As cities grow and the amount of available land dwindles, there is a trend to go higher, creating elevated gardens, walkways, and vertical buildings with atriums. Elevated structures such as these need fall protection barriers for safety, which must comply with safety codes and be durable, while not detracting from the structure’s appearance!
This can be achieved using tensile fall protection solutions. Tensile fall protection solutions for elevated structures are designed to provide maximum safety by applying professional precision engineering and tensioning, while seamlessly fitting in with the design aesthetic.
Our approach to tensile fall protection solutions
‘Safety’ and ‘visual appeal’ might sound mutually exclusive. However, with tensile solutions you can have both at the same time.
We recognise that any safety barrier needs to align with a structure’s design goals and appearance.
For this reason, we listen to our clients to make sure we fully understand what they want to achieve in terms of both fall protection and aesthetics. We also take other requirements into account – such as minimal maintenance, sustainability, and encouragement of social connection.
The materials used in tensile barriers, such as stainless steel Webnet mesh and vertical cables, are low maintenance and highly customisable. They can be matched to architectural design in terms of colour, wire-rope dimensions, mesh aperture size and shape, degree of transparency, and more. They can also be varied across a structure to suit different safety requirements and design needs.
Using this approach to designing and installing tensile barriers enables us to merge form and function effortlessly – or to at least make it appear effortless! Tensile barriers can come with some challenges that require expertise and experience to overcome. Tensile structures behave very differently to solid construction and must be well-integrated into the rest of the project.
Here are some examples of tensile fall protection solutions that marry form and function.
Elevated garden
SkyPark is an elevated green space in Melbourne, designed for city workers and visitors to relax in and enjoy.
The tensile safety barrier around the perimeter was made from 50mm-aperture Webnet mesh and is C5 rated for crowd loads. It also doubles as a trellis for climbing plants – allowing for establishment of a beautiful vertical garden.
With an open area of 90%, the barrier balances both transparency and robust safety and allows for both dappled light-entry and views across the city.
Residential tower
Nightingale Village is a six-storey mixed-use development in Melbourne that places emphasis on sustainability and community connection.
Our role involved designing and installing transparent safety barriers and balcony green facades across one of the buildings. We used both Webnet mesh and wire-rope cable materials, which, being made from 70% recycled content using renewable energy, are highly suited to a sustainable project such as this one.
The finished barriers not only provide excellent safety they also fully align with the design and purpose of the building.
Atrium barrier
The new Bendigo Law Courts engaged us to build a vertical cable balustrade for their internal atrium.
While glass is often used for atrium barriers like this one, stainless steel cables allow for full-height barriers that are highly transparent while offering maximum protection at minimal ongoing cost for maintenance.
Please get in touch to discover more details about tensile fall protection solutions!
