The Gaia Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing engineering support for the implementation of sustainable systems in buildings,
as a consultant to the DEP in the design and analysis of a Water Retention System on the roof of Public School 118 in Jamaica, Queens,
retained Bulado as a general contractor to build the prototype denominated “Blue Roof” and a control system, a standard Green Roof, each comprising 3,500 SF of surface area.
The purpose of a Blue Roof is to retain stormwater and stem the runoff that causes the sewage system to overflow during heavy storms.
As such, it is designed to hold up to 2” of water during a period of up to 24 hours, requiring the highest level of waterproofing available in the industry.
The waterproofing system selected for the task was the Barrett Ram Tough 250, a SBS-Modified Bitumen Roofing System.
The Ram is a rubberized asphalt membrane which forms a completely monolithic, waterproof system without seams or joints.
It exhibits excellent adhesion characteristics to almost any sound horizontal or vertical surface. Water cannot get under or through it.
Ram-Tough is a hot-applied rubber membrane that seals difficult flashing conditions, and remains flexible for its lifetime.
As with all roofing jobs, the challenge here was to complete the project before a specified deadline – in this case the start of the school year -
while preserving the water tightness of the roof in the interim period between old roof removal and new system application.
Bulado was successful in meeting the strict deadlines and safety measures established by the DEP and the SCA and is honored to have been part of this innovative concept in environmental building construction.
