Client: East Lothian Council
Type of works: supply and installation of Marley's fibre-cement Profile 6 sheeting to clad and roof the new stable yard complex.

As part of the major redevelopment of Musselburgh Race Course near Edinburgh, Marley has supplied its fibre-cement Profile 6 sheeting to clad and roof the new stable yard complex.

East Lothian Council’s extensive renovation of the race course, which dates back to 1816, included the construction of 105 new stables as well as modern jockey facilities and office units.

Profile 6 is particularly effective on buildings that house livestock as the density of the fibre-cement material minimises the reverberation often found with steel sheets, helping reduce animal distress.

Steel sheets are also susceptible to corrosion in these types of environments due to the presence of heat and moisture from the animals’ breathing.

As this warm, moist air meets the relatively cooler roof structure it condenses creating an acidic mixture that results in corrosion of the steel. Studies have shown that single skin steel roof sheets in this type of aggressive environment can have a life expectancy of around only five years.

The architects therefore took the decision to specify fibre-cement Profile 6 sheeting from Marley which, in an identical situation, has a design life of around 30 years. This is because Profile 6 has a high level of corrosion resistance due to the fact it has no metallic content and is minimally affected by frost and climatic temperature changes.

Unlike steel sheets, Profile 6 is also vapour permeable, yet still watertight, which significantly reduces condensation created by the animals. If this condensation is not addressed it can cause rotting of timber or corrosion of metal components on the actual structure of the building.

Profile 6 was fitted by Glasgow-based Weather Protection Services on the roof of the stable complex, along with the ground care workshop. Quilt insulation was fitted below Profile 6 on one of the buildings that is used as an office area.

Gary Houston, Project Architect for East Lothian Council, explained: “The council has used Profile 6 for many of its buildings as it highly durable, low maintenance and long lasting. Fibre cement is also an attractive material, especially when specified in a complementary colour to other building materials.” He added: “For this project it proved to be a better option than steel, as it minimises reverberation, which is crucial for animal welfare, as well as being corrosion resistant.”

Profile 6 is available in a range of colours that harmonise with other commonly used building materials such as brick, slate, stone, concrete and timber. A Blue Slate colour was selected for the race course as it complements the local granite stone architecture.

Lynn Street, Sales Director for Profiled Sheeting at Marley, explains: “Our Profiled Sheeting is being specified on an increasing number of equestrian projects because it offers superior performance in terms of thermal efficiency, reduced condensation and enhanced acoustics, compared to metal sheeting.”

Marley fibre cement profiled sheeting is the only product of its kind to be manufactured in the UK, providing customers with a reduced carbon footprint in terms of transportation miles.

For more information on Profile 6 sheeting from Marley, call: 01283 722588, or email: profile@marleyeternit.co.uk.