Installation of Extension Gutter Sections on a Residential Apartment Block
Introduction
Vertigo Specialist High Access Services (Vertigo) were engaged by Central Equity to install gutter extensions to a portion of the upper external façade of the Princeton Apartments at 418 St Kilda Road in Melbourne. The 23-storey residential block features a series of stepped balconies on the upper three floors that drain rainwater into steel gutters at each floor level. The gutter ends previously terminated in large diameter spouts that in the event of rain produced a 60m freefall of a significant volume of water to ground level below the spouts -causing inconvenience to building residents.
After a successful trial installation, modifications to the gutters were conducted to reduce this problem, the work was completed in November 2005 using Industrial Rope Access methods.
Scope of Work
The modifications to the gutters comprised removal of the existing spout terminations and installing an extension of the gutter around the return. The new extension was of sufficient size to be able to pond water in the event of a shower in addition to the provision of numerous small diameter overflow holes that resulted in a more controlled release of water to the ground during downpours.
Outcome
Vertigo successfully installed the gutter extension sections on both the north & south elevations, resulting in a significant reduction in the overflow problems previously encountered during precipitation.