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.”
