Project Profiles: Health Care

Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, features a Kemperol waterproofing and roofing membrane for its green roof.Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, features a Kemperol waterproofing and roofing membrane for its green roof.

MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL, BOSTON

TEAM

Roofing contractor: Chapman Waterproofing Co., Boston
Architect/engineer: Cambridge Seven Associates Inc., Cambridge, Mass.
Membrane and waterproofing manufacturer: Kemper System America Inc.

Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, features a Kemperol waterproofing and roofing membrane for its green roof.

Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, features a Kemperol waterproofing and roofing membrane for its green roof.

ROOF MATERIALS

The Kempertec EP-Primer was used to prepare the substrate surfaces for membrane installation and served as a temporary waterproofing system, allowing the project to be exposed to the harsh New England winter while it was completed in phased stages.

The owners chose the Kemperol waterproofing and roofing membrane, a two-component with catalyst, high-performance, seamless and self-terminating cold-fluid-applied reinforced unsaturated polyester system. The monolithic edge-to-edge rot- and root-resistant Kemper membrane is engineered to resist degradation from UV exposure and heat intensity and is resistant to most common chemicals.

ROOF REPORT

Founded in 1811, Massachusetts General Hospital is the third oldest general hospital in the U.S. and the oldest and largest in New England. The 900-bed medical center offers sophisticated diagnostic and therapeutic care in virtually every specialty and subspecialty of medicine and surgery. When MGH’s owners envisioned constructing a new 9,000-square-foot green roof above the MGH cancer wing, they had two chief concerns: safety and long-term durability.

The landscaped roof design includes four different gardens with extensive shrubbery, trees and grass designed to provide cancer patients with a haven for relaxation and meditation to aid in the healing process.

A key challenge concerning the hospital’s green roof was its hundreds of penetrations, spaced inches apart, for a sprinkler system to irrigate the landscaped roof. A leak-detection system was installed across the entire square footage of the project to detect water before it seeps into the interior of the building. The leak-detection system confirms the project’s seal-tight success. Upon completion, Kemper System provided a 20-year, no-dollar-limit warranty.

PHOTO: KEMPER SYSTEM AMERICA INC.

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