KOMBI® Suspended Walkway - Accessing New Heights

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.

Solution

"We quickly concluded that a Suspended Walkway System was the only option that was possible." Murray Voss, Technical Manager stated. "This would allow safe access to the roof space without compromising the integrity of the newly installed ceilings. Also, KOMBI's 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 KOMBI Builda online program which provided the client a clear indication of the finished product.

Conceptual Design - produced in the KOMBI Builda.

Detailed drawings were then produced with our technical department confirming that all the systems were correctly engineered to withstand the potential loads.

SAYFA's production team began immediate manufacture on the Suspended Walkway and what had seemed an impossible deadline soon saw the despatch of another KOMBI 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 KOMBI's modularity, components could be delivered flat packed and then constructed in situ using the patented KOMBI 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, KOMBI 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.

What are the Advantages of Aluminium vs Steel?

The use of steel in the construction of access systems such as Modular Aluminium Suspended Walkways, Stairs and Platforms has been considered the go-to material for many years. A common misconception is that aluminium is much more expensive. Whilst there can be minor material cost savings if choosing steel, it's important to look at the bigger picture and factor in the cost of labour, transportation and heavy lifting equipment such as cranes that can impact significantly on the final project cost. Read our detailed comparison of Aluminium vs Steel to learn why we choose aluminium for our systems.

Additionally, KOMBI's lightweight construction enables personnel to easily carry and manhandle the components within maximum handling guidelines. Read our article, Be Safety Smart to find out more about how we are mitigating the risks of injury to your workforce.

Proudly Australian owned and manufactured in Australia, KOMBI Systems are constructed of lightweight aluminium and are designed to Australian and New Zealand Standards AS 1657 and AS/NZS 1170.

KOMBI Modular Aluminium Suspended Walkways, Stairs and Platforms are totally flexible, and their design is only limited to your imagination.

Last minute changes to site conditions or structures are no problem due to the innovative KOMBI T-Bolt which allows height and angle adjustments to suit any variation.

The KOMBI T-Bolt – unlock the key to modularity on your next project!

Contact the team on 1300 072 651 or info@kombiaccess.com.

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Find out more about the unique KOMBI Suspended Walkways.