Bids invited to replace National Synchrotron roof

Diamond Light Source, the operator of the National Synchrotron facility in Oxfordshire has invited bids to replace the building’s roof, after it started to deteriorate due to thermal movement.

Last year, Costain recorded a £9.7m one-off charge following
an arbitration award in favour of Diamond Light Source for the cost of remedial
works to the roof.

Costain won a contract to build the building in 2004 and
work was completed in 2006. But the subcontractor who installed the roof and
would have been contractually liable for the remedial works went into
administration in November 2017.

Now Diamond Light Source wants to replace the existing Kalzip
aluminium standing seam roof to the synchrotron building with a new aluminium
standing seam roof together with solar photovoltaic cells.

It said it was looking to appoint a suitable principal
contractor to undertake the works under the NEC3 design and build form of
contract. The contractor can either be a specialist roofing contractor who is
able to undertake the principal contractor duties, or a general/main contractor
who will undertake the principal contractor role and subcontract the roof works
to a specialist roofing contractor.

The synchrotron building is the toroidal building that accommodates a national scientific research facility. The total roof area is approximately 32,000m2 and comprises 96 bays. Each bay includes both parallel and welded tapered and curved sheets, which gives the building its toroidal shape.

A value for the 48-month contract has not been revealed.