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roof hatch

The sky is the limit for the Riverside Museum, Glasgow, with the help of Bilco UK

Building Products Index Ltd Access Hatches, Roof Hatches Leave a Comment

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Glasgow Transport Museum 4Housing the Glasgow Museum of Transport, one of the UK’s foremost transport and technology collections, the Riverside Museum reflects Glasgow’s historic role as a centre of shipbuilding, train manufacturing and engineering.

Previously located in a former tram depot on the Glasgow South Side, the Transport Museum’s exhibits have moved to The Riverside Museum, designed by renowned architect, Zaha Hadid.

The museum’s iconic and beautiful design dominates its riverside location, whilst paying homage to the heritage of its surroundings. Crucial to the museum’s flowing design is its roof, which curves and undulates and continues around the east and west sides of the building to constitute the majority of the external structure.

glasgow transport museum1Silver-grey zinc panels complete the effect, placing the building firmly in the context of the River Clyde. As part of the roof construction, Bilco UK was commissioned to manufacture and supply a E-50TB Roof Access Hatch, in addition to two ESW-50REM Smoke Vents, to meet strict requirements for convenient access and building safety regulations.

Both the roof access hatch and smoke vents were custom-designed to unique specifications by Bilco UK’s in house team and clad in zinc to create a seamless, aesthetic  finish with the museum’s distinctive roof.

Expertly engineered to meet the requirements of Manual Handling Regulations, the E-50TB Roof Access Hatch allows for regular and convenient maintenance by facilitating easy one-handed operation. The Access Hatch will enable engineers with small tools to safely access the roof to conduct essential maintenance, whilst its overlapping cover design, fully welded corners and insulated cover ensure both weather tightness and energy efficiency to deliver the highest standards of longevity for the museum.

Bilco Zinc-clad E-50TB Roof Access Hatch installed at Glasgow Transport MuseumSpecified to ensure strict adherence with relevant fire safety regulations, the two ESW-50REM Smoke Vents open to 140 degrees in the event of a fire within 60 seconds, guaranteeing the highest standards in fire safety and allowing for the venting of smoke, heat and noxious gases in the event of a fire.

Mark Baird, Sales Operations Manager at Bilco UK, said: “Knowing that Bilco UK’s products are part of such a unique and ambitious project, especially one which is so architecturally significant, is incredibly rewarding. The Riverside Museum is a great example of how taking a bespoke approach to roof access solutions can achieve unparalleled aesthetics, without compromising on convenience or safety.

“Not only do our custom-made access hatches and smoke vents integrate seamlessly into the overall design, they also offer the highest possible standards of fire safety and efficiency.”

Open to Glasgow to the North and the Clyde to the South, the museum’s interior is complex, inviting visitors to snake their way around the various exhibits. The building “flows from city to waterfront, symbolising the dynamic relationship between Glasgow and the ship-building, seafaring and industrial legacy of the river Clyde.” (Zaha Hadid).

For further information on Bilco UK’s complete range of roof access solutions, visit www.bilcouk.co.uk or call 01284 701696.

Staying safe: The successful specification of roof ladders

Building Products Index Ltd Uncategorized Leave a Comment

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According to the latest RIDDOR Report, 111 workers were killed between 2019/20, with the largest proportion of fatal accidents being a fall from height.

The appropriate provision of ladders is essential to ensuring the safety of all individuals, particularly with regard to roof access, and must be addressed at the initial stages of a building’s design to ensure long-term suitability and fulfilment regarding duty of care.

Here Tony Stevens, Technical Estimator for Bilco UK, explores the key factors professionals should consider when looking to specify roof ladders for upcoming projects and how to ensure compliance with the legislation outlined in Approved Document K.

Ladder location and usage

Bilco S-50T Roof Access Hatch installed at Brentwood Community HospitalThe first considerations that must be addressed when specifying a ladder to gain roof access is where the ladder will be mounted and the requirement of any additional safety elements to ensure the safety of the individual at all times when the product is in use.

If a ladder is to be mounted externally to gain access to a roof, it must be fitted with a safety cage and guard rail to ensure safe and secure access.

Where frequent access to the roof area is required for maintenance personnel, tools and equipment, a companionway roof hatch like the CS-50TB, which is a larger elongated access hatch, should be chosen.

