Sky Scaffolding have supplied the curved scaffolding around Beetham Tower in Birmingham, home to the Radisson Blu Hotel. Layher Protect Panels were used with printed vinyl for the ultimate in construction site aesthetics.

This scaffold was required to support a suspended facade access cradle for cleaning of the glass clad structure, and minimising the impact on the businesses and other users of the building was of utmost importance. The inability to tie to the building and restrictions on the scaffolding pavement permit also presented significant challenges to overcome.

Cradle support gantry erected using system scaffold on a high street in Birmingham City Centre

Key Features

  • Splay scaffold structure
  • Integrated hoarding system
  • Printed vinyl on hoarding
  • Secured access to the scaffold
  • Bridging over glass canopies

Bespoke Scaffold Design

The design of this scaffold was quite a challenge, there were two glass canopies to bridge over, we were unable to tie to the building facade, and the building is curved. In addition to this, hoarding and netting had to be attached to the scaffold, and there were limits to the leg loads permitted on the pavement.

Sky Scaffolding worked together with Layher’s Technical Team to produce a splay scaffold design that met the requirements of the design brief. The canopies were spanned with 750mm aluminium beams and we tied the scaffold to the canopy supports. We also put controls over the live load on the scaffold in order to minimise the amount of kentledge required.

External view of Radisson Blu Hotel in Birmingham with curved cradle gantry scaffold and large beam spans over main entrances
Grey steel hoarding to scaffold on a Birmingham high street
Integrated steel hoarding system with grey vinyl wrap, with secure access door to scaffold ladder access
Cradle gantry scaffold outside the Radisson Blu Hotel in Birmingham, with grey steel hoarding and beam span over main entrance

Vinyl Printed Hoarding

The aesthetics of this scaffold structure was very important to our client, the hotel was to remain open throughout the works and the works were not to affect the guest’s experience. We used Layher’s Protect System for an integrated hoarding, minimising the footprint of the works, and we had grey vinyl printed and affixed to the panels for a very clean appearance.

  • Rear entrance to the temporary building with set buildings inside and Wonka sign in the foreground
    Lights, Camera, Scaffold!
  • Scaffold for traditional new build care home in Coventry with blue site hoarding and crane in the background
    New Build Care Home – Bond’s Lodge
  • Droplift scaffold with shrinkwrap containment over live highway in Nuneaton.
    Hydrodemolition on Bermuda Bridge
  • Buttressed access scaffold with netting on Coventry Council House.
    Coventry Council House