SPOTLIGHT
VOLCANIC ERUPTION
Traditionally used in heavy-industry, basalt is an extremely durable and easily cleaned material making it ideal for use as flooring. Sarah Robinson caught up with Ray Moorehead of the Greenbank Group; an engineering company, which is diversifying into providing the unique tiles to the catering and hospitality sector.
Basalt is dark-coloured fine grain rock, which commonly forms in lava flow and actually makes up most of the world’s oceanic crust. Interestingly, it can also be found on the Moon, Mars, Venus and asteroids. The Greenbank group has capitalised on the strength of this volcanic rock through specifiying it for heavy-duty wear applications across all of the UK’s heavy industries. With basalt tiles used to line bunkers, hoppers, chutes and pipes in the large industrial mineral processing and energy producing plants for many years. Now The Greenbank Group, world leaders in the development and delivery of product service solutions for heavy industries, are integrating into the flooring trade.
The company obtains their basalt from a partner in the Czech Republic who for some time now has been installing
the tiles in breweries, distilleries, cafes and restaurants. Ray Moorehead, Sales Director at Greenbank, explained: “We spotted an opportunity with the current trend for microbreweries and independent distilleries in the UK. We see niche areas where a brewer wants to establish his own brands at his premises and extend the facility to include a pub or restaurant, as basalt decorative tiles are perfectly suited aesthetically as well as practically.”
Basalt is also non-porous, making it exceptionally easy to clean. Unwanted spillages and surface liquids can be easily drained away. There is almost no maintenance involved as it can simply be washed down, and because it’s resistant to most chemicals it’s remarkably long-lasting.
Basalt tiles are so durable, in fact, that they are the world standard for the motor industries test tracks with skid- pans testing the breaking capabilities of vehicles. Ray continued: “The beauty of basalt is that whatever the climatic conditions it reacts the same way, be it freezing in Stockholm or baking hot in the Nevada desert where these tracks have been built.
“The tiling has already proven popular in the European distillery sector as they can so easily withstand the heavy duty of a brewery barrel handling plant, while also being a unique eye-catching decorative alternative to screeds or other types of flooring in cafes, bars or restaurants.”
The volcanic tiles are created through crushing the basalt, and melting it to form shapes. It can then be used to produce standard designs, or
14
www.tomorrowsfl
ooring.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64