Dave Giddens Sailmakers
Project name: Freight Depot Screens
Material used: Monotec 370
Fabric Supplied by: NuRange Products
Components Supplied By: Ancra New Zealand
2021 Awards for Excellence Winner – Blinds & Screens
What did the client request?
We were asked to propose a solution for replacement screens at a busy Auckland freight depot following a fire. Wind-breaking was the main goal, and some degree of protection from rain was also required.
The previously installed screens had had a tendency to sag and slip down the steel uprights to which they were attached, so the client was looking for a remedy to this.
Owing to the size of the screens and harsh environment in which they were to be installed, heavy duty was the specification for all components and solution put forward.
What is unique or complex about the project?
One complex aspect of this project was the need to install the screens without any drilling or alteration to the existing structure. The client had multiple reasons for this requirement, including being shy of having power tools on site given they had been the cause of the recent fire that had gutted the place.
It turned out that it was our preferred method also – we only had two days to carry out the install and the tiedown solution we settled upon was the most time-efficient of the options we had considered.
Key to completing the installation within the allotted time was installation dry-runs at our factory prior to heading to site. The install team worked through the installation with all of the assembled components and required tools, referring the library of site photos and dimensions throughout. Through this process we identified and resolved a few installation issues prior to heading to site.
What were the results of the project?
All of the client requirements of this project were met, both from a product performance perspective, and just as important, their business operations were not interrupted throughout installation.
Is there any other relevant information?
The PVC used to line the pockets on the sides and for general reinforcing was recycled from leftover material from another project where the client decided to change material mid-stream.
As a result, we had a large amount of premium PVC that had had a pattern printed on it that could not be used in an application where it would be seen. It proved perfect for lining the pockets and we were glad that we had retained the product rather than send it to landfill.
