The Sacrificial Answer
Having won the £250,000 contract to design and manufacture the (one-way) glass, which was been inserted into the floor of each of the two 11.5m long walkways on the...
Read Full ArticleMike Butterick of Glassolutions (the firm behind the project) responds to the problems encountered with the glass walkway at Tower Bridge - See Previous Report
Butterick says: "The glass panel has done exactly what it was supposed to do in this kind of situation. The top layer of glass that cracked in the floor of the walkway serves an aesthetic role as well as protecting the main structural glass panel beneath. This meant the safety of the structural glass panel was not compromised in any way and visitors were never in any danger.
"Each of the walkway's glass panels is 80mm thick and made up of seven layers. The ‘sacrificial’ top layer of the glass panel is designed to be replaced regularly as the glass will be damaged over time through regular footfall. By designing in a way to easily change the top layer, we always intended to help Tower Bridge keep the walkways in condition and we hold spares in stock for this very reason.
"A full beer bottle being dropped from height is the kind of impact that can crack the top layer. Our team was fully prepared for this replacement, taking the glass pane from our reserve stocks which meant we could respond immediately and have the new top layer in place within 24 hours. This allowed the venue to get back to normal quickly, cost effectively and without disruption.
"We are working closely with the Tower Bridge Exhibition team to develop more comprehensive guidelines about the usage of the walkways in future.”
Article written by Mike Gannon | Published 28 November 2014
Having won the £250,000 contract to design and manufacture the (one-way) glass, which was been inserted into the floor of each of the two 11.5m long walkways on the...
Read Full ArticleJust weeks after its opening, the glass walkway on Tower Bridge has been damaged by a night time reveller. The damage to one of the six glass panels occurred on Friday...
Read Full ArticleTower Bridge authorities have described themselves as ‘thrilled’ to unveil the spectacular glass floor across the high-level walkways now open to the...
Read Full ArticleHoly Cross College, a Catholic sixth form college in Bury, has seen an extension join together existing buildings and create walkways around a quadrangle - all of...
Read Full ArticleSwisspacer has developed its range of solutions for glass in the UK with the addition of the La Pensilina premium glass canopy. This, alongside new fittings and systems...
Read Full ArticleVictoria Gate, a major redevelopment project in Woking, deployed architectural aluminium from Metal Technology for its curtain walling and other systems. The...
Read Full ArticleThe date for next year's Summer River Boat Party have already been announced - July 9 and tickets are already available. To see the event page for details and...
Read Full ArticleWhen Vitsoe, makers of minimal-modernist furniture, decided to build a new HQ and factory in Royal Leamington Spa Velux modular skylights were incorporated. Typically...
Read Full ArticleThe Structural Engineer on the three Corniche towers where a man was killed by a falling window on Tuesday Oct 2 has refused to comment. The man was killed...
Read Full ArticleDow Solutions is to power the new International Olympic Committee headquarters. Multiple products are to be integrated within the Swiss building, set to serve as the...
Read Full Article