Challenge: Historic site required stainless steel covers which would blend aesthetically with the floor surface and easy to lift with one operator.
Solution: Fabweld designed custom covers to blend in with the pedestrianised area around Munich’s gothic cathedral, which could be filled with the same material as the surrounding granite pavement.
The Cathedral Church of Our Lady – or Frauenkirche to the locals – is one of Munich’s most famous landmarks, with two 100m high towers which are the most recognisable feature of the Munich skyline. Attracting millions of visitors every year, the gothic church is at the centre of a new pedestrianised zone which the City Council hopes will transform the space around Frauenkirche into a special place for locals and tourists to stroll and linger.
FSP’s German partner and trusted distributor Hatiba was asked to provide a quote for the recessed covers for the pedestrianised zone project in Frauenplatz, the area surrounding the cathedral. The specification was for a stainless steel cover which would blend with the floor surface – in this case, granite – but for maintenance purposes the cover had to be easy to lift with one operator.
As the granite slabs weighed over 100kg, Hatiba recommended German contractor G&B Bau München used FSP’s FAB PAVE S40 product which incorporates mechanical struts to assist in the lifting of the cover. This would reduce the lift weight of the hinged access cover to the equivalent of less than 17kgf, making it suitable for a one-man lift.
Jörg Marcus Ficks, Chairman at Hatiba commented: “We were very pleased to win the contract for the Frauenkirche development, delivering a product which brings together modern engineering and design with a granite infill to blend seamlessly into the historic surrounds. The competitive price and shorter lead time we offered also helped secure the deal over our German competitor, who had initially been specified for the job.”