Replacing the entire glass façade of a 160-metre Johannesburg high-rise is not a job scaffolding can handle. Limited ground space, restricted access points and complex building geometry ruled out traditional methods. Consequently, SkyJacks designed a custom-engineered suspended access system specifically for the project.

A tailored approach to access

SkyJacks supplied 12 custom cantilever suspended platforms in three sizes – 4m, 7m and 8m long, each 0.5m wide. Custom suspension arrangements, engineered anchorage systems and certified support structures held them in place. The platforms ran on Alpha-800 hoists with 9mm wire ropes, fitted with specially modified restraint brackets and soft rollers where the façade demanded them.

‘Every building has its own engineering challenges,’ says Stephan Naude, Operations Director at SkyJacks. ‘Success comes from understanding the structure, anticipating risks and designing an access solution made for the project instead of using a generic system.’

Engineered for safety

Each platform carried a working load of 360kg and underwent load-testing to 450kg. Detailed structural assessments, engineering calculations and load analyses backed every component. Certified anchorage, strict testing procedures and on-site safety protocols ran throughout the project, which completed with an excellent safety record.

For Naude, safety is inseparable from good engineering. ‘As an industry, we should never view safety as merely a compliance task. It needs to be part of the engineering process from the start. When a suspended access system is well-designed, thoroughly tested and operated by capable teams, it promotes productivity rather than limiting it.’

Built to adapt on a live site

A four-person specialist installation team worked alongside the main contractor to install and maintain the system. As the refurbishment progressed, work areas shifted and new requirements surfaced. The suspended platforms could be repositioned and reconfigured quickly – far faster than dismantling and rebuilding ground-supported systems. SkyJacks also supplied additional platforms and equipment adjustments beyond the original plan to keep pace with the changing scope.

Early involvement, better outcomes

For Naude, the project reinforces a straightforward principle. ‘Access should never be an afterthought. Involving engineering specialists from the earliest planning stages allows projects to benefit from safer execution, improved co-ordination and adaptable solutions as site conditions change.’

Ultimately, the result is a case study in what bespoke engineering brings to complex high-rise work. When access is designed around the building rather than forced onto it, safety and productivity move in the same direction.