Cliff-top location is no barrier
When metalwork fabricators Ace General Engineering were awarded the contract to install structural glass balustrade and juliet balconies at a new residential development on the cliffs of Cornwall, it turned to the Taper-Loc system.
Comprising of 36 apartments and nine houses in a cliff-top location in Newquay, the Acorn Blue development offers stunning views of the Cornish coast, with the high specification properties boasting balconies to take advantage of Cornwall’s temperate climate and to enjoy the stunning sunsets over the Atlantic.
The practicalities of completing the structural work required specialised engineering because the entire front elevation of the property had to be installed without any scaffolding.
The Taper-Loc standard base shoe from CRL was used for the secure and efficient installation of the structural glass balustrades.The Standard Taper-Loc system is suitable for 12mm to 25.52mm toughened/toughened laminated glass, and meeting BS 6180:2011, AbZ and CEBTP requirements, Taper-Loc uses precision tension to secure the glass in the aluminium base shoe without the use of cement.
Using CRL’s TLK12 installation and removal tool, the Tapers slide horizontally in the base shoe before being compressed, where it expands and locks into place. The same Tool can be used to loosen the Tapers for glass alignment or replacement, enabling scratched or broken glass to be easily replaced.
David Stephens, managing director of Ace General Engineering, said: “The site team used a harness system provided by the client which enabled lateral movement along the balcony. The Taper-Loc channel was resin anchor fixed to the reinforced concrete balcony structure, with the glass locked into place using the Tapers. The entire installation was carried out from the inside of the balcony, without any scaffolding. This was possible due to the fact that the Taper-Loc system is always installed from the safe side.”
