City of London one of the leading centres of global finance. This view includes Tower 42, Gherkin,Willis Building, Stock Exchange Tower, Lloyd`s of London and Canary Wharf at the background.
Many architects and civil engineers need to create unusually shaped architectural structures. Two excellent examples of this are the new lifting bridge at St Katharine Docks in London and the dome of the Northumberland Telescope in Cambridge. In both cases, WEST SYSTEM® epoxy has been used to create extremely strong and durable creations which could be largely prepared offsite. As is typical in such cases, WSI works in an advisory capacity with the engineers. The retracting domed roof of the observatory, for example, was constructed following extremely detailed instructions regarding the off-site preparation of pre-cut sections designed for simple on-site installation.
One excellent architectural example is the striking new Strata SE1 building in London’s Elephant & Castle. This is the first building in the world to incorporate wind turbines into its structure rather than being suspended within a steel frame. These were built in Denmark using PRO-SET® epoxy.
Our epoxies are also used for architectural purposes in Glulam construction. As a construction material, Glulam is lighter than steel, double its tensile strength and about one sixth the weight of concrete. It can be manufactured to a variety of straight and curved configurations, offering architects artistic freedom without sacrificing structural requirements. No wonder so many civil engineers and architects are turning to this form of construction – often bonded and installed using WEST SYSTEM epoxy to provide the structural integrity of the structure as a whole.
