ATCO Group – East & West Factory: Factory Roof & Gutter Waterproofing in Dammam

Project photos

Tap any photo to enlarge. All photos were taken on site by the ETCE team.

The challenge

ATCO's East and West factories share the classic weak points of a large industrial roof: long valley gutters that collect every drop from two slopes, turbine ventilators, and rooftop HVAC platforms where the roof meets a raised structure. These junctions are hard to keep sealed with sealant alone because the metal moves every day in the heat.

What ETCE did

ETCE lined the valley gutters with continuous EPDM, turned up onto the sheets on both sides so water can no longer back up under the laps. Ventilator bases were flashed with EPDM, and the junction around the HVAC platform, where the roof meets the steel upstand, was sealed with a wide EPDM detail. All work at height followed ETCE's HSE procedures around the platform guardrails.

Failure points treated on this roof

• Eave, valley & box gutters

  Gutter beds lined with a jointless EPDM sheet dressed up under the roof sheets.

• Roof-to-wall flashings & parapets

  Junctions between roof, walls, parapets and platforms sealed and turned up.

• Turbine ventilators & fan units

  Ventilator bases flashed with EPDM shaped over the sheet ribs.

• End laps (horizontal joints)

  Horizontal sheet overlaps cleaned and closed with a continuous EPDM strip.

Materials & method

• EPDM membrane (1.2 mm) cut to width for each detail: UV-stable and flexible at Gulf roof temperatures.
• Promax Bonding Adhesive, rated for surface temperatures up to 120°C, for a permanent bond to the metal sheets.
• Preparation first: old coatings, failed sealant and loose rust removed so the membrane bonds to sound metal.
• Roof-side, zone-by-zone execution so the building below keeps operating with no shutdown.
• Working-at-height HSE: trained crews, full PPE and safety lifelines on every roof.

The result

Both factories now have gutters and junctions that can handle heavy rain and daily thermal movement. The work is carried out from the roof surface, zone by zone, which is how ETCE avoids shutting down production.