Barclays Building, Canary Wharf

Client

Faithful and Gould

Duration

1 week

Location

London

Sector

Construction

Orb Rope Access was asked to carry out a visual and tactile façade safety inspection of the Barclays Building, One Churchill Place at Canary Wharf, London.

The brief

The client wanted the building inspection to be completed safely and efficiently. It was important that, due to its location in the heart of the finance district of London, there be minimum fuss and disruption to the daily operation of the building.

The building

One Churchill Place is a 156 metre tall skyscraper with 32 floors. It is the 13th-tallest office block in the UK, and the 6^th tallest building in the Dockland area. One of the elevations is positioned directly over dockland waters.

Rope access preferred to Building Maintenance Units

Rope access was considered the safest and most versatile option for this survey inspection. It was preferred to Building Maintenance Units (BMUs) that provide limited mobility for this kind of work due to the use of cradles. Likewise, BMU operatives often lack the training needed to carry out the inspection efficiently.

Rope access is self-sufficient, allowing the experienced Orb Rope Access survey team to inspect the building thoroughly and produce detailed inspection reports. There was no requirement for ground level machinery, allowing everyone who uses the building to go about their business as usual.

Being asked to work on huge skyscrapers is always exciting, especially in London! The job was to carry out a visual and tactile inspection on the Barclays building in Canary Wharf. "The building is approximately 130m tall, with one of the elevations over the water. The logistics of this and working in a busy city building where very interesting but with our team having strong communication with the client, building managers and the general public the project went smoothly and we have been asked to carry out similar projects by the client."

Matthew Lavery

Director, ORB Rope Access

What our clients say about us

Absolutely delighted with the outcome of the works, can't praise ORB highly enough for the all elements of the project, will certainly be using them again on any future projects.

The gutters on our building had not been cleaned for some years. In places they were choked with vegetation and this was causing water ingress into the building whenever we had heavy rain. Access, because of height was an issue. Orb Rope did a fantastic job and resolved the water ingress problem which had become a big concern. The technicians came when they said they would, carried out the work they said they would and left the area clean and tidy. The work was done promptly. We found the technicians knowledgeable and helpful. We would have no hesitation in recommending your company.

“Orb Rope Access have run several projects at Scarisbrick Hall. We have found them to be efficient, reliable and have completed their works on time and on budget. We would have no hesitation in recommending them. Well done Matt and team, keep up the good work.”

" I have worked with Matt and Orb since 2010, on many various tasks within the stadium and training ground, this includes floodlight painting and lamp changes, high level window cleaning, maintenance and repairs to various roofs to include tin, plastic and fiberglass roofs. The fitting of new high level signage and banners, and many other jobs. They helped to develop our rescue plan for our own engineers when working on the floodlights. They are always available when we have had storm damage, working well into the night to complete repairs. I would not hesitate to recommend them to any other company for any type of rope work/high level maintenance, and have done on several occasions. "

"Orb Rope Access have completed numerous projects at St Johns for the past 5 years; Including the reseal of the famous St Johns Beacon! I find them professional, reliable, and very financially competitive. They are a highly recommended contractor of mine and a joy to work with."

"Orb Rope Access were introduced to us as we required a high-level structural inspection solution. Given the nature of the project we needed a service partner who could provide excellent levels of safety coupled with knowledge and capability in delivering the standards we required. Orb didn’t fail to impress, there attention to detail and professionalism throughout the process was second to none."

"I have had the pleasure of working with Orb rope access on a few roofing projects now, and have to say that despite the difficult nature of the work that they do in terms of access they also have an ability to transfer that expertise and attention to detail to the work carried out on site. Top work from a top company!"

"Inleaf specialise in the design, installation and maintenance of living walls throughout the UK. Living walls, by their nature, often require specialist access for installation and maintenance and so we commonly work with Orb Rope Access to provide specialist advice and assistance with projects that require abseiling access. Orb Rope Access have always been friendly, straightforward and professional to deal with. We've found them to be 100% reliable and excellent at working closely with our team when on site, either following specific instructions or using their own initiative when required."

This is the second time we have used Orb for high-level work. We are very satisfied with the job done. The team arrived on site at exactly on time, kept me informed of progress and provided photographs of the completed work for my records. I would have no hesitation in using the company for future work.

Here at Liverpool Cathedral , as you can guess there is a challenge to gain access to problems at height. We have used the services of ORB for several years now and they provide us with a professional and safe service which is beyond our means.

Before ORB came to us for roof work it was very difficult to find anyone who would go on the roof. Scaffolding is very expensive. The men who come to carry out the work are polite and a pleasure to deal with and St Oswald's are so grateful for their expertise.

Roof Repairs and Maintenance: St John’s Church

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Get In Touch

At Orb Rope Access we are very proud to be an IRATA Member Company and hold Safe Contractor status. If you are looking for a trusted partner to assist with projects that require working at height or confined space, please get in touch for a no-obligation quote or by calling 0781 333 9064.