Final Coat
Hempel helps restore London’s Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is one of London’s best-known land- marks. But years of exposure to the harsh city envi- ronment means that the bridge now needs a facelift.
Coatings supplied by Hempel UK will protect Tower Bridge
for 25 years, and make sure it retains its iconic look.
Built in 1894, Tower Bridge can be seen in Hollywood films,
tourist brochures and picture postcards. But after years of
exposure to the elements, the bridge has lost its sheen. A four-year renovation project costing £ 4 million is now underway.
Hempel UK is supplying the protective coatings, a total
of 22,000 liters of paint, to ensure the bridge keeps its iconic blue and white colors for the next quarter of a century.
Hempel UK is supplying a coating system that will protect Tower Bridge for at least 25 years. A variety of coatings will be used on different areas and substructures,
and the coating system will be touched-up after 12 years.
The coatings protecting Tower Bridge include: Shopprimer
E 15280, a two-component epoxy polyamide primer containing zinc phosphate rust-inhibiting pigments; Hempadur
Mastic 45880, a two-component high-build epoxy paint with
a high-solid content; and Hempathane 55810, a low-VOC,
two-component polyurethane topcoat with gloss and colour
retention properties that will ensure the bridge looks its best
when the work is done.
Pyeroy Ltd. is carrying out the restoration project on
behalf of the City Bridge Trust, which maintains all five
city bridges (London, Tower, Southwark, Blackfriars and
Millennium Bridges). Hempel UK is also supplying
Pyeroy with 13,000 liters of protective coatings for the
£2.5 million facelift of Southwark Bridge. CW
For the restoration of London’s Tower Bridge, approximately 1,500 tons of abrasive material will be used to blast away
old paint and reveal the original metal framework underneath. To protect the River Thames and the immediate environment, the bridge sections will be fully shrouded and the debris will be collected and safely disposed of.
