Advanced Glass Flood Wall to Protect Kendal
Construction has begun on a 39m flood defence wall in Kendal, located in southern Cumbria, UK. Using high-performance glass within a stainless steel frame, this feature of the flood scheme is designed to protect homes and businesses from flooding, without spoiling the town’s historic beauty and retaining riverside views. The glass used as part of the innovative flood wall is a bespoke creation developed in collaboration with Pilkington United Kingdom, part of the NSG Group, and chemical and materials manufacturer Kuraray.
It features alternating layers of glass and interlayer to create a 35mm laminate, with toughened Pilkington Activ self-cleaning glass as the outer panes and a toughened 12mm Pilkington Optiwhite middle pane. A Kuraray SentryGlas interlayer helps to ensure that should the glass be struck and fractured, the composite structure would still maintain resistance to the dynamic loading and impacts associated with flood waters. The glass panels undergo rigorous strength testing and have the capability to safely hold back water in the event of water levels rising.
Peter Maj, area sales manager at Pilkington UK, said: “This project has been one of collaboration and innovation to ensure that we provide residents of Kendal with a solution that not only benefits them in terms of safety, but remains unobtrusive to the town’s landscape and heritage.”
“Our work with Kuraray has enabled us to provide a sophisticated glass solution that will stand up against the harshest conditions. The addition of our self-cleaning technology means that residents can be rest assured that the proposed flood defences will remain clear, needing little maintenance throughout its service.”
