Giant Inflatables - RKR engineering Encapsulation Inflatable Shelters Get latest price

Read more...

To contact Giant Inflatables about Giant Inflatables RKR engineering Encapsulation Inflatable Shelters use Get a quote.

Background

RKR Engineering provides comprehensive project engineering rail equipment maintenance and infrastructure upgrade services. They are specialists in the field of design, fabrication and installation of steelwork and remedial engineering

The Challenge

They required a light weight structure that could be set in place very quickly and totally encapsulate their work area. The work area was on a rail bridge where a bridge girder required the stripping of lead based paint. There existed also a very tight timeline and overhead power lines to contend with. Lastly it had to be produced in 3 weeks from design to deployment.

The conventional system for encapsulation by constructing a scaffolding frame and cladding it with a plastic membrane was not practical because of the extended time it took to safely construct and the proximity to overhead power lines. An added concern with such structures is the use of plastic, which is considered an environmental risk.

This job required a structure which could be very rapidly deployed below the height of the power lines,

was versatile in shape and size and which could be quickly deployed and removed in a tight time schedule of minutes.

In addition, due to the nature of the work and its location, the materials need to be flame retardant and blast resistant to the garnet media blasting material.

The Solution

The only way to bring a structure to sight and have it deployed in minutes is with an inflatable product.

The design had to be an inflatable frame system to reduce the weight, include a large overhang from the vertical support and be up and ready in literally minutes. Inflatable frame structures are known to be very compact when folded.

In a collaborative consultation with engineers and the design team we developed a lightweight design that was supported on 4 legs, had a sub frame supporting the membrane roof and had structural members at the roof edge to support the vertical face in a wind. Together we engineered the design so it could be rolled out flat and secured then inflated from below the bridge in under 9 minutes.

Results

In workshopping this very demanding brief our entire team learned valuable lessons of the unlimited design possibilities of inflatable frame structures. Unfortunately the actual contract was never awarded but we have taken lessons of that cutting edge technology be able to share with other demanding client briefs.

Read less...

To contact Giant Inflatables about Giant Inflatables RKR engineering Encapsulation Inflatable Shelters use Get a quote.