IKO Permaphalt - History is in the making

This year, as we commemorate the Centenary of the First World War and the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, IKO’s thoughts turn to the construction of British war memorials built to pay homage to those who fell in battle. British War Memorials are some of the most iconic architectural structures in the world and Theipval in Picardie, France is no exception.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission contacted Bell Asphalt to assist with the roof renovation at Thiepval - the largest war memorial in the world dedicated to the missing of the Somme who died in battle and have no known graves.

Thiepval stands at 47m high and consists of 16 piers faced with Portland Stone and 1,000m2 of roofs protected by mastic asphalt. Completed in 1932, the roof was installed by contractors unfamiliar with the art of installing mastic asphalt. Eventually, the roof failed with the majority of the 60 roofs cracking , allowing water to leak into the rooms in the structure and threaten the memorials integrity.

IKO’s Permaphalt mastic asphalt was chosen for the project, not only for its high quality but also for the technical support service that IKO PLC provides.

Permaphalt is a polymer-modified mastic asphalt which allows for thermal movement while retaining its shape. It has been used on many heritage buildings in the UK that are still going strong some 60+ years on, and was also the very first product of its kind to receive BBA accreditation. In 2008 UK mastic asphalt was the first industry in the world to achieve the CarbonZero standard.

Once the site was prepared, the old asphalt was stripped off the building and recycled to be used for roadways in other parts of the cemetery. Installation was carried out in the depths of winter and the going was tough, but a total of 60 roofs were installed over a 12-week period, and the project was completed on time and within budget.

The success of mastic asphalt installations on heritage projects is not only due to the product itself, but the skill of the people who install it. It can only be installed by trained operatives who have undertaken the mastic asphalt industry’s extensive training programme, which lasts for a minimum of three years to NVQ Level Two/Three or equivalent.