THE first tower block to be built in Paisley has undergone partial refurbishment, using ultra lightweight external cladding from Chromatics Glass.
George Court was built in 1959. The 15-storey, 40-metre high building underwent major refurbishment in the late 1990s, when balconies were incorporated, external cladding applied, new windows installed and a low-pitched roof added.
Chromatics Glass said an examination of the structure identified an issue affecting the curtain walling running the full height of the building at each of the four corners where there are open vents into each living room with spandrel panels below. It was decided to replace the existing aluminium panels using Chromatics Safety Glass.
Chromatics said, “Not a toughened glass, Chromatics Safety Glass is a unique safety glass that achieves exceptional performance. Its extraordinary resilience is as a result of bonding together, at a molecular level, glass, a colour layer and metal, transforming them into a laminate that is both light weight and shatterproof, as well as being visually stunning and having a completely smooth surface.
“Replacing one cladding system with another can have implications in terms of load bearing but one of the principal advantages of Chromatics Safety Glass is its lightweight quality. The 6mm thick panels specified for the George Court contract weigh just 15.32kg per square metre, making them easier to handle, transport and install, thereby offering huge savings on installation costs. By using Chromatics Safety Glass, the weight of the cladding it replaces will be reduced by more than half. The contract also involves replacing existing Styrofoam insulation with a non-combustible Rockwool product.”
