Installation of smartex^® leak detection system in the roof of the Kolumba, Diocesan Museum in Cologne, Germany.

The Diocesan Museum in Cologne, Germany, founded in 1853, is an extraordi nary collection of medieval Christian artifacts and 20th century art. To accommodate new acquisitions in both medieval and contemporary art, a new building was planned, built in the ruins of the medieval Kolumba Cathedral, which was itself built over ancient Roman tombs. Because the building had to be absolutely weather tight to protect the valuable contents, a PROGEO smartex^® leak monitoring and detection system was installed under the roofing.

Located in the heart of Cologne, the new museum was designed by the renowned Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, and is scheduled to open in 2007 at a cost of 40 million Euro (52 million US). Zumthor’s unique design concept addressed the issue of creating both an economical and long lasting structure. One of the prime considerations of this design was the concrete slab that would be poured over the roofing membrane, making the roofing permanently inaccessible. For this reason, the Archdiocese of Cologne decided to install the smartex^® F120 MPLE automatic monitoring system under the 19,000 s.f. (1,800 m²) of hot bitumen roofing so that any damage and/or leakage could be identified and repaired immediately.

The roofing membrane was certified leak tight after installation, but was slightly damaged by subsequent construction activities. smartex^® detected the damage and pinpointed where repairs were needed to be made before the concrete slab was installed. Without smartex^®, the leak might not have been found and the museum’s valuable artifacts would have been at risk. PROGEO’s smartex^® provided the confidence that was needed in this application.