Hurstpierpoint College

Hurstpierpoint College required a commercial canopy to provide shelter at the front of their nursery, and contacted Able Canopies for their advice and help. Initially the College enquired about a Waterproof Shade Sail installation, yet they were not too sure. Able Canopies arranged a surveyor to complete a full site survey to discuss their options and the type of canopy he felt would be most suitable for their needs and requirements.

After the survey had been completed the College decided that they liked two of the Able Canopies products – The Keswick Cantilever Umbrella and The Kendal Cantilever Walkway – both being waterproof tensile fabric structures.

Hurstpierpoint College decided on the Kendal Cantilever Walkway as it is a very attractive canopy and it covered the requirements they was looking for in a shade system. The College had also discussed the possibility of installing their own foundations as they had ongoing building works on site and felt it would be easier to use their own Contractors. Able Canopies agreed that this would create an opportunity to work alongside another Contractor, who was already established on site at the College.

This was very exciting for Able Canopies as this would be their first installation of this new product – The Kendal Cantilever Walkway.

We recruited a Structural Engineer who specialised in this type of work, to provide all the structural calculations for the walkway The structural engineer worked closely with our Fabrication Engineers, the onsite Contractors and our Contracts Department to provide calculations for a ‘piled base’ foundation system as the structural engineer decided that piled foundations would be best suited to this area. All parties worked together to ensure that this stage of the installation went smoothly. One of the problems with using this type of pile cap is that there is a very small margin for error when installing the bolt cage at the top of the pile. Able Canopies worked alongside the Structural Engineer to design a bolt cage which allowed the correct amount of movement needed making it a perfect fit.

Once the canopy was finished it was clear to see what a fantastic looking canopy is was. Even though problems were encountered, they were solved quickly and easily, enabling Able Canopies to fit many more of these canopies in the future, with no interruption, knowing the areas they need to focus on to make it a smooth running installation.

If you have any questions, or to find out if you qualify for a Free Site Survey contact us today