A change in sequence designed to move handrail installation away from height and make edge protection part of the precast-panel installation methodology.
Post-tensioned slabs make drilling a more serious conversation.
On the Kuatro high-rise project, the existing edge-protection system required drilled fixings into the completed PT slabs. That created an obvious concern: nobody wanted an edge-protection fixing to become the reason a PT cable was damaged.
NON-DRILL approached the problem earlier.
On the first of 11 floors, Paul worked directly with a Kuatro team member to show how the required anchors could be positioned during the concrete pour.
Once the slab was completed, NON-DRILL could connect to those planned points without drilling new edge-protection fixings into the finished PT slab.
The best time to avoid a drilling problem is before the concrete is poured
PT slabs are a very good example of why temporary works should be part of the design conversation.
Once the slab is complete, every new fixing becomes a location question.
· Where are the tendons?
· Where is the reinforcement?
· Where can drilling occur?
· What checks are required?
If the project already knows edge protection will be needed, there is another option: consider the connection while the slab is being planned and poured.
That doesn't eliminate engineering. It brings the engineering forward. And that is the broader principle NON-DRILL wants project teams to consider:
If you already know you will need the connection later, why wait until later to decide where it goes?
Good temporary-works planning does not necessarily mean adding complexity to the permanent structure.
Often, it means making a relatively small decision at the right time so a much more awkward decision does not have to be made later.
Planning a high-rise precast project? Talk to NON-DRILL about whether the edge protection can be fitted before the panel reaches height.