Basic Site Details

Name: Foamslag factory, Amulree Street
Town, district or village: Tollcross
City or county: Glasgow
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status:  
Grid ref:
Notes: The Tollcross precasting factory was the centrepiece of the Corporation's attempt to devise its own heavy precast-concrete prefabrication system employing 'foamslag' (steelworks waste) as aggregate. The concrete panels were to be large, storey-height slabs, for the casting of which a factory and mobile cranes would be necessary. The factory was a steel-framed structure, mostly on one storey, with concrete floor, 'Everite' corrugated asbestos cladding and low-pitched roof. It was arranged around two parallel linear flows from east to west, each beginning at an unloading bay and cement store, and proceeding through a mould filling bay (with flanking aggregate bin, and upper-floor section for mixing and pouring), curing ovens, and stacking floor to the outgoing loading bay. Cost of factory, £80,600.

Alternative Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:
 NameCurrent name?Notes
Item 1 of 1Tollcross precasting factory  

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Factory  

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:
 AddressMain entrance?Notes
Item 1 of 1Amulree Street  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 51945 Build/construction 
Item 2 of 51947 * OpenedPlant cost £90,000
Item 3 of 51950 Alteration/conversionFactory converted to production of small-scale precase components such as lintels and sills
Item 4 of 513 June 1952 *  Closure - designed to produce 2,000 houses per year, but reached 1,120 houses over five years. Failure partly attributed to switch to multi-storey construction, which relies less on foam slag. £71,000 written off with closure, with premises to be disposed '... to best advantage.'
Item 5 of 51981 Destruction/demolitionSite demolished and redeveloped with private housing

* earliest date known from documented sources.

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 2Glasgow Corporation Housing Department (later Architectural & Planning Department, Glasgow Corporation) A19441945With J H Ferrie as Chief Architect
Item 2 of 2John Hogg Ferrie A1944 Responsible for design as Chief Architect in the Housing Department

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2ed. Nicola Hamilton1981From Spitfire to Microchip: studies in the history of design from 1945  London: Design Councilp59
Item 2 of 2Glasgow Corporation Housing Department1947Report on Foamslag Construction and the Foamslag Factory   

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Builder13 June 1952  p900

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 1Strathclyde Regional ArchivesGlasgow Dean of GuildGCA DG 1944/156