Schlosser
The perfect set-up for appraisal
The Swabian town of Ehingen got a big shock in December 2018 when a large piece of plaster broke away from the ceiling fresco at St. Blasius parish church.
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The Swabian town of Ehingen got a big shock in December 2018 when a large piece of plaster broke away from the ceiling fresco at St. Blasius parish church. A scaffolding had to be built in the church nave so that the appraiser could inspect the ceiling and to provide a safe work platform in case any restoration work was necessary. Gerüstbau Schlosser GmbH was requested to do the scaffolding work. There were two “firsts” associated with this project: it was the first time that scaffolder Hubert Schlosser had used Layher Allround Scaffolding, and the first time that the new Layher Aluminium FlexBeam had been erected standing vertically.
The St. Blasius parish church spire is an Ehingen town landmark that is visible for miles around. The interior of the church is also very interesting because it happens to be one of the largest and most magnificent Baroque churches in Upper Swabia. One of the highlights is a large ceiling fresco depicting a supper scene. At the end of 2018, the parish priest looked up in concern when a small piece of plaster fell down from the ceiling. He immediately called in an expert to inspect the damage but only a few days later, another approximately one square metre piece of the ceiling fresco fell into the nave. The entire church was closed straight away for safety reasons and the members of the Ehingen parish congregation found themselves celebrating Christmas 2018 in another of the town’s churches.
Layher Allround Scaffolding’s flexibility was the deciding factor
The parish of St. Blasius called in Gerüstbau Schlosser GmbH to put up a scaffold inside the church so that a restoration expert could perform a detailed inspection of the ceiling. Scaffolder Hubert Schlosser, already a regular customer of Layher, knew that the Eibensbach-based company’s products were the only ones up to the task. He made his first purchase of Layer Allround Scaffolding, a name synonymous in the market with modular scaffolding, for this project. Hubert Schlosser commented, “In the past I’ve mainly used Layher SpeedyScaf to build facade scaffoldings. I decided to use Layher Allround Scaffolding in this project because it offers me greater flexibility.” The scaffolding expert’s first foray into the Layher Allround world also offers him the opportunity to develop new business opportunities. Hubert Schlosser selected Layher Allround Scaffolding Lightweight for the scaffolding base. The low component weight means less load to carry for the scaffolders, which speeds up the assembly process. The use of new materials makes it possible to sustain and even improve the scaffolding’s load-bearing capacity. Since less weight also reduces transportation costs, Layher Allround Scaffolding Lightweight is a very worthwhile long-term investment.
A premiere for Aluminium FlexBeams
It wasn’t just the first time that Hubert Schlosser had used Layher Allround Scaffolding but also the first time ever that Layher’s Aluminium FlexBeams had been erected standing vertically. Before this project they had only ever been used for suspended scaffolding applications. Layher has developed a more cost-effective and, at the same time, a more user-friendly system for upright and suspended surface scaffolding in the form of its high load-bearing Aluminium FlexBeams. These supplementary components are available in various lengths and provide around 40% higher bending load capacity than the steel lattice beams 450 that are normally used, which permits larger distances between support or suspension points. The U-shaped upper side of the section enables the fast assembly of standard Layher decks, and combinations with standard Allround parts is not a problem. Layher’s FlexBeam system is flexible and can be re-used, unlike special designs made of wood. To put it in a nutshell: Layher FlexBeam is an extremely efficient solution.
20 t of Layher Allround Scaffolding used
At the end of February 2019 Hubert Schlosser and four of his team – supported by a Layher engineer and field service personnel – spent three days building up the free-standing scaffolding in the St. Blasius church nave piece for piece. “We used 20 t of Layher scaffolding material in total – including the new Allround Scaffolding Lightweight and the Layher Aluminium FlexBeams,” said the scaffolder.
When it was finished, the work platform height was 11.5 m with a ceiling height of around 13 m. The restoration expert then had an area of some 300 m² available to him, which considerably simplified his work. He was able to inspect the fresco and ceiling in detail, assess the type and extent of the damage and make recommendations on the restoration work needed.
Gerüstbau Schlosser is committed to Layher
Headquartered in Emerkingen, Gerüstbau Schlosser GmbH serves customers in a radius of around 50 km. Hubert Schlosser’s father-in-law originally had a plasterer business that used Layher scaffolding. When he retired around ten years ago the company stopped performing plastering work to focus on scaffolding – also with Layher products. “Because we‘ve always used Layher scaffolding material, the existing material we have is compatible with the new Layher products and we can continue using it,” said Schlosser. “We also travel to Eibensbach on a regular basis for training so that we’re always technically and legally up to date.” Hubert’s son, a carpenter, has already joined the business and is supporting his father. “Perhaps he’ll train to be a scaffolder and take over the business one day. There’s more to being a scaffolder these days than having strong biceps. You also need to be smart and have a good head for statics so that the scaffolds you build are safe,” concluded Hubert Schlosser.
