UC San Francisco
Millberry Union East Building
Salas O’Brien solved the university’s problem of water ponding on their roof and identified solutions to abate existing hazardous material.
Our client
Part of the University of California system, this public research university is dedicated entirely to health science. Founded as Toland Medical College in 1864, UCSF is a major center of medical and biological research and teaching. It houses the UCSF School of Medicine, which is the oldest medical school in the Western United States.
Their challenge
The 6,200-square-foot original asphalt roof was replaced in 2011, and since its replacement, it had numerous areas of ponded water. The existing roofing also contained hazardous material that required abatement. The university needed an expert consultant to design a new roof covering to overcome these challenges.
Our solution
Working under a tight deadline, our team reviewed roofing options, prepared specifications and drawings. The team opted for a reinforced gypsum covering to increase impact and fire resistance and two plies of torch applied modified bitumen with one ply of granule-surfaced modified bitumen.
The results
The design, along with the added stainless steel flashings and applied white coating to the roof surface, achieved wind resistance up to 85 mph and qualified for a 20-year NDL labor and material warranty.


