PRESS INFORMATION

T5 TAKES FLIGHT

WITH M.R. SITE SERVICES

One of the most spectacular features of the new Heathrow T5 is the huge single wave effect roof, designed by the Richard Rogers Partnership, that boasts Britain’s largest unsupported span at 180 metres eave-to-eave. As ultra-thin gauge aluminium roof welding specialists, M.R. Site Services has played a crucial role in its construction - a project worth £½ million for the company and successfully completed in April last year.

The brief for M.R. Site Services was to not only carry out over 1,800 metres of on-site welding of the standing roof seams on T5a and T5b, but to also design, manufacture and install lightweight roof maintenance walkways, bridges and telescopic ladders.

Main roofing contractor Hathaway Roofing specified M.R. Site Services for the project. Hathaway’s contract manager Colin Timms explained, “M.R. Site Services has been in our supply chain for a number of years so we were confident that they would do an excellent job of the welding and walkways. However, what really set them apart from the competition was their technical expertise to carry out intense design which we knew would be needed for the bridge work.”

M.R. Site Services designed, manufactured and installed some 2,700 metres of walkway, running across both gable ends and down the length of the spine of the roof giving a de-lineated route for maintenance purposes. The design of the walkways was based on M.R. Site Services Quantum Walkway System which is made from extruded aluminium and slots together on site. The design puts no stress on the building because the specially engineered fixing clip which fastens them to the roof is non-penetrative and spreads the load.

Forty, 5 metre long bridges were supplied and fixed to span the 3.5 metre wide roof lights that run across the roof east to west. These bridges carry the walkways and cable trays. 1,400 special support brackets were supplied to be fixed to the Kalzip seams to carry the extensive network of cable trays.

M.R. Site Services also designed, supplied and fixed five telescopic ladders for use at each of the centre core access points. This special design of access ladder was required in order to accommodate the differential movement between the external wave roof building and the structure within.

“ The contract has been fulfilled to all our expectations”, said Mr Timms. He added, “ The client is in fact so pleased that they have asked M.R. Site Services to provide some additional walkways for other parts of the project as a result.”

T5 is the latest airport project in M.R. Site Services’ portfolio, which also includes Cork Airport, Schipol, Luton, Gatwick and Stansted as well international projects like Schenzen Airport in China and Madrid’s Barajas Airport.