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Wallbarn MetalPad Class A pedestals: the height of safety

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With no gaskets, no plastic and no rubber parts, Wallbarn’s non-combustible MetalPad pedestals are the full metal solution for Class A balconies and at-height leisure/public spaces, giving architects and specifiers a definitive solution for meeting new fire regulations detailed in BS 8579 Guide to the Design of Balconies and Terraces.

Wallbarn is a pedestal specialist with more than 40 years’ of experience and a range of pedestal solutions within its portfolio. Its technical experts specifically designed the new height-adjustable MetalPad from scratch in response to updated BS 8579 and the required Class A fire performance.

MetalPad is properly fit for purpose and ensures 100% compliance with BS 8579 for suspended paving installations on at-height balconies, terraces, podiums, flat roofs, walkways and roof gardens. It has no plastic or rubber components, for example plastic headpieces or rubber discs under baseplates. Wallbarn considers that rubber or plastic parts labelled as gaskets pose an unacceptable risk because they can contribute to fire load (a significant risk where dozens of pedestals are installed) and have no place in a properly designed and specified pedestal grid system.

With MetalPad, architects and clients are assured of a fail-safe, non-combustible full metal pedestal solution that is BS 8579 compliant, safe, strong, durable and quick/easy to install with unrivalled customer service from South London-based Wallbarn.

To further reduce time on-site, Wallbarn has created a comprehensive Class A substructure system using a profiled rail which clicks onto the pedestal without the need for mechanical fixings. Not only is this quicker, it means no sharp metallic fragments are created by grinding or drilling on the balcony space during construction. A paving headpiece can be fitted to the rail to hold tiles in places at all corners.

MetalPad key features:

  • Non-combustible to BS EN 13501-1
  • Manufactured from 2mm thick galvanised steel
  • Galvanised for long-term exterior performance
  • Solid stem and thread for assured strength
  • 150mm diameter base plate with smooth underside prevents point loading
  • More than 1,000kg loading per pedestal
  • Millimetre-precise height adjustment via spanner twist system
  • Self-levelling headpiece with up to 5% movement in all directions
  • Circular base plate ensures adequate weight distribution and proper stability
  • Rounded profiles on baseplate and headpiece – no sharp edges
  • Drainage holes in baseplate prevent water stagnation
  • Fixing holes in baseplate for mechanical fixing if required
  • Limit switch on the stem to prevent pedestals unwinding completely
  • Heights range from 25mm to 300mm with bespoke headpiece designs for paving slabs or decking
  • Comprehensive Class A substructure for tiling and paving using Wallbarn’s pedestal-and-rail connection system.

Wallbarn also offers a decking pedestal which is Class A2-s1,d0 compliant and has no plastic or rubber components.

Fire performance with strength

Wallbarn stuck to the core design principles of its market-leading range of plastic adjustable pedestals during the development of MetalPad – namely large, smooth circular baseplates for weight distribution, strong and stable stems to cope with often unforeseen loadings, fixed and self-levelling headpieces and proper testing and strict adherence to regulations.

Julian Thurbin, Wallbarn Director, said: “Our aim was to replicate in metal the success of our heavy-duty polypropylene pedestals to satisfy the new standard and provide the market with a high-performance product backed by a trusted British supplier.

“We did not adapt existing metal products used, for example, in suspended indoor flooring because exterior pedestals have to withstand much harsher conditions. Specifiers must therefore not only take account of fire safety, they must also be assured that pedestals will not corrode, fail or seize. If stems or baseplates collapse at height it could have tragic consequences,” added Julian.

Contact details:

www.wallbarn.com
020 8916 2222

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