Case Study: Preserving Australian Heritage One Step at a Time
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Project Details
Shape ACT for Parliament House Canberra
Products Used
- Protecta Board XTRA Custom Profile
- Protecta Edge Foam Edge Protector
- Protecta Cloth Tape Heavy Duty
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Key Outcomes
- Customisable product made for an easy-to-install solution
- High impact protection
- Reusable for multiple projects
Background
The Australian Parliament House in Canberra features an impressive marble foyer showcasing the muted pinks and greens from the Australian landscape as well as representing the colours of the Parliamentary Chambers. Featuring brass handrails, two staircases and 48 marble columns, made up of a unique green Cipollino marble from Italy and pink Atlantide Rosa marble from Portugal
Challenge
A new skylight needed to be installed directly above the iconic marble staircase. The foyer and staircase are a popular thoroughfare for staff and visitors to Parliament House. Therefore, the installation needed to be completed in a short time frame to minimise disruption and needed to be removed and reinstalled quickly in case of a public event. Finally, any materials used on the project were required to pass safety, security, and fire regulations.
Protecta Board XTRA Custom Profile protects the iconic marble staircase.
Solution
By selecting the custom profile Protecta Board XTRA, the boards were formed to suit the unique dimensions of the stairs. This makes it easy to install and remove the boards quickly while providing high impact protection to the marble staircase. Due to the irreplaceable nature of the marble staircase, and the works being undertaken at a significant height above the staircase, the highest impact protection board with an 8.9t/100mm2 impact rating was required to protect the staircase from any unexpected falling debris. The P4 slip rating enhanced safety for the workers as well as the product meeting Fire regulations and being light enough to pass through security scans. Brass handrails were also protected from any unintentional impact by Protecta Edge Foam Edge Protector which could be formed to suit the unique shape of the handrails.
Final Result
The Protecta solution not only met but exceeded expectations, safeguarding the unique and impressive staircase. The investment in a reusable customised solution delivered tangible savings in
both time and budget, whilst helping to preserve the heritage of Australia’s Parliament House.
Protecta Board XTRA Custom Profile and Foam Edge Protector protect the staircase and
brass handrails.
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