Product category:
Cladding and Facades
News Release from: CEP Claddings | Subject: Bauclad panels
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 04 December 2007
Bauclad transforms Luton skyline
Every balcony on Luton Borough Council's ten high rise residential tower blocks now re-finished with colourful Bauclad panels.
Luton's skyline has become a prominent showcase for CEP's Bauclad composite panels, with every balcony on Luton Borough Council's ten high rise residential tower blocks now re-finished with colourful Bauclad panels Each flat in the ten 14-storey concrete framed tower blocks has an external balcony
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 17 May 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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When originally built, back in the 1960s, these balconies were clad with reinforced glass panels fixed to a steel frame.
Years of exposure to the elements have taken their toll, last year Luton Borough Council decided it was time to up-grade the balconies and re-clad them with a more contemporary material.
Dave Allen, Major Projects Manager with CEP, said that supplying the Bauclad for such a large project required meticulous planning and collaborative teamwork.
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"The total amount of Bauclad was in the region of 14,000 sq m and there were more than 1,000 balconies to be re-clad.
We had to work very closely with the contractors to work out a delivery schedule and ensure that material arrived on site when it was needed." said Mr Allen.
The balcony sets were all made from 8 mm Bauclad; externally the colour was Terracotta, each one featuring a central diamond motif in Jasmine.
Each balcony was also lined internally in White.
Bauclad, with its high impact resistance and excellent colour stability, is a popular choice in public sector housing projects - as well as for use in school and healthcare projects - thanks to its durability and attractive appearance.
The diamond pattern was machine-cut and inlaid into the background panel to produce a flat surface.
"We had previously supplied panels for a similar local authority project in London, where a diamond pattern was included in the panels," explains Mr Allen.
"However, those diamonds were riveted to the background panel; Luton Borough Council wanted them inlaid".
Development trials revealed a risk of stress fractures propagating from the sharp corners of the diamond-shaped hole cut in the main panel.
CEP overcame this by rounding the corners slightly.
Once the design was approved, full production commenced and CEP started delivering the panels to site.
The main contractor installed external mast-climbing platforms to access the outside of each 14-storey block, some of which have six flats per floor and some of which have eight.
Some balconies comprise three sides and required a central panel measuring 3.5 m long and two returns, each approximately 1.0 m in length.
The corner balconies required only one central panel and one return, explains Mr Allen.
"We delivered the panels to each mast-climber on pallets of 14, so that each team had exactly the right panels for each vertical row of balconies." Said Mr Allen.
The project was carried out in two phases with phase 1 was completed during the spring of 2006 and Phase 2 began in October.
"The second phase was done very quickly, with the last panel being installed in June 2007," said Mr Allen.
In addition to the new panels, each balcony was also fitted with new windows and the asphalt floor replaced.
CEP's GBP500,000 supply contract was carefully planned to interface with these associated works and CEP kept well ahead of the schedule to help ensure there were no delays on site.
"The project ran very smoothly and in fact we finished six weeks ahead of schedule," said Mr Allen.
"The main contractor had a full-time Resident Liaison Officer on hand to ensure that the Residents, who were in occupation throughout the project, were not inconvenienced.
"This was a major project for us, and a very successful one for everybody involved" he added.
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