Specialist: Hayton, Aberdeen – Aberdeen City Council
Project: Hayton, Aberdeen
Client: Aberdeen City Council
Value: £1.5M
Project Reference Number: C12
Award Date: December 2012
Completion Date: April 2014
Relevance: Multistorey Access & works, in a Registered Social Landlord environment
Hayton is an area within Aberdeen City. The scope of the original contract was to replace the balcony screens on 5No 18 storey blocks. On each floor level there were 4 private balconies and 1 shared balcony. In addition to replacing the screens we were contracted to undertake concrete repairs to the balconies and waterproof the top surfaces.
Access for the work was achieved using Skyform’s Skytrack system. This is a patented access system with vertical rails attached to the face of the building on to which a suspended cradle is fastened with shoes. The cradle is always kept a uniform distance from the building and much less affected by winds than traditional cradles.
The properties remained occupied during the period of the works and to ensure tenant’s safety after the old screens were removed galvanised weldmesh Panels were fitted over the access doors. Removing the old screens and lifting the new screens into position was a challenge.
One of the disadvantages of using suspended cradles is the restricted safe working load which can be carried. The solution employed was to use a lifting beam cantilevered over the roof edge with a remote controlled winch. This method ensured that the screens could travel up or down the buildings at a similar speed to the cradles but with no load being carried by the cradles other than the operatives. During the contract period Skyform were invited by the council to negotiate a parallel contract to undertake structural repairs on all areas of the blocks. The negotiating process was entirely open to ensure the council obtained best value.
Before