Designed by Renzo Piano, the 310 metre tall skyscraper is to be clad entirely in glass. As part of its stunning aesthetic, the 87-floor tower features a stunning 15 floor steel-framed spire made by specialist contractor Severfield-Reeve. Medway Galvanising will provide galvanising and powder coating to the steel balconies set to be installed on floors 78 to 87.

Medway Galvanising will use its HGV fleet to collect all the steel from the fabricator’s facility before delivering a one stop service that includes galvanising and powder coating. A customised powder coating finish using Interpon RAL Design 000 9000 30% Matt will be applied, ready for a fast installation where the pieces will be lifted into position and bolted up at height.

When completed in 2012 the Shard will dominate London’s skyline, towering over One Canada Square which has been recognised as the city’s tallest building since 1991. Thanks to Medway Galvanising, the Shard’s top 10 floors and its visual focal point will benefit from a durable and attractive coating that is guaranteed for 25 years.

Medway Galvanising, which began trading some 28 years ago, quickly built up a solid client base and by 1993, was looking to expand still further. It identified huge potential in the fast growing powder coating market and incorporated new plant to complement its successful galvanising operation.

This also proved a success with the company now providing its services to more than 1,000 customers. The logical next step was further expansion with investment into a new purpose built shot blasting facility allowing the company to grow into new market sectors and provide  the most extensive metal finishing services in the South East.

By providing shot blasting services up to standard profile SA3, the new facility adds further value to Medway Galvanising’s offering to form a one stop shop for a customer’s steel finishing needs. Now, the company can galvanise, powder coat, strip and shot blast all architectural and structural steel to meet the needs of a diverse range of customers.

Few companies are able to offer such a range of flexible closely linked services:

• Shotblast + Galvanising provides thicker micron coverage and improved corrosion protection for over 75 years (based on minimum compliance and 140 microns coverage).
• Shotblast + Powdercoating is the ideal internal application and while the lack of galvanising offers no corrosion protection, it does mean that internally any steel project can be coated with a splash of colour to bring alive a staircase or decorative feature. An excellent example of how effective this can be is at Heathrow Airport where Medway Galvanising shot blasted and powder coated a huge range of works in the major airport’s investment programme particularly Terminal 3.
• Shotblast + Galvanising + Powdercoating provides all of the above and a much improved finish in terms of colour and variety of aesthetic finishes.

The fully approved shot blasting room is acknowledged as the most efficient way to remove a large number of surface contaminants. No other process is more suited to removing undesired layers of grease, rust or previous coatings.

Operating to BS EN 15773 standard (an architect’s work instruction), Medway Galvanising is responsible for the quality and durability of all its coatings and therefore liable!

The blame culture that can be so prevalent in the construction industry is soon to be a thing of the past as architects and specifiers alike, can be sure that a single site operation, or one stop shop, as it is also  known, will guarantee the quality and timing of delivery to ensure budgets and penalties are kept to an absolute minimum.

Architectural metalwork engineer Alan Dawson Associates has been a regular customer. “We had many surface finishing problems when using different companies, each blaming the other for any surface defects.  This ceased immediately once we had trusted our works to the one stop shop at Medway Galvanising.”

“With our industry sector becoming more and more competitive, we believe it is important to offer our customers a reliable service, as well as a wide range of steel treatments and finishes, all under one roof,” explained Colin Grant, Managing Director of Medway Galvanising. “Our customers know that their logistical headaches are reduced, their finishes will be unparalleled and their options almost limitless. Both specifiers and fabricators alike can rely on Medway Galvanising to deliver the finishing touches to every project they deliver, on time, every time.”

With a reputation built on excellence, Medway Galvanising specialises in providing a complete galvanising and steel finishing service to a broad customer base across the south east. Established in 1984, its continued commitment to growth and development positions the company as the region’s leading steel finishing services provider.

Appointed by main contractor W.S. Atkins on behalf of Medway Council, bespoke architectural metalwork specialists Claydon Architectural Metalwork (CAM) designed and installed a new railing system that would run alongside the redeveloped riverfront and around a play area in Watermill Gardens. Using the company’s patented tube crushing techniques, CAM produced attractive and secure decorative railings that would provide excellent edge protection.

“We designed and installed over 300 metres of railings on Strood Waterfront, all of which needed to be galvanised and powder coated. For this, we turned to the unrivalled quality and service of Medway Galvanising,” said Phil Pizey, Owner of Claydon Architectural Metalwork. “Thirteen years later and the railings continue to look as good as new which shows why we use Medway Galvanising every time.”

Medway Galvanising applied its hot dip galvanising techniques, followed by a matt blue powder coating finish to the new metalwork.  Hot dip galvanising provides a tough, long lasting finish which when combined with powder coating offers an aesthetic, colourful and durable coating that will last for many years.

Operating to stringent quality control processes and fully accredited to all the latest BS and ISO standards, the galvanising process provides at least 25 years worth of corrosion protection often considerably more. As the redevelopment of Medway Towns begins to take shape in the next 20 years, the regeneration of Strood Waterfront and its extensive riverside railing system will continue to look its best thanks to Medway Galvanising.

