Szerelmey Restoration Limited, the specialist in restoration and conservation of buildings has advised the owner of Cannon Bridge House, London, EC4, on repairs after its facade was struck by a high loaded lorry.

On the back of Szerelmey's advice a 12 week, £175,000 contract commenced which included the removal of the entire granite cladding to the east and west facades. This enabled a thorough inspection of the fixing system to be carried out. Individual pieces of granite were examined and subjected to a dye test to ascertain whether any granite had fractured. Pieces that had were destroyed and replaced with new material.

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The original fixings were found to be prone to rotation and did not aid movement. A new system was designed that incorporated the use of the existing stainless steel channels which formed part of the support structure.

A detailed survey showed the buildings cavity varied in width. The new fixing system now accommodates both vertical and horizontal movement caused by vibration which is particularly important due to the buildings close proximity to Cannon Street station and the regular vibrations it endures from trains.

Mark Chivers of Szerelmey commented: "This was a challenging job for Szerelmey and we believe that the new fixing system will ensure a longer life for the cladding and the durability of the building as a whole."

CBRE was the contract manager. Szerelmey undertook the work for Cannon Bridge Properties Limited.