Rooftop refurbishment includes Big Foot support system
Big Foot Systems has supplied bespoke support solutions as part of a full rooftop refurbishment of a university building. The non-penetrative system provided a quick, versatile and economical solution for supporting plant.
The 3500 m2 roof was suffering from age-related degradation, with ingress and loss of thermal efficiency. The whole area needed to be reroofed and the mechanical services — from small AHUs to air-conditioning equipment to fans and ductwork — replaced. The previous plant was supported by concrete slabs on the roof, which are heavy and unsuitable for modern roofs since they can easily tear the roof membrane and cause leaks.
Fume-cupboard supports were part of the installation, so a consideration was selecting a support that would offer stability without requiring rooftop wind protection, which would hamper extraction.
The design included a vertical support and oversized frames to accommodate the fume-cupboard fans.
The Big Foot support system facilitated the rationalisation of the roof-mounted plant and equipment and future proofed the set-up as the plant is now easier to maintain and the supports are adaptable and can be added to in the future.
