The PERI Safety Concept

Four pillars for your success

System safety by means of intelligent design

PERI addresses the topic of safety as early as the development and design phases for its formwork and scaffolding systems. The safety technology used in PERI products is often built into the system itself. Numerous smart features of the  PERI UP Scaffolding System can improve both the degree of safety and the economic efficiency for a wide range of scaffolding applications - from facade scaffolding to shoring and reinforcement scaffolding on the construction site. Safety is a particularly important area of focus when working at great heights. The Ulm Minster restoration project exemplifies this perfectly. Extensive PERI Scaffolding Solutions were installed on the highest church steeple in the world in order to carry out the renovation work on the vaulted ceiling, the choir stalls, the main tower and the 86-m-high choir tower.

Application safety and reliability thanks to safeguarded assembly and working

In addition to the high quality of the systems and their innovative technology, the ability to use the systems safely is of significant importance. Put it this way: the simpler and more self-explanatory the assembly process and the subsequent application, the higher the degree of safety. For example, the fact that the PERI UP Scaffolding System could be adapted flexibly and easily to the given weight and geometry in 25-cm increments was of paramount importance when installing the scaffolding on the main tower of Ulm Minster. The grid allowed for an uninterrupted transition from the staircase to the scaffold bay, thereby creating trip-free working levels. This resulted in tiered working levels and access options that allowed work to be carried out safely on both the choir vault and the choir stalls at the same time. The yellow toe boards along the landings also prevented small objects from falling to the ground. The assembly process can also be carried out quickly and easily due to a low number of system components. If necessary, certain systems can even be delivered to the construction site in a fully assembled state, increasing the degree of application safety and reliability further still.

Process reliability due to optimal support at all phases of the project

Process reliability also plays a decisive role in ensuring that the construction process is straightforward. Due to the fact that its formwork and scaffold systems can be optimally combined, PERI is able to offer its clients a decisive advantage. Considering the fact that the PERI portfolio, with its various consultancy, engineering and project-related services, offers solutions for all phases of the project, PERI is able to provide a comprehensive support package whenever required.

By using Building Information Modelling (BIM), we can offer you real added value. BIM is a forward-thinking approach that can be used to plan and control all construction processes. All of the trades that are involved in the construction process work on the basis of a digital 3D model that has been developed with the aid of CAD software. In this way, even individual alterations made during the construction project are immediately visible to all parties. On the one hand, this increases the transparency of the project, but also improves the level of efficiency and ultimately leads to a greater degree of planning and cost reliability. Any planning errors and safety risks can be identified at an early stage and rectified in good time.

The BIM method was also used during the Ulm Minster refurbishment project. The PERI engineers’ on-site support during the Ulm Minster project ranged from 3D planning to tests for structural integrity. While the scaffolding for the main chamber could be planned in a conventional manner, the process of surveying the sanctuary proved to be the biggest challenge that the engineers faced during the project: “We only had access tohistorical 2D as-built plans which made it impossible to plan the scaffolding for the complex geometry of the sanctuary,” explains the project manager in charge, Lothar Stärk. Together with the Minster Site Office and the scaffolder, he came up with a concept that met all of the geometric and safety-related requirements pertaining to the high working level required for the restoration work.

A 3D scan of the interior provided the basis for this. This made it possible to determine the dimensions and then translate them into a three-dimensional building model. Finally, Lothar Stärk worked out the complicated, three-dimensional geometry of the sanctuary’s interior with the numerous niches and curves in the vaulted ceiling and an overall size of 13,000 m³ using a free-standing, metric system grid in 25 cm and 50 cm steps. What was particularly challenging was the fact that no ties could be anchored to the historical building for fear of causing damage. The three-dimensional visualisation of the scaffolding also served as a common communication model and delivered real added value during meetings involving all project participants. It was possible to identify and quickly resolve clashes and conflicts of interest in an optimal manner.

Thanks to the BIM method used, not only did the scaffold planning process itself prove to be particularly efficient, but also the subsequent on-site assembly process. The client benefited from a high degree of planning reliability and from time savings throughout the entire construction process. The delivery of materials was also planned in consultation with the scaffolder and was carried out using a just-in-time approach on account of the spatial restrictions. The regional nature of PERI as a company proved to be extremely useful in this regard. The central location of the rental park for system units at PERI’s head office in Weissenhorn offered a short transport route to Ulm – and on-schedule supply of materials without any downtime. Sticking to the demanding schedule was straightforward.

Find out more about BIM