Doka Xclimb 60 Protection Screens – The Contractors’ Verdict

In this Q&A feature, John Broderick (JB), Site Manager at contractor, OBR Construction Group, and Sean McGinty (SM), Project Manager at Bowmer & Kirkland, highlight the use of Xclimb 60 on the flagship Whitehall Riverside development.

Why were Doka Xclimb 60 protection screens used on this project?

JB: “Doka protection screens were specified at the project’s early stage. They were initially selected by the client (Glenbrook) and then the contractor, Bowmer & Kirkland. Due to the nature of the site, it was important that the construction of the buildings’ facades could follow-on quickly from the concrete frame completion to enable the window installation and get the structure weathertight as early as possible.”

SM: “Fundamentally, we used Doka protection screens for health and safety reasons. It meant we could construct the building’s frame, without having additional leading-edge protection, all the way through a project. On the Whitehall project, we used the lower levels of the screens to install external walls and windows.”

Safety benefits being clear, how else did the Doka Xclimb 60 screens help in the early stages of the project?

JB: “The screens were designed and installed to give follow-on trades a working platform at the level they needed. The screens are extremely wide, the largest being 9 metres wide and 14 metres high. This suited us, as wider screens speed up the lifting process.”

Tell us about the assembly and installation of the Doka Xclimb 60

JB: “From the design stage right through to arriving on site, the assembly and installation of the Doka screens were extremely straightforward. The screens arrived pre-assembled. They were put together in a yard about an hour or so from the project site. Final assembly took about one or two hours per screen. They were then lifted by crane into position in a very fast, smooth process.”

What do other trade contractors say about using the Doka Xclimb 60 in-situ?

SM: “Our other sub-contractors, who have used Doka Xclimb 60 screens, found them extremely safe and easy to use. They absolutely love them. There are no issues with leading edge protection. This helps speed-up installation times, which benefits our contractors when sharing the same construction phase as other trades.”

How do the Xclimb 60 screens compare to other protection systems you’ve used?

JB: “The Xclimb 60 offers a lot of advantages that other systems might not have. The screen sizes are quite large, up to 9 metres-wide on the Whitehall project, meaning large sections can be lifted quickly in about 10 minutes. The screens’ pre-assembly is a very big advantage and their installation is extremely quick and efficient. They also look realty good from the ground.”

What can you tell us about Doka’s on-site support throughout the Whitehall project?

JB: Doka gave us excellent support throughout the project. From design and pre-assembly through to delivery, their ongoing on-site support was immense. We found Doka to be extremely flexible in terms of delivery times. If we encountered any project issues, we were immediately in contact with the Doka site project manager to resolve them quickly.”

Did Doka’s customer service support show itself in other ways?

SM: “Doka’s engineering team were extremely helpful. The back-up, the calculations, the designs, and everything we asked for was sent to us extremely quickly. The service was brilliant. We really couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

What’s your overall verdict on the Doka Xclimb 60 performance at the Whitehall Riverside project?

SM: “The Xclimb 60 enabled us to reduce concrete frame cycle times. This also allowed us to improve on the steel frame and window installation timings to improve our overall work programme.”

JB: “Really and truly, we had no problems. The Xclimb 60 screens came as designed and worked a treat. It’s a very fast and safe product. The screens did the job they were intended for.