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- IQ Opal Court, Leicester
IQ Opal Court, Leicester
The challenge
The client required the removal and replacement of four high-level Automatic Opening Vent (AOV) units at the iQ Opal Court student accommodation. The project involved a partnership with a third-party contractor, Fire Fix, who specialized in the units themselves but lacked the means to access them safely and efficiently at height.
Traditional access methods presented significant hurdles:
Prohibitive Costs: The scale of scaffolding required for such a specific, high-level task was financially unviable.
Logistical Constraints: The building’s proximity to adjacent train lines created complex safety and permitting issues for Mechanical Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs) or heavy machinery.
The Solution
The Eurosafe Rope Access Team developed a site-specific strategy to bypass the ground-level constraints. By utilizing industrial rope access, the team eliminated the need for heavy machinery and trackside coordination.
Key Technical Solutions:
Rope Access Temporary Anchorage: Secure, non-permanent anchor points were established to allow technicians to descend to the AOV locations.
Harken Lokhead Winch: This manual capstan winch was the centerpiece of the lifting plan. It provided the mechanical advantage necessary to safely facilitate the controlled lifting and lowering of the heavy AOV units without traditional craneage.
The outcome
By removing the logistical "noise" of scaffolding and MEWPs, the team was able to focus entirely on the technical replacement of the units. The project was not only safer and more cost-effective for iQ Student Accommodation but was also completed ahead of the anticipated schedule, minimizing disruption to the student residents.
Rope access provided the surgical precision needed for this project, allowing us to bypass the complications of the nearby rail infrastructure while delivering a faster turnaround for the client.
