'Twisting' Vitreous enamel cladding for Oman Airport Tower

Ekurhuleni-based Vitrex designed and supplied unique 'twisted' vitreous enamel cladding for the Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower at Muscat International Airport in the Sultanate of Oman. Vitraclad heavy gauge panels, exported by Vitrex to cover around 4000m2 of the fins of the Tower, were installed by the project's main contractor, Carillion Alawi LLC. Cristian Cottino, Sales & Marketing Director of Vitrex, says the company developed the cladding system for the challenging, complex design in close collaboration with Quality Architectural Systems LLC (QAS) (Dubai) and QFS B.V. of The Netherlands.

"The use of flat, rectangular panels also enabled Vitrex to substantially reduce the number of panel types required. These panels were ‘twisted’ when secured to purpose-made, adjustable brackets during installation on site," Cottino explained. "To connect the panels to the special brackets, each panel was factory-fitted with a pair of full height aluminium frame profiles produced in the specified aluminium alloy and with a natural anodised aluminium finish, here in South Africa. The frame profiles were chemically bonded to the rear of the cladding panels using a pre-tested sequence of bonding agents. The application of aluminium elements directly to panels with a vitreous enamel finish was a 'first' for Vitrex."

To reduce the overall panel weight, the panels were constructed with an aluminium honeycomb core, resulting in a total mass saving of 10 kg/m2. The aluminium honeycomb core was bonded to the rear face of the panels using a two-part polyurethane adhesive - again a 'first' for Vitrex. A dedicated lamination line, which includes electronic dispensing equipment for the adhesive, was commissioned by Vitrex for this contract.

Cottino says that as the Control Tower is located in a corrosive environment, close to the coast, and exposed to wind-blown sand and high levels of UV radiation, Vitraclad vitreous enamel provided the ideal solution compared to the more traditional use of aluminium cladding panels, customary in the region.