Iconic London Bridge
station, the oldest rail terminus in London and fourth busiest station in the
country, reopened last year following a vast £1 billion redevelopment, which
included multiple facades and glass lift shafts held together by Sikasil® structural
silicone.
Over a period of
seven years, the station underwent both refurbishment and expansion in order to
provide commuters with a modern, spacious and fully accessible concourse,
alongside new platforms to allow more trains.
Officially reopened
by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Cambridge in May 2018, the transformed
station has now passed the one-year mark since completion.
Thanks to Sikasil® SG-500 structural silicone adhesive,
which was specified by architectural glass specialists OAG, the project’s
curved 275m long two-phase façade on Tooley Street and double height façade at
the entrance to the station continue to stand the test of time.
As well as being able
to provide the strength of bond needed, the Sikasil® UV and weathering resistance meant it was the perfect product
for long-term durability. Throughout the project OAG continued to work closely
with Sika, who provided in-house testing at their specialist facility in Welwyn
Garden City.
The project proved to
be particularly challenging due to the large size of the glass panels and the
fact that the façade had to be incredibly robust, able to resist strong
pressure up to the level of a bomb blast. However, with the help of Sika’s
expert technical team, they were able to identify the structural sealant bite
requirements to meet their needs. Plus, vital in-house adhesion testing ensured
the use of Sikasil® would result in
excellent adhesion between the sealant and the relevant substrates. This
thorough testing meant the bonded structural glazing met ETAG 002 European
Guidelines, providing a safe and long-term solution.
The application was
carried out by Structural Glazing Telford in their specialist factory. As a
Sika Approved Applicator, Structural Glazing Telford’s expertly trained team,
having used Sikasil® on a number of
projects, were able to complete the application without any problems.
OAG carried out a
vast range of installations at London Bridge. On the Tooley Street lower
façade, 5.6-metre-high bomb blast panes of glass weighing 350kg were installed,
and for the 250m long upper curved façade, suction cranes were used to lift the
large panes of glass 18 metres from the ground. However, due to the tireless
efforts on the onsite teams, alongside technical support from Sika, the project
was completed on time and to the client’s specifications.
Sikasil® SG-500 was also specified for use on
glass lift shafts inside the station by Vision Design Projects. Initially
commissioned to design and evaluate the glazing for 9 Scenic Lift Shafts,
Vision Design Projects developed a fixing-free glass alternative from what was
originally a fully framed architectural design with aluminium extrusions.
Utilising the properties of the Sikasil®
product meant this design came to life inside the London Bridge station.
The application and
bonding of the Sikasil® SG-500 for
the lift shafts was carried out by Vision Design Projects in-house. As a Sika
structural silicone specialist, their expert knowledge and experience meant the
application went smoothly.
With the lift shafts
needing to be assembled inside the concourse, the installation was required to
take place at night in order to avoid major disruption to commuters. However,
despite the challenging access conditions, the Sikasil® ease of use allowed for a stunning, seamless arrangement,
impressing the client with the high-quality finish.
Andrew Hills at Sika
said: “This prestigious project not only showcases the many properties of
Sikasil® – robustness, longevity,
ease of use, design flexibility – it also demonstrates the wealth of experience
and expert knowledge of both Sika’s in-house technical team and Sikasil® Registered Contractors, and what can be
achieved when the two work closely together. The end result is a stunning,
securely bonded finish, which will last for many more years to come.”
