Lakeside Shopping Centre, Perth, WA
One of Perth's largest shopping centres, Lakeside attracts 11.6 million customers annually, and provides visitors with a top end retail precinct.
)
The situation
One of Perth's largest shopping centres, Lakeside attracts 11.6 million customers annually, and provides visitors with a top end retail precinct.
Access was required for maintenance to the fire sprinkler systems and the emergency lighting. However due to recent upgrades which saw the glass roofed atriums replaced with a solid roof and false ceilings, the previous method of access was no longer possible.
The fragility of the new internal ceilings meant that there could be no load applied to them and finding a system that was able to provide access had proved difficult for the client.
Pre-fab welded steel systems were not an option as the time delays that would have resulted from manufacture meant the project schedule would never have been adhered to. Their weight was also a major engineering concern and something which could have caused load issues. And the transportation of such bulky components would have seen costs soar to an unacceptable level.
Additionally, the location of the systems within the roof cavity, made the use of steel systems not a feasible choice due to the welding/hot works that would have been required in standard steel stair, platform and walkway installations.
Adesa Services
Solution
"We quickly concluded that a suspended walkway system was the only option that was possible." Murray Voss, Kattsafe Technical Manager stated. "This would allow safe access to the roof space without compromising the integrity of the newly installed ceilings. Also, lightweight aluminium construction meant the system would be nearly a third of the weight of steel walkways."
The complex system was initially designed using our Builda configurator online program which provided the client with a clear concept of the finished product.
)
Detailed drawings were then produced with our technical department confirming that all the systems were correctly engineered to withstand the potential loads.
Kattsafe's production team began immediate manufacture on the suspended walkway and what had seemed an impossible deadline soon saw the despatch of another Kattsafe system.
As the job was located in Western Australia there had been concerns that freight costs might blow out. Shipping these components as completed welded systems would have been a huge financial strain to the project, especially all the way across Australia.
However, due to the modularity, components could be delivered flat packed and then constructed in situ using the patented T-bolt. This was a huge saving in both costs and time for the installer and client, not to mention the reduced stress of knowing that if minor modifications were required they could be done on-site without specialist tools or welding/hot works.
)
Fully engineered and manufactured in accordance with Australian Standards, Kattsafe's suspended walkway was able to offer the client a solution that perfectly fits into the roof space but enables workers access to safely and easily perform their maintenance tasks with no risk of damage to themselves or the structure.
)
)
)
)