Amalgamated Lifts
Royal Entomological Society
Case Study-The Bug Job
Amalgamated Lifts takes lift design and build to a new level with
the delivery of a totally custom built lift for the Royal Entomological
Society Headquarters.
Having relocated to new premises in the historic Mansion House in St Albans the Society was keen to
add a lift to provide disabled visitors with access throughout the building over its three floors. The
Society houses research and periodicals in a number of libraries and has many and frequent visitors.
From a technical and compliance perspective
both the engineering design and deployment
into a stairwell with the space constraints of
this beautiful old building was challenging.
Absolutely no space around the outside of the
lift car was available and the lift had to extend
into the eaves of the building roof.
Amalgamated Lifts’ design engineering team
utilised a direct acting hydraulic ram
arrangement with a bore hole to free up as
much space as possible for the lift car. The
unique design meant the lift car and sling had
to be custom built.
Computer modelling techniques were used to help the client envisage and agree the finished look
and feel of the completed lift the 8-person lift was specifically designed to capture the essence of
the Society; its internal walls are decorated with stunning photography of a variety of insect life
including ladybirds, mayflies and butterflies. Very early on the project affectionately became known
as ‘the bug job’.
Few lift companies have the capability to design
and implement a bespoke lift from concept to
completion; either because they don’t have the
design engineering skills or relish the complexities
of such projects. The biggest challenge initially
was finding a location for the lift. Having studied
the building structurally, extensive surveys were
necessary to establish where the lift would fit and
comply with legal requirements. Using Solidworks
software computer modelling techniques the
designers were able to find a site, with sufficient
clearance, by taking the lift into the eaves of the
building. This meant demolishing a kitchen and
opening up an old stairwell to create enough
space to accommodate the 8 person lift, the
minimum lift size to comply with DDA
requirements. The design stage took about a
month, where simplicity was paramount in
providing the most efficient solution possible.
Over the next three months a programme of
extensive buildings works ensued. To maximise
the space available a direct-acting borehole
hydraulic system was implemented underneath
the lift. While you would normally drill down to accommodate the hydraulics the second challenge
arose as it soon became evident that the building was in fact sitting on almost solid granite.
Impossible to drill, the only option was to dig out the 2m wide by 3m deep pit by hand.
For sufficient clearance it was necessary to extend the lift shaft into the roof space, which had to be
fireproofed. Further building work involved supporting brickwork and fitting an additional RSJ to
existing shaft walls, building a new motor room in the basement and providing support to the
ground floor. A hole was cut in exterior walls to put in the lift guides in through the shaft wall. New
entrances were created on each level of access, over three floors, and cosmetic modifications of the
building were made so that aesthetically it looked as if the lift had always been there.
The finishing touch was the
inclusion of fantastic insect
photography on the walls of the
lift car capturing the essence of
the Society.
Finally ahead putting into
service the lift was thoroughly
tested in accordance with EN81,
Lifts Directive1995 requiring
two days of testing to check all
safety components and devices
all hydraulic system, valve,
locks, buffers, safety gear, and
appropriate clearances to check
not only that they work but the
correct parts have been
installed.
The lift was completed on time and on budget. The whole project took 6 months and was managed
by Keith Stockbridge, Major Works Manager and was overseen by Brian Appleby, Project Manager.
Following building works two engineers installed the hydraulics with additional engineers to fit out
the lift cars. Amalgamated Lifts continues to maintain the lift which hasn’t had a single failure since
commissioning – we all like a happy ending.
Amalgamated Lifts maintains, modernises and installs lift systems in London and across the South East. The company works
with all types of buildings, new, old, listed and even off-the-plan. All works meets British and European Standards and Legal
requirements, including the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) which relates to providing suitable lift access for those with
Disabilities. The company is ISO 9001 accredited and is a member of LEIA, the Lift Industry Trade Association. Established in
1988, the company employs over 50 staff and maintains around 2,000 lifts.
For further information on Amalgamated lifts
Visit our website: www.al-lifts.co.uk
Amalgamated Lifts Ltd
4 Mulberry Court
Bourne Road
Crayford,
Kent
DA1 4BF
Tel: 01322 556 661
Fax: 01322 318 193