets on Blackfriars Bridge, as access was only obtainable by using the horizontal scaffolding spanning scaffold towers at each end of the bridge. In addition, equipment had to be moved across the bridge, which presented further difficulties.

Malcolm Bryan of Kalzip comments, “The welding has been very good, and very high quality. M.R. Site Services are a good, dependable and reliable company, who do what they say they will do.”

M.R. Site Services are one of the leaders in specialist roofing services, providing the highest quality in permanent leak-free solutions on joints and sheet shape modifications. Over 25 years of innovation, experience and expertise has made the company name synonymous with on-site welding of thin gauge aluminium roofing systems. Responsible for the design and development of most soakers, hips, valleys and cranked sheets which are common on the modern roof, M.R. Site Services delivers accuracy, safety and reliability throughout every service and product.

Further information on its range of roofing services is available from M.R. Site Services on 01905 755055, email: welding@mrsiteservices.co.uk or by visiting the company’s website at www.mrsiteservices.co.uk