In atriums, glazed façades and large internal spaces, rope access allows building maintenance and cleaning without scaffolding, lengthy downtime or any visual impact on the structure.

Modern buildings, especially public and institutional ones, are increasingly faced with the same challenge: how to maintain spaces designed to be expansive, bright and visually striking.

Double- or triple-height atriums, expansive glazing and continuous glass roofs are often key architectural features, but can also complicate cleaning, repainting, the installation or removal of bird deterrent systems, and other routine maintenance work.

A key issue, often overlooked at the design stage, is safe physical access to these surfaces. Erecting scaffolding in a busy atrium – perhaps one used daily by staff or visitors – means prolonged disruption, high costs and logistical complications that are not always acceptable. The question, then, is no longer simply “how do you design a large-volume internal space?” but rather “how do you make that space manageable over time?” – without having to rethink the entire site set-up every time routine maintenance is required.

A rope access system designed to be invisible

A clear answer to this need comes from a project delivered in Scandinavia by CGS Nordic for Skanska, inside the glazed roof structure of this building in Sweden. The aim was to equip the space with a permanent access solution capable of supporting inspections, maintenance and work at height over the long term, avoiding the need for temporary systems to be reinstalled each time access is required.

As Julia Järnerud of CGS Nordic explains when describing the project: “After careful planning, we selected a rail-based rope access system, combining a high level of safety with efficient access. The Rothoblaas system was assessed in detail: it ensures straightforward installation and responds precisely to the client’s specific requirements. H-RAIL is also a robust and durable solution, designed to deliver reliable performance and safety over time.”

Henrik Karlsson, founder and CEO of CGS Nordic, highlighted how the company’s focus goes beyond installation: “For us, every project starts with understanding the client’s needs, identifying the most suitable technical solution and delivering a result that performs reliably over time.”

This approach is shared by Rothoblaas, resulting in a partnership that has grown steadily over time: “CGS Nordic is one of Rothoblaas’ leading partners in Sweden,” explained Julia Järnerud. “Based in Gothenburg, we work on projects across the country, providing consultancy, supply and installation of access systems and fall-protection solutions. We are also authorised to carry out the mandatory annual inspections, ensuring systems remain compliant, safe and fully operational throughout their service life.”

What makes this approach particularly significant is that the solution is not temporary, but a structural system designed to remain permanently within the building, integrated from the outset into the long-term management of the space.

H-RAIL: the rail system that makes rope access architecture-compatible

For applications like these, where rope access must integrate seamlessly with architecturally sensitive environments, Rothoblaas has developed H-RAIL: a rigid rail system for work at height, available in a range of configurations – floor-mounted, wall-mounted or suspended – to suit any structural condition, from timber and concrete through to steel.

Unlike BMUs (Building Maintenance Units – traditional suspended cradle systems), which require substantial technical space, mechanical arms and are always a visible part of the building’s structure, even when idle, H-RAIL has a minimal footprint. Once installed, the rail blends into the surrounding architecture, becoming almost imperceptible. It is also available in anodised aluminium or powder-coated finishes to match the project’s specific colour requirements.

From an operational perspective, the system allows operators to:

• work in suspension, securely harnessed and kept at a constant distance from the surface, without the swaying typically associated with suspended cradles;

• have up to four people working simultaneously on the same span, reducing maintenance time across large surface areas;

• move continuously across complex geometries – curved, inclined or otherwise difficult-to-access surfaces – where suspended cradles would have limited manoeuvrability;

• reduce the number of anchor points, thanks to spacing between supports of up to six metres.

These advantages become particularly significant in spaces such as atriums and large glazed surfaces, where maintenance work on atriums and glazed façades needs to be fast, repeatable and as unobtrusive as possible.

An integrated solution, not just a rail system

As with any work-at-height safety strategy, the result depends not on a single component, but on how well the entire rope access system is integrated. H-RAIL can be combined with single anchor points to provide comfort and stability during clipping and unclipping operations, or integrated with practical, ergonomic PPE allowing technicians to work hands-free along the entire rail path, such as the HERO helmet, the OLYMPIA harness or the TOOLGRAB for preventing dropped tools.

It is this system-led approach that makes it possible to see rope access not as an add-on to be installed later, but as an integral part of the design – on a par with building services or finishes. An atrium or large glazed façade designed without a clear maintenance strategy can, within a few years, become a costly operational problem.

Planning for maintenance from the design stage

The rope access system delivered by CGS Nordic in this light-filled Swedish building reinforces a principle that applies to any building with large internal or glazed spaces: rope access safety must be designed in, not improvised.

That means assessing, from the earliest project stages, how glazing will be cleaned and maintained over time, selecting systems that do not compromise the aesthetics of the space but instead become an integrated, discreet part of it.

In this respect, Rothoblaas’ range of work-at-height safety solutions – from rail systems such as H-RAIL to anchor points – provides architects, engineers and contractors with a solid foundation for developing durable, compliant access solutions designed, quite literally, to remain out of sight.

Contact us for a consultation.

https://www.rothoblaas.com/technical-support