Sport centre in £4m high-tech upgrade Domed roof project addresses safety and energy issues
Workers use new technology New technology has been installed on the iconic domed roof of Bell’s Sports Centre.
Work to spend almost £4 million upgrading the Live Active Leisure sports centre’s roof is nearing completion, and has not only addressed structural concerns, but also improved the energy efficiency of the 50-year-old building.
Funded entirely by Live Active Leisure and carried out by Perth-based construction consultants Hardies and roofing specialists AIM developments, the project was carried out using Limpet Technology.
This is the first time this technology has been used to create a roof in the UK. From left,Gordon Bute (Hardies Construction), Chic Scrimgeour (AIM Developments), Andrew Morrison (AIM Developments) and Ian Tervit (Live Active Leisure). Pictures: Fraser Band
Limpet Technology is a remotely operated lifting unit to help contractors work at height safely to carry out repairs and maintenance.
This saw a unit installed at the top of the dome allowing the workers to move up and down the roof without any access issues.
Chic Scrimgeour from AIM Developments explained: “As well as the challenges that come from the unique shape of the Bell’s Sports Centre roof, Live Active Leisure requested that the winning contractor keep disruption to its customers to a minimum.
“We had heard great things about the limpet system being used in the wind farm industry and were confident that this solution would deliver for the client, and ensure a safer working environment for our team as they scaled the domed structure.”
As well as a new roof cover to stop water ingress, a layer of insulation has been installed to reduce heat loss in the winter months.
Destratification fans were also installed in the main sports arena to help redistribute the heat that pools at the top of the dome to the lower levels.
Paul Cromwell, CEO of Live Active Leisure, said: “Bell’s Sports Centre turned 50 years old earlier this year, and it has been around 30 years since any significant work has been carried out to its iconic domed roof.
“We’ve obviously had to address small, localised problems over the years but the time had come for significant work to be carried out to address not only structural issues such as leaks and water ingress, but also to look at how new technology in construction could allow us to make Bell’s a more energy efficient building.
“AIM delivered not only on our key objectives, but also brought new and exciting technology to the table which allowed us to deliver on time and budget, as well as reducing the impact of our upgrade on customers to the centre.
“Overall, this project has been an excellent example of what can be achieved when you work with great local companies.”