Johns Manville

Architect:

Newt & Butch Roofing

General Contractor:

WWRC Inc

Scope Of Work

Description: In any given year there is a reroofing or roof maintenance project underway on one of the
161 facilities that make up the Albuquerque Public School System – 90 elementary, 27 middle and 14 high
schools, plus alternative and charter schools. “That’s a lot of roofing – over 11 million square feet – to keep
in tip-top shape,” says Pamela Gow, Roofing Division Manager in the Facilities, Design & Construction
Department of APS. Classrooms are filled with area children seeking an education and the opportunities
an education provides. But some go to extremes, taking unorthodox measures to get the most out of their
education…and educational facilities, particularly at Albuquerque High School.
Challenges: These active kids have taken to the roof for skateboard competitions – certainly not a
school-sanctioned extracurricular activity, says Gow. “Round-the-clock security is in place to deter these
activities and keep the kids safe. I am personally charged with keeping the roof in good repair, so when I say
I need to be able to play hockey up there, what I mean is that this roof has to be a tough performer, able to
withstand not only the temperature fluctuations of our high desert environment, but it must stand up to these
creative students, as well.”
Solution: WWRC General Contractors and roofing contractor Newt & Butch met this challenge with
a Johns Manville five-ply built-up roof. Two gymnasiums and an adjacent wing of classrooms accounted
for a total 673,000 square feet of material. Most of the substrate was steel, but where lightweight concrete
was encountered, APS specified an additional layer of GlasPly Premier. Reflective, white GlasKap CR cool roof
cap sheet blanketed the entire job. “The result, says Gow, “is a good-looking high-performance surface
that will present a lot fewer headaches down the road. I count that a real success!”