Sky Scaffolding Midlands Ltd have completed the task of providing a bespoke temporary roof and access scaffolding solution to Porsche, Reading.
The project was undertaken on behalf of dynamic construction company MCS Group Ltd whilst vital repairs were undertaken on the luxury car dealership.
Damage and Repairs
With the glass atrium roof of the Porsche dealership no longer complying with safety regulations, Sky Scaffolding were contacted by MCS Group Ltd to provide a temporary roof and specialist access so vital repairs could be carried out, including the replacement of glass panelling.
To provide the necessary platform needed to carry out the repairs a 27 x 13.5 x 14 metre birdcage was erected within the atrium. This included a beam section over the stairwell to provide extensive access throughout so materials could be conveyed within and repairs undertaken.
Sky Scaffolding also erected a 25m long temporary roof spanning 15.5m above the building where the remedial works were taking place to provide protection from the elements. The roof solution was designed so it was retractable, providing greater versatility, allowing the new glass and materials for the atrium roof to be safely transported via crane to and from the platform.
A Layher system staircase was also installed to provide greater access for materials to be manually transferred from ground level to and from the roof.
Altogether it took a total of six weeks for Sky Scaffolding to complete the total scaffolding and temporary roof solution.
Bespoke Solutions – RMD Kwikform
When designing the retractable temporary roof system, the building roof structure was originally going to be used as structural support whilst works were undertaken. Unfortunately, tests carried out showed that the existing roof was unable to support the temporary structure, so a new solution had to be designed.
To overcome this problem, Sky supported RMD Kwikform Slimshor soldiers off the top of the internal birdcage in a horizontal position to protrude out of the narrow side walls at the top of the atrium. The temporary roof was then built up off the soldiers so that no additional load was put on the existing fragile roof. RMD Super Slim soldiers are normally used as raking shores or supports in civil engineering applications, and Sky’s use of these components in this way demonstrates their innovation and ability to devise bespoke solutions to overcome any situation.
Safety Considerations
Public and employee safety are of the highest priority for Sky Scaffolding when designing scaffolding solutions. In this particular project, extra precautionary measures were taken as work was being carried out during business operational hours.
Due to limited access to vital areas of work, some materials had to be manually transported through the Porsche customer service area throughout the day, requiring extra care to be taken to ensure public safety at all times.
