£50 Million Air Traffic Control Tower Gets Foamglas®

The 862 tonne control room and upper mast section for the new £50m steel air traffic control tower were fabricated off site and then lifted into their final position on top of a 4.8m diameter 65m high steel mast.

The uninsulated single-skin steel construction led to a risk of internal condensation in the plant rooms and lift shafts/stairways. FOAMGLAS® cellular glass insulation was chosed to be adhered to the inner faces of the upper mast section and underneath the floors. FOAMGLAS® was selected as the only insulation capable of giving decades of maintenance-free installed life without risk of internal condensation and offering complete non-combustibility.

The inherent strength and stability of FOAMGLAS® meant that it could be installed both locally and in Sheffield before the tower was moved to its final location.

Whilst the Heathrow control tower is an unusual application, FOAMGLAS® has been used successfully for many years on airport projects around the world.

The catastrophic fire at Dusseldorf airport in 1996 was caused by the use of plastic-foam insulation in ceiling voids. The fire and smoke led to 17 fatalities and an estimated £200m of damage. When Dusseldorf airport was rebuilt FOAMGLAS® cellular glass was specified for the roof, terraces, basements, ventilation and air conditioning ducts and chilled-water pipe insulation. Similarly 40km of chilled water lines up to 24” diameter were insulated with FOAMGLAS® for Frankfurt’s new Terminal 2 project. Reports on these projects are available on request.

FOAMGLAS® is the only truly 100% closed-cell, non-combustible (Euroclass A1) insulation material; its thermal conductivity is uniquely constant over time. These properties make it ideal for the demanding environmental and safety requirements of today’s public buildings, particularly for air-conditioning and chilled water systems.