A child’s safety is always a parent’s top priority, a belief shared by RBC when beginning the refurbishment of its major parks and play areas. As part of an Action Plan to improve its play facilities, the RBC replaced all of its spring-loaded gate systems with the safer and more durable Mono Hinge Self Closing Gates.

Medway Galvanising’s Mono Hinge Self Closing Gate proved the ideal solution for RBC, offering no exposed mechanisms, no slamming plates and no finger traps or crush points – dramatically reducing the potential for accidents. After a series of successful installations, RBC completed a comprehensive replacement programme  with the installation of 25 Mono Hinge Self Closing Gates.

“After years of problems with spring-loaded gates, we found the safest and most reliable solution in the Mono Hinge Self Closing Gate,” said Richard Davidson, Play Area Technical Officer at Redditch Borough Council. “We have completely replaced our old gates with the Mono Hinge over a four year period, and so those unfortunate incidents will now be a thing of the past.”

The Mono Hinge fully complies with BS EN 1176 standard for play equipment and all current Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) recommendations, making it ideal for long-term refurbishment programmes.Assembled and supplied as a complete unit, it enables a fast and easy installation process to the client’s exact specifications, without costly and time-consuming site works.

Specified by more than 100 councils nationwide, including Redditch Borough Council, the Mono Hinge Self Closing Gate is setting the benchmark for safe, secure and practical public access.Regarded as one of the safest gates available, the Mono Hinge also leads the way in user-friendly design, robustness and aesthetics.

The Mono Hinge makes finger traps and crush points a thing of the past, as the gate opens to 110 degrees to prevent recoil. It also easily incorporates varying closing speeds and torsion settings, making it virtually impossible to beat when it comes to safety.

Children’s playgrounds are filled with an array of swings, slides, climbing frames and soft flooring, all intricately designed to provide safer and more fun places to play. However, for the design and specification of the area’s enclosure, this is often left to the last minute by planners – leading to the installation of inadequate equipment.

Precision engineered to be reliable, risk-free and robust, the Medway Galvanising Mono Hinge Self Closing Gate is one of the safest gates available. It is fast becoming the number one choice for local authorities and organisations looking for accessible and durable gate solutions without any compromise on safety.

As the modern alternative to old-fashioned steel or timber gates, the Mono Hinge Self Closing Gate has been designed to offer easy installation and be extremely low-maintenance. It can open left or right, as a single or double gate, and is assembled and supplied as one complete unit so work on-site is kept to a minimum and made as easy as possible.

With a colourful, easy-to-install and intelligently designed appearance – it’s also one of the most attractive gates around. Fully galvanised by Medway Galvanising to protect it from corrosion for up to 60 years, the gate can also be powder coated with a choice of colours to meet any specification.

Tested to over 500,000 cycles, it is fully compliant with the European Standards for Playground Equipment BS EN-1176. The Mono Hinge Self Closing Gate is also wheelchair accessible and complies with DDA regulations, making it the ideal choice for long-term refurbishment and renovation schemes.

Mono Hinge Self Closing Gates fully comply with the British Standard for play equipment, BS EN-1176, as well as all current DDA recommendations, making it ideal for long-term refurbishment programmes. Over a period of three years, DDC has installed  a number of Mono Hinge Self Closing Gates in 10 parks and play areas as part of a continuous improvement scheme to help children play and stay safe.

To meet the minimum requirements as stipulated in the updated DDA Regulations, the gate must provide an opening of 1000mm, with any new play areas offering a gate opening width of 1200mm. The Mono Hinge Self Closing Gate proved ideal for meeting both standards as it provides an opening in excess of 1200mm.

DDA Regulations also state that pedestrian gates should contrast with the fencing, either by a contrast in design or colour. Replacing the council’s existing gates that blended seamlessly with the fencing enclosures, the Mono Hinge Self Closing Gates were supplied predominantly in yellow for a bright, attractive and eye-catching finish.

Fully galvanised as standard to deliver proven long-life corrosion protection for up to 60 years, the Mono Hinge Self Closing Gate can be powder coated in a vast range of colours to suit every need, with the quality of the coatings backed with the long-term guarantee as standard with market leader Medway Galvanising.

The Mono Hinge Self Closing Gate has now been specified by more than 100 councils, showing that it is fast becoming the nation’s preferred choice for safe, reliable and durable access in its parks and play areas.

Measuring three metres across and weighing nearly half a ton, Kent based steel finishing specialist Medway Galvanising have cleaned up the Guinness World Records holder and given it a smart new protective coating which will keep rust and corrosion at bay for years to come.

The massive wok, originally made in 2000 by Tony Hancock, owner of Hancock Ltd, Kitewell Lane, Lydd, was originally used to raise money for charity, but in recent years it has been largely abandoned and left to the elements.

