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Telescopic Jib Crane – Integrated Deployment System

Special Handling Solutions

The Challenge

Abford House is a nine-storey, predominantly glass-faced building that was constructed opposite Victoria Station in London in 2009. Perched on the top is a dramatic curving roof nicknamed ‘the bonnet’, completing the building’s striking aesthetics. As a result, a unique solution was required to access the building’s exterior.

To maintain and clean the building’s external facades, a building maintenance unit (BMU) would be deployed from a crane on the top. The key challenge was not to interfere with the building’s visuals, maintaining a continuous and unbroken roofline.

The Solution

ARX designed and installed a one-of-a-kind 22-metre telescopic jib crane deployment system, integrating a section of the curved roof into the crane itself.

The crane travels the length of the building with the roof section safely secured above. Once cleaning and maintenance work is complete, the system disappears from view, retracting back into the roof-mounted garage, with the integrated roof section acting as the garage door.

Technical Details

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