The companionway ladder is a 75 degree angled, rigid ladder, which provides permanent access to a roof hatch of up to 2440mm.

For a small roof access hatch, such as the Bilco E-50TB, which has internal dimensions of 915mm x 915mm, a fixed vertical ladder should be specified. In this instance a retractable ladder would not be recommended, as the ladder angle would hinder easy access as an individual moved closer to the hatch.

ladder-wcage-video-screenshotHowever, retractable ladders are ideal for use in areas including schools and hospitals where the roof hatch is bigger in size and the floor area must remain clear at all times. The ladders can be mounted above a ceiling and are compatible with additional vertical backboards that include steps and a handrail for enhanced safety and security and have a maximum size of 1500mm. Dependent on each project’s specific requirements, the ladder can also be supplied with fire rating to meet relevant building regulations.

If access to the roof area via a smoke ventilator is required, such as the Bilco ESW-50REM, a retractable ladder is not appropriate. The construction and mechanisms of a retractable ladder would prevent the flow of smoke through the vent, making this style of ladder unsuitable for safe and clear access. A fixed vertical ladder is the only recommended style to use in conjunction with a smoke ventilator due to the small footprint.

Ladder height and suitability

When specifying a retractable ladder, it is essential that you know the height of the space between the ceiling and the roof, more commonly known as the roof void. This is to ensure the ladder box liner will fit inside the space once retracted.

Calculating the height of the floor to the underside of the roof access hatch should also be done at the initial stages to ensure the ladder isn’t too short or long. It may seem obvious, but this is an area that is commonly overlooked!

Importance of collaboration

Poledance 1 lowThere are a range of elements that must be addressed when specifying ladders, particularly when gaining access to a roof. To ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and to ensure the long-term safety of individuals when using the ladder, it is vital that all considerations are sufficiently addressed at the initial stages of a building project.

By working closely with manufacturers and taking a proactive approach, professionals can ensure the ladders specified are not only fit for purpose, but safely and successfully meet the unique requirements of each development.

For further information on Bilco UK’s complete range of roof access solutions, visit www.bilcouk.co.uk or call 01284 701696.

From medieval priest doors to a modern means of access…

Building Products Index Ltd Roof Hatches Leave a Comment

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Bilco UK has supplied an innovative replacement roof hatch for a medieval church in Norfolk. St Mary’s is one of the 653 churches within the Diocese of Norwich. It is an interesting and unique site with three medieval churches sitting within one churchyard.

St Mary's Church Roof Access Hatch copySt Michael’s, was refurbished in 2011 and is used as a community hall and for worship.  All Saints was devastated in the Great Fire of Reepham in 1543 and only the ruins remain.  St Mary’s is a Grade 1 Listed building situated within Reepham’s Conservation Area. Listed for its rich history and architecture features the flushwork flint and stone parish church is thought to date back to the 13th and 14th century.

When it came to providing a means of safe access to the roof area a product was required that was both technically and architecturally suitable.  Medieval Masonry Ltd, (http://www.medievalmasonry.co.uk/) a specialist contractor in restoration and conservation of historic buildings with over 50 years of experience in the industry, installed Bilco UK’s S-50VMTB VersaMount® Replacement Roof Hatch.  The innovative S-50VMTB VersaMount® was specified by the architect as it meets the technical specification needed for products in this type of refurbishment project.

Architecturally, the product enables the replacement of a roof hatch onto the existing curb without the need for re-roofing. This is both economically savvy and sustainable. The low-profile VersaMount® curb features a built-in flange and apron and innovative anchor clip system to ensure a fast, secure, and weathertight installation.

When access hatches are installed in elevated, historic fabric, such as church towers and spires, they are exposed to all weather conditions, particularly driving rain. Ensuring an access solution that will provide a durable weathertight system is imperative if water ingress is to be avoided.

The VersaMount® is ideal for Listed Buildings and other Designated Heritage Assets.  Such sites have unique characters and when restoration and conservation is needed they require carefully considered quality design solutions.

The ergonomic design of the VersaMount® allows for ease of use.  The hatch has been engineered with compression spring operators to provide a smooth, easy, one-hand operation, regardless of size.  An automatic hold-open arm with grip handle release ensures safe egress. For further information call 01284 701696 or visit www.bilcouk.co.uk.