When an innovative new access solution was required for a major office accommodation development in Cambridge, construction access specialists SGB was quick to answer the call and provide a solution which combined mastclimber units with a special monorail system. The resulting access solution provided maximum flexibility for the site construction personnel, while helping reduce both costs and installation times.

“The Station Road development comprises two 8-storey blocks which now offer luxury office accommodation,” explains SGB site manager, Mark Newton. “We were approached to become involved by façade installation specialists Dane Architectural. Their teams were going to be installing glass reinforced concrete columns and large areas of external glazing, and so would require an access solution that combined maximum flexibility with maximum safety.”

Responding to the challenge, the SGB team worked closely with Dane Architectural to develop a bespoke solution that would satisfy Dane’s specific requirements. The result was a system based on a series of mastclimber base units surrounding each building, which were then connected together at the top to create a unique monorail system. This allowed the Dane teams to use hoists positioned on the working platforms to raise materials up. The individual platforms were then able to move horizontally along the monorail, thus providing the teams with far better access to the building’s facades than would have been the case with alternative solutions.

“The flexibility and enhanced level of access made the installation process far easier and faster than it might otherwise have been,” adds Mark. “By providing simultaneous access to different parts of the buildings the system shortened the installation schedule and so helped reduce costs. Having hoists positioned on the platforms also meant that façade materials could be lifted into position without needing to tie up any the main site cranes.”

“The SGB solution proved to be both innovative and very effective,” adds Gary Redhead of Dane Architectural. “One of the main attractions was that it offered access to multiple areas of the facades at the same time. That degree of access speeded up the proceedings and it certainly made life easier for our installation teams.”

For more details, visit www.sgb.co.uk, call 01372 381 300, follow ‘SGB a BrandSafway Company’ on Linkedin, or @SGB_Brand_UK on Twitter.