Roof-Pro is delighted to announce that we have been providing Boots the Chemist with bespoke roof access systems at a number of its stores around the UK.

Boots are in the process of carrying out chiller replacements on the rooftops of its national network of stores. This is a national programme which started in January 2014. As well as upgrading their existing chillers, the new chillers allow chilled water to be pumped to multiple storeys, which expands the utility of the chiller functionality to other areas of the store.

Roof-Pro have been awarded Preferred Supplier status for this work which involves us receiving between 2-4 orders per week at the peak of the programme, and has generated approximately £90,000 – £100,000 in sales to date.

Bespoke Roof Access Systems

Our work for Boots involves designing and installing bespoke roof access systems for each Boots store involved in the programme.

For each store we provided:

• A detailed quotation based on an individual survey of each building.
• Designs to cater for individual requirements, using a mixture of our modular support components and bespoke items as required. This included assessment of each rooftop, calculation of load requirements, wind calculations and so on, on a case by case basis.
• Detailed drawings for client approval and for use by contractors.
• Fabrication of bespoke items required by the design.
• Delivery of components to site, ready for contractor installation.

Roof-Pro Products Utilised

As our catalogue products are designed to be modular we base our designs on these standard components as far as possible. These components are always available in stock, which greatly enhances our ability to deliver a complete solution quickly. As well as aiding fast installation, the modularity means that our systems can also be easily reconfigured, re-used or even completely removed, if requirements change in the future (e.g. adding new units or change of building ownership). So, as well as meeting Boots’ initial installation requirements we are also providing them with an element of future-proofing.

The key components utilised in the Boots programme are:

Type 1, 2 and 3 condenser supports – We used support frames of varying sizes to suit different unit sizes and the Structural Engineer’s calculations for roof loads for individual stores.

Sure-Foot roof pads – Our non-slip, non-penetrating roof support feet, support the condenser support frames.

Pipe / cable access riser housings – These provide a watertight solution where pipes or cables are required to rise up through the roof surface to connect with the chiller units.

Sure-Foot Free-standing handrail – These are supplied where there is no existing roof edge protection and are an essential safety measure if the roof needs to be accessed for maintenance or inspection.

Sure-Foot roof blocks – To provide non-slip support, stability and roof clearance for pipes associated with the chiller units.

Contractors

Although we are capable of performing a full design and installation service when required, with a major programme of this scale a number of contractors were involved in order to achieve the client’s targets.

The main contractor for the Boots programme is Space Engineering Services who specialise in designing refrigeration solutions for industrial and retail clients in the UK and Europe. Their role in the programme is to specify and design the chiller units required for each Boots store, depending on the type of service and the capacity required at each one. Their designs then led to requirements in terms of roof supports and access, taking into account the size and weight of the units, type and positioning of cabling or pipework, access for maintenance purposes, and so on. For instance, the number of bases for the chiller supports was varied between buildings depending on the load bearing qualities of the roof, so that some required 6 bases, others required 8 bases, and so on.

In addition there were 5 sub-contractors carrying out installation of our systems: J M Scully Ltd, County Contractors, Fourply Ltd, Prince Build – Northampton, and Uplands Retail Ltd.

With so many different contractors to deal with, each working on different buildings, it was especially important that the roof access solutions we designed could be installed without high levels of help and supervision. This is one of the greatest advantages of the Roof-Pro product range – simple, inter-compatible components are designed to be easy to assemble and configure on site by any contractor.

Overall, this programme is testament not only to the versatility of our roof access systems, but also our ability to liaise professionally with other contractors as required in order to deliver a solution to the end client, whether for a single building or for a national network of branches, as in this case.

Roof Access Systems – Find out more about our range of roof support products here, or call us on 01536 383865 to find out how we can help you.