Installation of Span+ & ClassicScreenWall, Albion Park, NSW

12,500 SQUARE METRES!

That’s how big the roof area was on this new shopping centre at Albion Park where we installed no less than eight screened platforms for HVAC&R equipment. It measured more than one quarter of a kilometre in length…so our installers definitely maxed out their step counts each day!

The rafter mounted Span+ platforms were all different sizes with the biggest one being 20,000 x 7200mm. The castellated beam design enabled the platforms to distribute their loads across large spans between the rafters. The super-lightweight bolt-together frames (just 19 kg per square metre) were easy to carry into position and, as such, could be assembled five times quicker than conventional platforms. They didn’t require any welding or cutting on the roof as they were prepared millimetre-perfect for assembly in our Manufacturing Centre of Excellence.

The Span+ platforms sit on specially designed stub columns which enter a small hole in the roof material (our version of “key-hole” surgery!) and are clamped to the rafters below. There is no invasive drilling into the roof supports. The non-invasive nature of the attachment not only contributed to the speed of the installation but also meant that there was no need to evacuate people below. Business could continue as per usual. Different sized columns enabled the platforms to sit horizontally despite the roof pitch, which in this case varied between 1.5-2 degrees.

Despite the lightness of Span+ the combination of its ultra-strong structural material and clever dispersive design means it has the strength and durability to support the biggest loads.

In order to hide the unsightly HVAC&R equipment from the surrounding residential area and visiting shoppers we attached a custom designed screen to each platform. The ClassicScreen featured 2400mm high modular steel panels (made in our Manufacturing Centre) covered in a visually attractive Colorbond Monument colour. As well as being a visual barrier they have a functional purpose…the spacing between each panel allows air flow (18%) through to the plant equipment to ventilate it.

We enjoy big projects like this one because they provide us with another opportunity to demonstrate our engineering prowess, production capacity and rapid turnaround.

Check out the video for a close-up of the project below!