Roof-Pro are pleased to report the successful completion of a £22k project to provide bespoke roof access systems for the Royal Derby Hospital.

The Royal Derby Hospital is located on the western outskirts of the city of Derby and is the newest hospital in the East Midlands. Opened in 2010, the hospital consists largely of flat roofed buildings housing a number of building service units and a helicopter pad providing a landing space for air ambulances.

A new building has recently been added to the hospital complex, housing an MRI scanner and associated equipment. An MRI scanner requires cooling as part of its normal operation, and so needs to be connected to a chiller unit outside the building – in this case on the roof. An MRI chiller generally requires a service check at least once a quarter, so it was essential to provide easy and safe rooftop access to the unit. In addition, general air handling units (AHU’s) were required for general ventilation. Roof-Pro were also asked to design and build roof access systems for the new building.

Our Area Sales Manager, Maria Driver, worked closely with two key contractors: Mellor Bromley Mechanical Services, who were delivering the chiller and AHU units; and Derwent Valley Construction, who were responsible for the fabric of the rooftop.

This was a multi-component project consisting of the following elements:

• Provide stable, non-penetrating support for the chiller and AHU units.
• Provide a waterproof method of bringing cables and pipes from the service units down into the building.
• Provide step-over access to the chiller support platform enabling the units to be serviced and inspected by maintenance personnel.

The project involved a combination of standard and bespoke components, all designed and built by Roof-Pro. The main elements were:

Chiller Support Platform – This was a bespoke component, which needed to take into account the weight of the unit and the load bearing qualities of the roof. It required the use of large steel girders which were specially designed for the purpose.

Roof Penetration Box – We based our solution on the Roof-Pro PP-3 access riser, which ensures a watertight seal for the point at which the chiller unit’s power and water cabling pass through the surface of the roof.

Step-Overs – These were designed to fit the chiller platform and surrounding roof structure. To achieve the required design we tailored components from our Roof-Pro step-over system.

This was a unique project requiring high attention to detail to meet the specific requirements of the hospital. However, bespoke rooftop access solutions is our everyday work, and so was very much “business as usual”. The components were all delivered and installed on time and within budget, enabling the primary contractors to complete their projects on time.

Roof Access Systems from Roof-Pro

Roof-Pro supply a range of roof support and access products for contractors to order and install, including walkways, platforms and step-overs. But we can also provide bespoke design services for specific projects as required. With more than 20 years’ experience behind us, we combine the cost-effectiveness of a comprehensive range of standard components to deal with typical rooftop installations, backed up with the technical expertise to provide tailored solutions as required.

Roof Access Systems – Find out more about our roof access products here, or call us on 01536 383865.