Construction on the North Shore Health Hub in St Leonards—another addition to an already significant health precinct—continues to progress well, with an estimated completion date of mid-2020.
Property developers Dexus enlisted the services of Sydney-based boutique construction company Roberts Pizzarotti, who in turn contracted Marques Formwork for formwork.
During basement construction, workers were installing steel reinforcing, which according to plans was to be placed 3.4m up from the floor. Steel fixers experienced a challenge with using standard equipment, as it meant ascending and descending frequently to move along the wall for drilling and installation.
Marques Formwork contact Sydney-based height access company SafeSmart Access for a solution. Within hours, SafeSmart’s representatives were on site to assess the situation.
SafeSmart’s answer was the use of platforms made from components from their modular stepover systems. For this particular application, stepovers with a 4m-long platform accommodated single-ascent access along more of the wall, so embedment of more rebar could be done in a shorter amount of time.
Using the option of vertical steps, the units could be placed right up against the wall without any contact with the ground-based reinforcement already in place around the perimeter.
Beyond this immediate use, these platforms have since also proven handy in other areas thanks to their modular nature, and/or the option of being able to quickly crane an entire unit from floor to floor as the project progresses.
The modular stepover platforms are rated to carry multiple persons for working from it at the one time, and they meet industry regulations AS1657 for that product category.
Sturdy and stable, these lightweight yet strong aluminium platforms have saved Marques Formwork and Roberts Pizzarotti a lot of time and money on site, thanks to the ease and speed of deployment and redeployment.
