Sydney, Australia,
2022
Transparent barriers for hospital
Initial situation:
The Northern Beaches Hospital in Sydney engaged our Australian partner "Tensile Design & Construct" to design, supply and install barriers for its atriums. The hospital identified safety issues in the two seven-story atriums and recognized that additional barriers were needed.
The mission of this project was to integrate effective barriers that create the necessary security while ensuring airflow and visibility through the floors.
Customer requirements:
- As an upgrade to an existing building, the barriers were to be designed to connect to existing structures and support the necessary loads. Overall, the barriers should not appear as a retrofit, but as part of the original project.
- There were only limited structures to which barriers could be attached. Architectural extensions of these structures were not possible for various reasons.
- Hospital operations continued as usual despite the work, in an environment subject to strict COVID controls, including testing.
The solution:
- Through well thought-out design and installation procedures, our partner Tensile developed a solution that met all requirements. Webnet stainless steel nets (60 mm mesh, 1.5 mm rope diameter), mounted on tubular steel frames, were used. These frames are in turn attached to the existing balustrades.
- In order to verify and ensure feasibility in advance, the architectural solution was worked out and realized as a prototype.
- The Webnet frames were prefabricated outside the actual construction site. Thus, much of the work took place off-site. This reduced the workload on site. This allowed the Webnet frames to be installed without interrupting hospital operations.
The benefits:
- Webnet is a light, translucent material. Excellent for creating transparent barriers that allow airflow, natural light to enter and visual connections between levels.
- Webnet is approved according to DIBt (Z-14.7-557) as horizontal and vertical fall protection. The installed barriers offer maximum protection against falls and jumps. They also prevent objects from falling or being thrown over the edge.
- To increase the aesthetics of the Webnet barriers, Webnet ID elements have been integrated. These elements blend very well with the existing decorations on the glass balustrade.
- The entire realization of the project took six months, from design to completion. A very quick result for such a large installation
(Source: Tensile Design & Construct)
(Photos: Guy Wilkinson)
