Background:
Stirling Train Station is a Grade A Listed Building originally built in 1913. This renovation work was part of a £3million effort to improve the condition and state of the roofs to make it safe and appropriate for the modern day.
The original roof consisted of Scottish Slate, a slate that is considered the traditional go-to for roofs within Scotland. Some of the original Scottish Slate on the existing roof was considered salvageable and was therefore removed and reinstalled. The original slate was used alongside second hand Scottish Slate taken from Inverness.
SIGA 120 slate was used on elements of the roof where the original slate was considered too far gone to be reused and there was not enough second-hand Scottish Slate to be used. SIGA 120 is considered an appropriate replacement for Scottish Slate.
An original deadline of December 2021 had been set for completion of the roof. However, numerous challenges such as COVID and rot being discovered on the roof meant that this deadline was surpassed. Whilst these issues were quite challenging, the experience of the contractor and their good working relationship with SIG Roofing meant that they were able to overcome them. That SIG is a supplier of SIGA 120 slate meant that potential supply issues were overcome, and the SIGA 120 slate was delivered in the quantities needed when it was needed.
The end product is a roof that matches the aesthetics of the original and secures train station for future generations. The completed roof won an award at the NFRC Scottish Awards 2023.
Installation:
Some of the original slate on the roof was salvageable, with it carefully removed and redressed before being reinstalled using traditional Scottish installation methods. The second-hand Scottish Slate and SIGA 120 Slate were also installed using traditional Scottish installation methods.
As some of the sarking had been damaged, it was necessary for it to be repaired with new timber elements. This was also the case for the rafters, joists and gutter linings. Once repairs had been made to the sarking, the Scottish slate and the SIGA 120 slate was nailed straight onto the sarking.
This was done with the view that such a method would prevent any wind uplift from the underside. This ensured the slate was more secure and reduced the chance that the contractor would have to come back for repairs or reinstallation in the immediate future.
Challenges:
COVID significantly impacted the work on the station, as the client Network Rail and contractors John Fulton Plumbing and Roofing had to take into account the different conditions set out by the government for work to be done.
COVID did impact the supply of the materials that were needed on site at the station. However, this was mitigated due to SIG Roofing being the supplier of the SIGA 120. This allowed the contractors and SIG Roofing to discuss how much product was needed, when they were needed and if there was going to be an issue getting them to site on time. All roofing products were supplied by the SIG Roofing branch in Linwood.
This meant that both parties could manage timelines and expectations to avoid some of the complications that might otherwise have emerged.
Outside of COVID and supply issues, another issue that caused disruption to the work on the roof was the discovery of rot on the roof. On the initial survey of the roof, the rot hadn’t been picked up, and it was only picked up when work had begun. Naturally this meant that other work had to be stopped whilst this rot was removed, and the areas affected were either repaired or replaced. Once removed, work was resumed on the roof, at the cost of a shifting timeline and budget.
Stirling Train Station is a Grade A Listed Building that remained an active train station for the duration of the works on the roof. With this in mind there were multiple stakeholders involved, including National Rail, Railway Heritage Trust and of course those using the station for its primary purpose.
It was crucial that the different objectives of the stakeholders were balanced accordingly. Be it using the same or similar slates to the original slate on the roof to meet heritage requirements or using a certain type of scaffolding and canopies to prevent the work on the roof from spilling out onto the platforms and tracks.
Summary
Despite these delays on this project due largely to Covid, the work was completed exactly to budget, at £3million. Something that was only possible due to the experience of contractor John Fulton Plumbing and Roofing and their good working relationship with SIG Roofing.
For Valerie McMillan, Senior Asset Engineer for Buildings, Network Rail, the delays did not take away from the high quality of the work done. “The completed work is of a very high standard and the roofs will ensure the health of the buildings for decades to come, so, we’re very happy.”
“The challenges in getting to this point were significant, and some of them such as COVID couldn’t have been foreseen. But the way in which John Fulton Plumbing and Roofing conducted themselves and the way they worked is something we were really impressed by, especially as it meant that despite the delays the work was completed to the budget of £3 million.”