“It seemed such a shame to let it rust and corrode” said Tony. “We decided instead that as one of the biggest suppliers of woks in the world we should have it restored and placed on our roof as a symbol of what we do.”

“Medway Galvanising were up for the challenge of shotblasting and galvanising something not often seen in this specialist industry,” said Ian Vandepeer of Medway Galvanising. ‘The unusual size and shape required an innovative solution when it came to hot dipping and the end result proves how robust and durable a galvanising finish can be”.

With its smart new protective coating, the world’s biggest wok is now protected from the weather and sits proudly on the roof of the Hancock Ltd head office for everyone to admire.

Contractor Advance Fabrications required the galvanised steel for the main staircase in a brand new three story teaching block. The company designed the staircase and supporting structure which is comprised of over fifty pieces of steel. The steel was then hot dip galvanised by the skilled team at Medway Galvanising’s state of the art facility located in Sittingbourne. The staircase was then assembled and erected by Advance Fabrication on site. The completed staircase not only provides efficient access between floors of this busy teaching block but has a durable and low maintenance finish that can meet the demands of this future proof school.

“We have used Medway Galvanising on a number of projects and have consistently been impressed with the excellent quality of their work and quick turnarounds” explained Adrian Theodore of Advance Fabrication. “We are always very happy with the helpful and efficient service Medway Galvanising provides and look forward to working with them on our future projects.”

As part of London Borough of Haringey’s Building Schools for the Future and built by main contractor Apollo Education, the Woodside Learning Campus (ILC) is located on the current Woodside High School site and comprises two special schools alongside the mainstream school. This large scale project comprises the new build of three teaching blocks, the refurbishment of the three existing buildings and external landscaping of the campus.

Kent based steel finishing specialist Medway Galvanising stepped into the frame with a galvanising and powder coating solution that not only was in keeping with the ornate design but also ensured the long term protection of this distinctive Edwardian architectural feature.

Medway Galvanising know full well that steel and sea water make a corrosive couple and with this seafront property exposed to the elements year after year, it was clear the structural integrity of the first floor balcony had been severely weakened by salt water corrosion and was in danger of collapse. Contractor OBE Fabrications was called upon by a private client to replace the stanchions and balustrades of the balcony.

Medway Galvanising recommended hot dip galvanising and then a matt black powder coating finish to the new steelwork. Hot dip galvanising is tough, long lasting and combined with a powder coated topcoat will offer a high level of protection for the balcony, shielding it against the elements for at least 25 years, whilst still offering an attractive and smooth glossy finish. ‘The powder coating finish was excellent’ said Paul Osborne of OBE Fabrications. ‘Medway Galvanising offers a fast turnaround on their work but never compromise on quality. Their prices are competitive too.’

With a reputation built on excellence, Medway Galvanising specialises in providing the complete galvanising and steel finishing service to a broad customer base across the South East. With 24-hour operation, an expert logistics department and a modern HGV fleet, they can provide a rapid and responsive service to customers on any project, any size.

One of London’s most prestigious addresses, Globe House in Temple Place, has undergone an extension to its existing facilities including a series of new balconies and railings. Located on the River Thames and without a galvanised coating, the extension’s untreated metal would have been at risk of severe corrosion.

To provide unrivalled, long term defence against the elements with a vibrant, durable finish, Kent-based steel finishing specialist, Medway Galvanising, applied a comprehensive galvanising and powder coating solution. Operating to stringent quality control processes and fully accredited to all the latest BS and ISO standards, Medway Galvanising ensured all works were completed to the highest quality possible to provide a low maintenance finish and long lasting performance, with a 25 year guarantee.

The largest components treated measured some 1.1m tall by 2.5m long with an average 85 micron coating of zinc being applied in line with BS 729 – the standard at the time of the application. Non-toxic, 100% recyclable and totally sustainable, the zinc used in galvanising helps to reduce maintenance needs and cut waste, making it the most cost-effective, environmentally friendly way to provide a robust yet colouful system of protecting steel from corrosion.

Once galvanised, an Interpon D 25 polyester powder coating system in grey was applied, taking the total micron coverage up to around 180 microns. Medway Galvanising has built a reputation for achieving exemplary standards of finishing and powder coating durability, based on many years of experience and dedication to compliance in accordance with the new standards of BS EN 1461, BS EN 13438 and BS EN 15773.

The Managing Director of AW Jeffreys, Mr Peter Gilbert commented: “It was a relief to find Medway Galvanising – a company willing to undertake both the galvanising and the powder coating of metalwork, instead of having to bring them back here after the first process – fettle them – and then send them off for painting.”

“In fact, we have found Medway Galvanising’s level of service and ‘turnaround’ to be top rate. The company does very high quality work and the Globe House project demonstrates how well the coatings endure in aggressive environments.”

Constructed in 1998 and offering superb views over the River Thames, Globe House features a combination of masonry, glass and architectural metalwork in its contemporary design, contributing to the aesthetics of Temple Place. Just a few hundred yards east of Charing Cross, it is located between The Embankment and The Strand.