Architects and consultants need to consider service staff that require regular and safe access to dangerous and inaccessible areas within airport buildings.
Rostek from Finland has a smart solution for this by delivering bespoke, permanently installed window cleaning cradles, gantries and ladders as well as BMU monorail access systems for terminals and control towers.
Box ladders for control towers
It is well documented that control towers need efficient and innovative systems for window cleaning where dirty windows can be a real safety hazard. Modern control towers normally have Rostek aluminium box ladders which go along aluminum tracks around the external facade of the tower. The inclined facades can easily and safely be reached and the box ladder can be parked away on the less important side of the tower. The box ladders are tailor-made for each project and aesthetics can be considered in parallel to function and safety.
Monorails and gantries for terminals
Terminal buildings are mostly large, relatively low buildings with an aesthetically shaped roof. Facades are vertical or slightly inclined. The ideal solution to reach the external and internal facades is the use of a Rostek monorail system with a suspended BMU cradle. Monorails can be inclined and will follow the shape of the roof and installed in such a way that they are almost invisible. The patented Roslift climbing trolley from Rostek is able to climb even vertical tracks, enabling safe access to the external facades without any disturbance to aircraft, vehicles or people moving around the terminal building and without any increase to the total height of the building structure.
For cleaning or maintenance of skylights as well as for maintenance of lamps and other technical equipment in the ceilings, Rostek offers permanently installed gantry and ladder systems. These can move above and below the skylights and ceilings without disturbance to passenger traffic.
Fixed walkways and guardrail systems
Service personnel also need safe access to external roofs so various fall protection systems are needed for roofs that incline. Fixed walkways and guardrail systems (commonly called collective protection systems) in aluminium are increasingly popular compared to traditional safety line systems (individual safety systems). Latest safety regulations are clearly also in favour of the collective systems.
Safe and cost-efficient systems
The total price of these Rostek systems is normally less than 1% of the building value. It is easy to calculate that the pay-back time is very short. This can be further improved if the equipment is installed so early that it can be efficiently used during the construction period, as use of scaffolds and temporary machines can dramatically be reduced. Often this also speeds up the construction schedule.
Early and professional planning is essential for getting the best results from permanent access systems. Rostek provides a consultancy service for all architects and consultants and results worldwide are very encouraging.
Safety has improved and efficiency of terminal buildings and control towers is better than ever.