Foamslag flats under construction at Penilee, c 1942. Penilee was one of the few housing schemes to be built during the Second World War, because of the need to accommodate additional workers recruited by essential armaments factories on the Hillington Industrial Estate.
Foamslag was developed by the Research Section of the Housing Department in 1938. It is a cellular lightweight aggregate derived from blast furnace slag. At a time of material shortages, it had the advantages of being cheap, quick and permanent. The experimental houses at Penilee were finally given the seal of approval by the Government's Burt Advisory Committee on Experimental Construction in 1944.
Reference: D-AP9/33
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
aggregates, armaments, Burt Advisory Committee on Experimental Construction, council houses, factories, foamslag, Glasgow Corporation, Hillington Industrial Estate, Housing Department, housing estates, housing schemes, prefabricated houses, prefabs, Second World War, slag