Fascade Glass Removal & Replacements in a smart way!

A Singapore based client, wanted to bring a power generator into its data centre at 6^th and 7^th floor of a building which was enveloped with facade glazing & facade ACP. The generator could not have been brought otherwise either through stairs or through service lift and hence the need for opening up the facade was devised. The client approached “Glasshoppers” for the following facade retrofitting services:

• To open up the facade glasses at the 6^th and 7^th floor of a live facility.
• To reconstruct facade, once the generator has moved in.
• To also to create a customized facade system to move-in or move-out generator as and when needed.

The client was pretty emphatic in spelling out their requirements but what are the challenges in opening up an existing facade, that to somewhere from the middle of it.

Believe me, its good damn interesting!

Challenges:

• Scaffolding cannot be installed not because of a live facility but not possible to support scaffolding from GF to 8^th floor, as the facade does not have a void to support.
• Not only the facade Glasses to be removed but the facade structural members too. The structural members at the 6^th and 7^th floor to be fully removed, however the system below and above these floors has to continue.
• Water should not seep in through facades either during the time of construction or post construction.
• Aesthetics of the existing facade elevation to be retained.
• A manageable move-in or move-out fascade glazing system to be created. 

Solutions:

Yes the facade was accessed, through Industrial Rope Access Professionals instead of scaffolding and in-fact the whole work was installed through rope access.

Before facade glasses were removed, a new set of glasses, mullions, transoms and flashing sheets were ordered and stacked ready at site.

The facade system was designed and built as move-in & move-out, bolt and nut system.

The facade glasses were removed; mullions and transom were cut and terminated at 6^th floor sill and 7^th floor soffit level. Thus a huge void was created and the generator was crane lifted and brought in.

The new system was ready to install and we installed it and the periphery was flashed with ACP sheets so that there was no water ingress.

The whole work whether you call it facade retrofitting services, facade restoration services or facade glass replacements services, we completed it in 7 days time.

Should you need any works at heights services or any facade maintenance services or industrial rope access services, write to us @ jayanth@4ccs.in