Press Releases

The 23,500 sq/m glass roof at London Waterloo railway station, the equivalent of five football pitches, has been re-glazed using a patent glazing system. To the layman the roof's nine barrels all look the same but in fact each one varies greatly in size and profile. Lonsdale's SkyGard patent glazing system was chosen by main contractors, Amec Capital Projects as it would easily accommodated the tolerance and shapes encountered by the roofing contractor Kelsey Roofing. Despite SkyGard being a tried and tested product, Lonsdale had to develop specially extended spacer brackets for the installer to permit ventilation at the bottom of each glazing tier. The brackets allowed air circulation under the roof to dispel diesel exhaust without undue ingress of driving rain.

The refurbished roof covers nineteen platforms all of which remained open and functioning for the duration of the contract with minimum inconvenience to passengers or train running times.

Project Details

Project: Regeneration Programme for Waterloo Station

Roofing Refurbishment Customer: Network Rail

Design Engineer: Stephen Frankham Associates

Main Contractor: Amec Capital Projects

Roof Glazing Bar Supplier: Lonsdale Metal Company Ltd

Product: SkyGardSky71 Patent Glazing Bars

Laminated Glass Supplier: The Dorset Glass Company

Glazing contractor: Kelsey Roofing Industries Ltd

Specialist patent glazing manufacturer, Lonsdale Metal Company Limited, has supplied their SpanGard self-supporting, rooflights since the mid-eighties., "With the latest changes to the Building Regulations now in force", Richard Burgess, Lonsdale's sales and marketing director explained, "we decided to have this popular product independently tested and certified at the Centre for Window and Cladding Technologies Ltd based at the University of Bath, to prove that it complies with the new Regulations".

"Our bespoke SpanGard product has always been considered by the industry as a high quality and virtually air-tight structure with emphasis placed upon strength and durability. Remarkably competitive for larger spans", Burgess continued, "the very nature of the system has prevented our company competing on smaller sizes with others offering more standardised manufacture. Our ongoing investment in Computer Aided Design software and the application of the latest manufacturing techniques has enabled us to reduce prices of SpanGard so contractors can now expect to purchase a small rooflight from 1.2 x 1.2 metre for as little as £678.00 excluding VAT".

SpanGard is manufactured from the company's thermally broken aluminium bar system that incorporates extruded aluminium, cill, hip and eaves members where appropriate. Aluminium covers and flashings finish the structure externally offering high performance weathering and a thirty year design life. Life-cycle costs are claimed to be minimal as the standard mill finish or polyester powder coating supplied ensures maintenance is negligible.

Recent installations of SpanGard include; The British Museum, Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street and a 120 x 3.5 metre continuous rooflight at Strathclyde Police Training Centre in Scotland.

Lonsdale offer a RIBA approved CPD seminar 'Letting light in, keeping weather out' - An introduction to Patent Glazing. Readers wishing to learn more about this and other Lonsdale products and services should visit their website www.roofglazing.co.uk or telephone Ray Fraser 020 8801 4221.

Specialist patent glazing manufacturer, Lonsdale Metal Company Limited, has supplied their SpanGard self-supporting, rooflights since the mid-eighties., "With the latest changes to the Building Regulations now in force", Richard Burgess, Lonsdale's sales and marketing director explained, "we decided to have this popular product independently tested and certified at the Centre for Window and Cladding Technologies Ltd based at the University of Bath, to prove that it complies with the new Regulations".

"Our bespoke SpanGard product has always been considered by the industry as a high quality and virtually air-tight structure with emphasis placed upon strength and durability. Remarkably competitive for larger spans", Burgess continued, "the very nature of the system has prevented our company competing on smaller sizes with others offering more standardised manufacture. Our ongoing investment in Computer Aided Design software and the application of the latest manufacturing techniques has enabled us to reduce prices of SpanGard so contractors can now expect to purchase a small rooflight from 1.2 x 1.2 metre for as little as £678.00 excluding VAT".

