PROJECT
TITANIC DISTILLERS, BELFAST
Graepels Perforators & Weavers manufactured the perforated sheets for the enclosure that portrays the design of the chimney’s base and houses the external plant deck.
THE WEATHERING STEEL PANELS ENCLOSE THE NEW PLANT DECK AND RECREATE THE BASE OF THE OLD CHIMNEY AT THE THOMPSON PUMP HOUSE… DECORATIVE PERFORATED METAL SCREENS
G raepels Perforators & Weavers’ a vital part of the pump house: the chimney that served the boilers used to generate steam for the three 1,000hp engines that powered the pumps, which removed the water from the drydock. The original equipment is still in the pump house’s basement, but the chimney, which used to be on the North of the listed building, had been long gone until its base was recreated on the same spot by the team at Graepels, using their product known as ‘Picture-Perf’. The Company manufactured the perforated sheets for the enclosure that portrays the design of the chimney’s base and houses the external plant deck, with all equipment to supply power and water. The structure had to be freestanding to prevent any impact or harm to the original building. The enclosure was created depicting a full scale skeleton of the chimney base, and consists of four perforated elevations made from COR-TEN® participation in the refurbishing of the Thompson Dock pays tribute to weathering steel. Each one is 8.2 meters high, the same height as the base plinth of
the pump house chimney, and together have an area of 264m 2 . Each elevation has over 550,000 holes that recreate the outline of the plinth. COR-TEN® steel offers exceptional corrosion resistance and tensile strength. The material is also known as a ‘weathering’ steel, as the steel forms a protective layer on its surface under the influence of the weather, and it does not need to be painted. “COR-TEN® (and equivalent weathering steel) is basically a living steel; it stops rusting at some point and then ages with the building,” explained Project Coordinator Gretta Murphy. The result is a reddish-brown look that also resembles the colour of the bricks from the original chimney. Gretta and her team were very proud to be involved in the refurbishment of the Thompson Dock pump house. “In every project, we get involved with the history of the site, and the work becomes a passion,” Gretta commented. “It is not only about the job anymore, but about bringing history to life. This is a permanent structure that will not fade away and will stand the test of time.”
“The Thompson Dock pays tribute to a vital part of the pump house: the chimney that served the boilers used to generate steam for the three 1,000hp engines that powered the pumps.“
T: +353 (0)21 4772105 E: info@graepels.com www.graepels.com
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