Early in 2007, it became clear that replacement was the only cure for several ailing roofs on the campus of Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco, Texas. It was also obvious that site conditions would make the operation anything but routine.

First, the locations of the roofs demanded that all products and processes be strictly odor free. “The jobs required roofers to work above our cancer treatment center, our MRI center, and Kidsville, our children’s unit. Air conditioning units could easily bring fumes into these areas, and that absolutely was not an option,” said Mike Dorsey, Hillcrest’s construction manager.

The second problem was lack of access. The roofs selected for replacement total 39,000 square feet and top multistory facilities that have grown up around the medical center’s 1920 core building. These additions represent Hillcrest’s expansion from a 100-bed hospital to a 393-bed acute care facility, but as buildings have been added, access to each has been compromised.

“We had zero access,” said Kevin Carlson, a partner in Austin-based QA

Construction Services Inc., the roofing contractor for the project. A 450-ton, 11-story crane was needed to load materials onto roofs of varying heights. The only staging area for the crane, however, was the street, which would need to be closed to traffic — a very costly proposition.

“We had to have a roofing system that we could load onto all of the roofs in a single day,” Carlson said.

Roof membranes, parapets, and metal components were topped with Garland’s Pyramic and Rust-Go. These highly reflective coatings deliver a uniform finish and considerable energy savings.

Fortunately, with guidance from Sam Heffernan, a representative of The Garland Company Inc., a Cleveland-based manufacturer and distributor of high‑performance roofing solutions, Hillcrest discovered Garland’s new StressPly SA FR Mineral membrane, a fire-retardant, mineral-coated, SBS-modified membrane with improved self-adhesion properties. This self-contained, environmentally friendly system eliminates the need for open-flame torches, hot kettles, or cold-applied solvents. Installers simply position the StressPly SA membranes, remove the release film backing, and press into place.

“Hillcrest had used Garland’s high-performance modifieds on other less-critical applications and liked them, so they wanted to stay with a multi-ply, redundant, high-tensile membrane assembly,” Heffernan said. “StressPly SA offered them the high-performance roof they wanted, with an installation that was 100 percent environmentally responsible and trouble-free.”

The StressPly SA membranes eliminated concerns about fumes. Just as important, they proved highly cost-effective, thanks to their labor-saving properties. Because the system is completely self-contained, materials were fully loaded onto the medical center’s roofs in less than 10 hours. And because additional adhesives are not required, the project could be accomplished while deploying smaller-than-average installation crews. As Carlson explained, “With the self-adhering membrane, a four-man crew can do what it would normally take seven men to accomplish. That’s where the savings are realized.” At Hillcrest, Carlson’s crews first removed the old single-ply roofing, installed half-inch insulation board, and then applied the StressPly SA membrane.

“The membrane is high quality, very flexible, and easy to work with, and because the release backing is split down the middle of each roll, it’s no problem to keep the rolls nice and straight as they are applied,” he said.

Once installed on the Hillcrest roofs, the StressPly SA membrane and membrane base flashings were topped with Pyramic highly reflective white acrylic elastomeric coating, an ENERGY STAR-qualified solution that can reduce energy requirements by as much as 60 percent. Raised parapet walls were sided with R-Mer Lite metal through-fastened wall panels. Vents were treated with Rust-Go high-quality VOC-compliant coating for metal surfaces. Garland’s 30-year Partnership Pledge warranty applies to the entire roof assembly.

Throughout the project, which was completed in just over a month, activities at the busy medical center proceeded without interruption. “In spite of our challenging situation, our needs were met beyond our expectations,” Dorsey said. “This project is a clear example of why we like the whole Garland approach to doing things.”

For more information, visit www.garlandco.com.