Lyndon SGB and Taylor’s Hoists are providing a ‘total access’ package for leading contractor Lendlease on the landmark new development at One Bishopsgate Plaza, in the heart of the city of London.

ONE Bishopsgate Plaza will be the first high-rise residential and hospitality development built in the City of London for many years.

Taylor’s Hoists which is part of Lyndon SGB’s vertical access division has 6 of their Alimak hoists in use on the 135-meter high construction project.

Lyndon SGB has designed and installed 2 large scaffold towers on the project that they say, ‘has been strategically placed’ so as to not to affect the landing gate maximum openings, at the same time working around the building columns.

One Bishopsgate is expected to take 76 weeks to build.

Taylor’s Hoists Divisional Director, Paul Price, said: “This is a great project for Taylor’s Hoists and Lyndon SGB to work on together – providing the project with excellent vertical access. One Bishopsgate Plaza has been a prestigious job that we will remember for a long time. It has been great working with the Lendlease team along the way, who have supported us with all we have tried to achieve, and it really wouldn’t have been the success it is without the efforts and support put in by all.”

Speaking about the detail of the project, Paul added: “The design element was absolutely critical. The hoists had to lift maximum loads, not just in weight, but also in size, utilizing the cages size to its maximum capacity.

“The Twin Alimak Scando 650 25/46 XL cages were positioned over an existing inspection tunnel, which was a huge consideration due to the loads the hoist imposes at the base. And the hoists had to fit within certain limitations between and around columns at each floor, that change position further up the building.

“We also needed to allow for a maximum amount of glazed cladding to be installed, that comes up tight either side of the hoists, as well as providing weather protection at the building opening where the hoist was positioned, so fit out could commence without the worry that certain fixtures and fixings that will be complete before the hoist is dismantled and removed are not a risk of being damaged by rain or flooding on floors.

“Installations of the hoists were progressive. And to ensure we didn’t delay the project, these were planned to start in late Friday afternoon and over the weekend – with hoist being handed over to site managers, ready for action on the Monday morning.”

The Taylor’s Hoists and Lyndon SGB teams also supplied hoist way protection over and above the norm – these also became part of the landing edge protection, with 2.4m high mesh panels providing a coral around the landing gates on each floor.

As usual, safety elements for the massive hoists were critical, with all calculations compiled in collaboration with the hoist manufacturer, passed by the main contractor.

Paul added: “This type of high-rise installation requires heavier duty components to start with – to accommodate the loads when the full install is in place. Each tie position was scrutinized to ensure we had the smallest loads going back through the building structure and hoist components.

” We invested more than £5,000 on Heras fencing panels, feet and restraints to provide a solid/temporary exclusion zone around the hoist every install, adhering to Lendlease GMR’s. The exclusion zone would then be locked whilst works were being carried out, ensuring our work area was free from other people and trades.”

And with an eye on environmental responsibility, the Taylor’s Hoists team kept test weights on site, thus reducing the project’s carbon footprint, with fuel used and time taken for deliveries and collections made.

Interestingly, the Taylor’s team has conducted more than 20 thorough examinations and structural tests over the six vertical access hoists on the project to date, with more to follow.

Paul concludes: “The standards we have provided on this project are some of the highest we have ever provided in our award-winning hoists business to date. The detail has been enormous – from the weather protection we supplied, the hoist way protection and protection of edges and holes within the floor slabs, supply of saloon doors covering the small gap between the hoist cage and hoist landing gates, to ensuring small materials that are not sufficiently secured when taking in and out of the hoist cannot fall from height. It’s been epic.”