Pittsburgh Corning (UK) Ltd - Products and Company Details

Sustainable material use

The new Aardman Animation headquarters in Bristol has used Foamglas cellular glass insulation from Pittsburgh Corning in its construction. Foamglas was specified thanks to its thermal performance and its 68 per cent recycled glass content. Foamglas was used for the external walls to provide the thermal envelope of the building. Foamglas serrated fixings were used to support the timber external cladding, minimising any heat loss through cold bridging. The product was also installed on top of the concrete decks to create a continuous thermal layer, as well as compressive strength to support the atrium roof.

A top-level playground

Foamglas insulation from Pittsburgh Corning provided the right combination of properties for a rooftop play area at St Mary Magdalene Academy in Islington. Foamglas was laid onto the concrete deck of the 600 m² all-weather playground, and was then topped with a layer of Permanite polymer modified asphalt. As cellular glass insulation is inert there were no restrictions on laying hot asphalt over the insulation. Richard Battye of Feilden Clegg Bradley says that Foamglas was the only material that met all of the requirements: "We wanted to optimise the structure to minimise the roof load. The heavier it gets then the stronger, thicker and more expensive the deck and supporting steelwork would have to be. If we had used an alternative such as PIR or EPS we would have had to put in secondary 150 mm concrete slab to take the required compressive load. Other approaches would not allow us to carry out the required hot work."

Foamglas takes the lead

A high-performance replacement was needed when the lead roof over a swimming pool in Oxfordshire failed. Pittsburgh Corning's Foamglas cellular glass insulation was used to provide protection against the high humidity and ensure a durable roof. Foamglas cellular glass insulation was well suited for this application as it is inert and impermeable to moisture. It is strong enough to withstand maintenance traffic on the roof and can be used in construction to completely eliminate cold bridging, says the firm. The roof of the swimming pool at the Oxfordshire rectory was a complex job, comprising a flat roof area, a central half glazed, half slate-tile pitched roof and tile-clad gables. A variety of solutions were needed, including a double layer of 50 mm and 100 mm Foamglas T4 insulation laid in bitumen covered with a Permanite polymer-modified asphalt for the flat roof.