Posts Tagged ‘plumbing systems’

History Of Cast Iron In Construction

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

More than 1,000 years prior to the West China produced cast iron. They managed to build a furnace which reached the 1,528C needed to melt iron and began casting the resulting liquid iron into products. Prior to that only copper could be used, which was nowhere near as strong or durable as cast iron. Casting iron was a very important step forward for metallurgy.

The Chinese made cast iron more than 1000 years earlier than the West. The first Western iron foundry dated from AD 1161, by which time the Chinese were already using cast iron in buildings. Early examples of this were pillars for full-size pagodas. Cast iron was not used for construction in the west until 1779 when the Iron Bridge near Coalbrookdale was built. From then on cast iron was used extensively in construction, providing the frame for many buildings including high rise buildings.

Oddly the only product that cast iron was extensively used for in the west prior to the Iron Bridge being built was for cookware. Cast iron is still a very popular material for pots and pans despite many lighter alternatives being available. Heat is evenly distributed throughout the pan meaning that the food cooks evenly. Cast iron pots and pans are so durable that they are often passed down through generations of a family. Cast iron ovens began to be made in the 1640s and many of them still work several hundred years later.

Cast Iron pipes began to be made at the same time as cannon in the early 1300,s. The first record of them being used for drainage is in 1455 at Dillenberg Castle, Germany. The oldest cast iron water pipes still in use date from the 17th century. They were installed to distribute water throughout the gardens of the Chateau de Versailles. In 2008 Saint-Gobain PAM were employed to restore the 35km system and were able to leave in place 80 sections of the original pipe, which was by then 340 years old.

Today, cast iron is still used in construction mainly because of its durability. The other advantage to cast iron is the fact that it is so good looking and versatile. Fitting a cast iron water system to a building is a worthwhile investment.

Want to find out more about cast iron gutters and cast iron products, then visit Sam Gobain Pam for the very best advice and deals.

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Beautiful, Durable Cast Iron

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Cast iron is a great material for a rainwater drainage systems. It looks is durable, strong and beautiful. Its strength allows it to resist attempts at vandalism or removal by thieves, and it will be able to cope with even the heaviest rain or snowfall.

You mainly find cast iron rainwater drainage systems on the outside of listed buildings or those in conservation areas. However, in reality cast iron guttering and downpipes can add a touch of class to virtually any building, regardless of its age or architectural style. Thankfully, in many parts of the world conservation laws now mean that old cast iron systems have to be replaced with new systems made of the same materials, giving an ailing highly skilled industry a much needed boost.

Because cast iron can be painted any colour it is much more versatile than other rainwater drainage systems, which come in very few colours or designs. Cast iron comes in many different styles, with new ones being developed all the time to keep up with modern architectural trends. Adding a cast iron rainwater drainage system to a modern building instantly gives it an upmarket look. This is especially true of large buildings, such as office blocks or shopping centres.

Cast iron is an environmentally friendly product that is made largely out of recycled iron and steel. Using it can really help to save the planet. It is so durable that it will easily last a 100 years, in that time you would need to replace most modern systems made out of other materials at least 3 times over, a fact that adds to the products environmental credentials.

Cast iron has several less obvious advantages including the fact that because it is much more solid and rigid than other systems you never get that annoying gushing noise in heavy rain that modern systems suffer from. This makes it ideal for communal buildings and buildings such as offices or hospitals were noise levels need to be minimised.

The perception most people have is that a cast iron system will easily rust and require a great deal of maintenance, this is completely untrue. Cast iron is naturally rust resistant, but does still need to be protected from the elements. It needs painting every 5-10 years, how often depends on the climate in your area. Because it is so solid you do not get the loose bracket or broken pipe issues that you get so regularly with plastic or modern rainwater drainage systems.

If painting the system so regularly is daunting, then buy from one of the companies that coat their cast iron system with thermoplastic coating powder. The finish is baked on in the factory, so there are no small holes through which water can enter and spoil the finish. This finish lasts much longer than normal paint.

Want to find out more about cast iron gutters and cast iron products, then visit Sam Gobain Pam for the very best advice and deals.

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