Situated in the heart of Cape Town, just minutes away from the V&A Waterfront, sits 117 On Strand Street. It is a multipurposed building that recently underwent further development with the addition of new apartments and office blocks. The building houses a Virgin Active Gym, three floors of premium grade office blocks, two floors of retail stores and 117 luxurious apartments. All of these have ample parking included – a luxury in Cape Town.
Working in unison with Compass Glass and Mazor Engineering, Group 5 Construction were appointed as the primary contractors. These well-renowned companies sought only the best products, that would provide durability, innovation, practicality and relevance to the task. And so, they turned to another well-renowned company, and hence Sika products were sourced.
The insulated glass units were bonded to each other in the Compass Glass factory using the Sikasil® IG-25. Thereafter the insulated glass panelling was bonded to the powder-coated metal frame using the Sikasil® SG-500 and Sika® Aktivator-205 in the Mazor factory. The Sikasil® IG-25 and Sikasil® SG-500, are two-part silicone sealants. Sikasil® IG-25 is ideal as a secondary edge seal for insulating glass in structural glazing applications. It is used in combination with Sikasil® SG-500, which is a two-component structural glazing silicone.
Thereafter, the glass was fitted on site at 117 On Strand Street and finished off with a final seal using Sikahyflex®-305 AP as a weather sealant. This is a one-component neutral moisture curing weather sealant, designed for weatherproofing where durability under severe conditions is required. It has excellent resistance to water and is UV stable. For the test of time, Sika® Aktivator-205, an adhesion promoter on various substrates i.e. aluminium and steel, was applied prior to the Sikasil® SG-500, for that extra-special bond.
The primary challenge for this project was to have it completed in just one-and-a-half years. Using Sika products, this seemingly impossible task was made possible. The project that began in May 2018 was successfully completed in November 2019. The 117 On Strand building was left with a beautiful meticulous finish. The perfect architecture with strategically placed glass windows and panels all around, provides awesome views over the Atlantic Ocean, Table Mountain and the Mother City.
Sika is a specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protecting in the building sector and motor vehicle industry. Sika has subsidiaries in 100 countries around the world and manufactures in over 300 factories.
Its 25 000 employees generated annual sales of CHF7.88-billion in 2020.
