VHB structural glazing tape from 3M, the diversified technology company, has played a key role in meeting tight construction deadlines on a major office refurbishment in central London.

Holbrook House in Great Queen Street, Covent Garden, is a 1960s building which has undergone a major transformation, including a ground and first floor extension, alternations made to the eighth and ninth floors, along with external recladding, internal refurbishment, infrastructure and enabling works.

The external works involved the fitting of coloured glass spandrel panels to the cladding to the front elevation.

These were manufactured by Gloucestershire-based Crown Aluminium who then had the task of fixing them to the exterior columns to create a complete glass façade.

Crown Aluminium considered a variety of options for this, but opted to eschew the traditional method of using a silicone sealant due to the curing time of up to three days. The alternative was 3M’s acclaimed VHB structural glazing tape which can quickly and easily be applied off-site, offers instant grab on contact, and reaches 50 per cent bond strength within 10 minutes.

VHB structural glazing tapes from 3M are double-sided, pressure-sensitive acrylic foam tapes which offer excellent resistance against the elements and most importantly bond to a variety of materials, including metals, sealed wood, plastics, composites, paints and powder coatings, as well as glass. They are conformable to allow a perfect bond line between two surfaces with no air bubbles, preventing the ingress of dirt and moisture. Their viscoelasticity also absorbs shock and allows movement, with the product able to stretch to up to three times its own thickness.

Roger Phillips, a Director of Crown Aluminium, commented: “This was the first time we has used the 3M product but we found it easy to use, with none of the mess associated with silicone-based sealants, and far quicker results. It is certainly a solution which we plan to use again in the future.”

3M and VHB are trademarks of 3M Company.

Email: fwilson@mmm.com