SpanGard is manufactured from the company's thermally broken aluminium bar system that incorporates extruded aluminium, cill, hip and eaves members where appropriate. Aluminium covers and flashings finish the structure externally offering high performance weathering and a thirty year design life. Life-cycle costs are claimed to be minimal as the standard mill finish or polyester powder coating supplied ensures maintenance is negligible.

Recent installations of SpanGard include; The British Museum, Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street and a 120 x 3.5 metre continuous rooflight at Strathclyde Police Training Centre in Scotland.

Lonsdale offer a RIBA approved CPD seminar 'Letting light in, keeping weather out' - An introduction to Patent Glazing. Readers wishing to learn more about this and other Lonsdale products and services should visit their website www.lonsdalemetal.co.uk or telephone Ray Fraser 020 8801 4221.

The original Waterloo station was opened by LSWR in July 1848 and for several years expanded & developed. A complete rebuilding programme was carried out between 1900 and 1922, but it was to be another seventy years or so before any further major changes were made to the building with the addition of the Eurostar terminal in the 1990s. Despite this very modern extension featuring an up to the minute, bolted glass roof, the rest of the mainline station was in a sorry state of repair.

The original transverse ridge and furrow roof construction was designed by J.W. Jacomb-Hood & his successor A.W. Szlumper and measured 520ft x 540ft on plan covering 19 platforms. This is an area equivalent to five football pitches and is 23,500 sq/m using today's metric equivalent. Serving the busy South coast mainline route into London, the station copes with thousands of passengers a week and hundreds of trains all of which have taken their toll on the station environment and not least the huge glazed roof.

Years of toll on the patent glazing

Over the years, repairs had been carried out on an ad-hoc basis creating a patchwork of different glass, various glazing bars and even 'temporary' timber panels which had long ago been overlooked for replacement. Fortunately, the original steelwork remained in good condition despite being in need of blasting and re-painting. The 'patchwork' of repairs had to go and a whole new patent glazing system with modern glass be installed.

Over 23,000sq/m of glazing to be replaced with the station fully operational

Although the layman may mistake the roof's nine barrels to look the same, each one varies in size as they were built in-situ nearly one hundred years ago. The roof covers nineteen platforms all of which had to remain open and functioning for the duration of the contract with minimum inconvenience to passengers or train running times.

Amec's solution was to suspend a 'crash-deck' from the steel roof trusses immediately under the glazing allowing contractors to remove old materials and carryout the new installation. A rolling rig was constructed enabling contractors to slide a set of multiple platforms under the curved roof trusses from one end of the roof to the next without having to take down traditional style scaffolding and set up again each time they moved to a new area. Tony Ingram, Roofing Construction Manager for Amec, comments 'Passengers have only been vaguely aware of something going on overhead, most people don't know we're here'.

Such an operation needs a 'rapid-fix' patent glazing system

A flexible system was essential which would accommodate the tolerance and variance of the site conditions. A simple, easy to handle product was required. Various options fromall the major manufacturers were considered, but 'a few millimetres either way on a linkingpanel system for example, would cause major problems' states Roy Conway, Amec Project Manager. 'We settled for Lonsdale due to the systems flexibility and 'forgiving' nature from the installation point of view.' Despite SkyGard being a tried & tested product, Lonsdale had to develop specially extended fixing brackets to permit ventilation at the bottom of each tier of glazing. This was to allow air-circulation without undue ingress of water from driving rain, so diesel exhaust could escape, carrying with it dirt and grime detrimental to the to the glass & aluminium system. Although a polyester powder paint finish had been considered, this was deemed unnecessary from both an appearance and performance point of view due to the Lonsdale twenty five year warranty. The mill finish option will save the client millions of pounds as a painted finish would require regular cleaning to maintain warranty agreements. To complete the installation 6.4mm laminated glass was fitted, having been specially cut to size by The Dorset Glass Company, Poole using state of the art computer aided machinery.

Swift solution on target to finish Spring this Year

Roofing contractor, Kelsey Roofing, have kept their promises and consistently delivered on time. Currently, completion is due for Spring 2003. Steve Arthurs, Project Manager for Kelsey Roofing says, 'We have made surprising progress with the Lonsdale system as metre for metre we are glazing in two thirds of the time what we were able to achieve during our last major station at Glasgow Central'. Richard Burgess, Sales & Marketing Director for Lonsdale comments, 'We are delighted Lonsdale has made a difference and Waterloo is excellent testimony to what our design and fabrication team can achieve. However, all credit to Kelsey Roofing, as their excellent organisation of this contract and professionalism has made it easier for us to ensure continuity of supply.'

