EXCEL-LING
A customer of Southdown’s for over 25 years, going back to the Jones/Iron Fairy days has been busy inventing. And come up with the EVACSTAC prefabricated, modular fire escape that can be retrospectively installed to virtually any existing high-rise building. Basically an ‘anti-Grenfell’ device, the units once installed come complete with fire hose compatible water supplies, grade A steel access stairs and refuges for those with mobility issues.
There’s been huge interest in them and in order to get the maximum exposure for this truly lifesaving concept, they were booked into the IFSEC 22 fire and safety exhibition at Excel, London.
It’s fair to say the job had its share of wrinkles. Bringing 4.25 m wide modules out of Battersea, round the M25 and then positioning and stacking them on a floor with surprisingly low ground pressure ratings, not to mention just over 1.00 m clearance between the top of the pod to the underside of the ceiling structure.
Fortunately, we’ve got some of the best crew in the business. Whilst one team were charged with the move, other men went to the Excel and marked out the positions to the nearest millimetre. So that when the waggons arrived they could pull into position and work safely with the minimum of fuss.
Pictures courtesy of Nick Briody
PDF Specifications for the Job