The PROBLEM
Access to ceiling areas in commercial spaces can be tricky. This particular location required re-coating of the q-deck ceiling, and the steel HSS truss. Factor in pedestrian access for a busy theatre, escalator access between floors, and mall vendor’s setup on the ground level two floors below; and you have one interesting challenge. The client was looking at a scaffold access cost of around 75k alone to safely setup access for this work location. This is before even factoring the labour
and material costs.
The SOLUTION
Our team was on site performing NDT/Visual inspections when our client approached and asked that we look at the ceiling challenge. Our Rope Access Manager was able to propose a solution that used a hybrid of rope access and fall protection within the roof truss’. With suspended catch nets and tarps below we were able to contain any debris from the process and our specialized riggers were able to rig access to the entire ceiling to re-coat the q-decking, roof truss, and
elevator structure. This solution did not impede customer foot traffic, and allowed the mall vendors below the work location to stay in place.
Left Photo: Before-The photo shows the area of work that needde to be re-coated and the complexity of the ceiling trusses. Scaffolding, person-lifts, and cranes would have been too intrusive and too expensive.
Right Photo: After- The ceiling is now neutral, as the original colors were outdated. While in position, the client also contracted our Electrical Rope Access team to replace 3 old light fixtures with LED’s and install an additional 3 LED lamps at new locations.
The RESULTS
The project was completed in half the time using rope access rather than scaffolding. Eliminating 50ft of internal scaffolding saved the mall 38% (42k) of the projected cost. And our unique approach was not obtrusive, which allowed the mall vendors to continue doing business the whole time. What can your maintenance team accomplish with an additional $42,000?
WHAT NEXT?
Do you have a project that could have potential for rope access? Unsure how rope access is actually implemented? Need more concrete numbers to compare? Fill in the form below to get started on how you can use rope access on your next project.