Lonsdale offer a RIBA approved CPD seminar 'Letting light in, keeping weather out' - An introduction to Patent Glazing. Readers wishing to learn more about this and other Lonsdale products and services should visit their website www.roofglazing.co.uk or telephone their London Sales office on 020 8801 4221.

Project Details

Project: Regeneration Programme for Waterloo Station

Roofing Refurbishment Customer: Network Rail

Design Engineer: Stephen Frankham Associates

Main Contractor: Amec Capital Projects

Glazing Bar Supplier: Lonsdale Metal Company Ltd
Product: SkyGardSky71 Patent Glazing Bars

Laminated Glass Supplier: The Dorset Glass Company

Glazing contractor: Kelsey Roofing Industries Ltd

Patent Glazing systems manufactured by the Lonsdale Metal Company have been installed in the Forest Mere Health Farm located in an area of outstanding natural beauty deep in the Hampshire countryside.

Featured in a BBC "fly on the wall " TV documentary and described as a "true fitness and beauty paradise", this exclusive health farm has reopened following a £14 million high quality rebuild and refurbishment. Guests now enjoy a café style restaurant, new accommodation, the first Thalassotherapy salt-water hydro pool in the United Kingdom, a 25 metre indoor swimming pool, luxurious sauna and steam rooms plus extensive landscaping of the grounds.

In keeping with a relaxed atmosphere, Architects C.D.H Pottinger of Portsmouth have created bright and airy interiors with Lonsdale's patent glazing used to the very best advantage.

The most spectacular structure supplied by Lonsdale is a double glazed cruciform lantern light topped by a pyramid roof. Spanning the windowless reception and lounge, the lantern provides diffuse natural top light throughout the area. To protect guests from the vagaries of the British weather, a bright 17 metre double glazed walkway was also installed linking the Spa café to the main house and accommodation blocks. The timber beam roof in the café has a 10 square metre double glazed skylight also manufactured by Lonsdale, it's clean lines blending well with the roof beams.

Both the lantern light and walkway are based on the company's pre-fabricated SpanGard system that ensures maximum light penetration and high performance weathering. The structures were first "built" on computer using the latest surface modelling MIS software to ensure accurate manufacture. The glazing bars were then prepared in Lonsdale's works, sub-assembled and finished in white polyester powder coating to BS6496 before transporting to site for final erection. The software also provided the glass shapes required by the glazing contractor.

All the structures, including the skylight in the Spa café, use the company's ThermGard aluminium glazing bars. The slim, ventilated box-rafter design is Lonsdale's answer to achieving thermal break roofing and features a continuous pressure plate to ensure a weather tight seal that eliminates air infiltration. On the outside, a low profile snap on cover provides a neat invisible fixing. The main feature of ThermGard is that the self supporting box section does not protrude to the outside and remains within the environment of the building thus greatly reducing the risk of condensation.Glazing contractors for the project, Solaglas of Portsmouth, found that Lonsdale's long experience in supplying patent glazing systems proved invaluable during the design, planning and installation stages.

Project Details

Project: Forest Mere Health Farm
Liphook
Hampshire GU30 7JQ
Tel: 01428 726000

Architects: C.D.H.Pottinger
23, High Street
Portsmouth PO1 2LS
Tel: 023 9282 1306

Main Contractor: Warings Contractors Limited
Gatcome HouseHilsea
Portsmouth
Hampshire PO2 0TU
Tel: 023 9269 4900

Glazing Contractors: Solaglas
Limberline Road
Hilsea Industrial Estate
Portsmouth PO6 1RU
Tel: 023 9266 4455

Patent Glazing manufacturer: Lonsdale Metal Company Limited
Unit 40
Millmead Industrial Centre
Mill Mead Road
London N17 9QU
Tel: 020 8801 4221