From buildings of low complexity to the most complex architectural projects, gantries can be a practical, cost-effective and flexible component of many building maintenance solutions.
Consisting of an aluminium or steel truss on the sides with a deck or steps made of galvanized steel grate, gantries can be a particularly suitable building access solution where there is limited roof space available for a BMU or where building features are hard to reach. For instance, where a roof area is not load bearing and cannot be safely accessed on foot, where a ceiling is not accessible from the floor below or where access is required for a structural feature above roof level, such as a cone, a dome or a pyramid. Gantries can also be installed on the inside and outside of a skylight to safely access both sides of the glass and most effectively maintain what is often a crucial feature, both in terms of the aesthetic of the building itself and also in providing a welcoming, open and light filled space throughout.
CoxGomyl’s range of standard gantries and our ability to develop customised building access solutions means there is a great degree of flexibility in what can be achieved with gantries. We can manufacture gantries and tracks in steel or aluminium which travel either manually or electronically along and around building features such as skylights. In terms of minimising the visual impact of the building access machinery, gantries can be designed as horizontal, inclined, curved, telescoping or cantilevered systems to meet the individual projects demands and therefore blend with the architecture of the structure. If provided with a parking area, they can be entirely hidden from sight when not in use
The Shanghai World Financial Center in China is an example of a highly complex facade access solution which utilised a gantry for a key part of the building, this was, at the time of completion in 2008, the tallest building in China at 492 metres with the highest observation deck in the world at 474 metres. The unique design features included a custom gantry to facilitate regular and convenient access to the all-important feature of the glass-clad observation bridge at level 97.
One Central Park in Sydney is a highly sustainable building is home to 85,000 facade plants with 1200 square metres of green walls in total. To aid the sustainability of the plants CoxGomyl designed and supplied a moving roof gantry covered in reflective glass panels. The panels assist by directing sunlight onto the plants.
Another imaginative and unusual architectural achievement is on the International Commerce Centre, in Hong Kong. CoxGomyl designed ten BMUs to provide a fully integrated access solution to both the building facades and the specially designed ‘dragon tail’ feature. A telescoping gantry was designed to service the ceiling inside the ‘dragon tail’. When not in use, the gantry retracts into a garage and is completely hidden from view.
In a wide range of building projects, gantries form a vital part of the facade access system, offering impressive functionality which is tailored to meet the challenges the building presents and the best solution for the building access needs. Click here to learn more about CoxGomyl’s gantry systems.
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