Facade & Cladding Installation

Glass, stone, GRC, and high-specification rainscreen panels combine high value with zero tolerance for contact damage. The rigging has to protect the finish as well as control the load.

Façade installation sits at the intersection of structural engineering and finish quality. The panels going up are often the most expensive square metre on the entire project - and they're being lifted at height, in wind, with rigging in direct contact with surfaces that cannot be marked, scratched, or edge-chipped under any circumstances. A wire rope sling that's perfectly appropriate for structural steel is completely wrong here. The audience for this page knows that. What they need is a supplier who does too.

Challenges

Zero tolerance for surface damage

Architectural glass, polished stone, exposed GRC, and anodised aluminium rainscreen panels have finishes that are defined in the specification and checked on inspection. A pressure mark, an abrasion line, or a corner chip from rigging contact is not a snag - it's a panel replacement, with all the programme and cost implications that follow. Every point of contact between the rigging and the panel needs to be assessed and protected before the lift begins, not after the mark appears.

Precise angular placement at height

Façade panels don't just need to arrive at the right level - they need to arrive at the right angle, aligned to the fixings, in the right orientation, with enough control to make the final connection without the panel swinging away. Working at height in wind conditions compounds every one of those requirements. Vacuum lifters, tilt mechanisms, and rotation equipment aren't accessories on façade work - they're what makes accurate placement possible.

Wind loading on large panel faces

A 3m × 1.5m glass unit presents a significant face area to the wind. Even at modest wind speeds, the lateral load on a panel during the approach to its fixing position can be enough to make controlled placement impossible with standard rigging. Lift plans for exposed façade work need to define wind speed thresholds, not leave it to the judgement of the crew on the day. The consequences of a panel going out of control at height are severe.

Rigging geometry changes

Façade installation often requires the panel to arrive horizontal - as it was packed and transported - and be tilted to vertical for installation. That rotation sequence puts changing loads through the lifting attachments at different angles throughout the manoeuvre. Equipment that's rated for the vertical lift may be working in a completely different load direction during the tilt. The rigging specification has to cover the full sequence, not just the final installed position.

What the regulations require

Façade lifting combines standard lifting legislation with specific requirements around glass handling and work at height that are worth knowing in detail.

Key standards and guidance for cladding & facade installation:

■ LOLER 1998: all lifting equipment must be thoroughly examined and rated for the task; vacuum lifting equipment requires particular attention to examination schedules given the consequences of a vacuum failure at height

■ EN 13155: the standard governing non-fixed load lifting attachments; vacuum lifters, panel clamps, and glass handling equipment must meet this standard

■ HSE CIS48: HSE Construction Information Sheet specifically covering the safe use of glass in construction, including lifting and handling requirements

■ Work at Height Regulations 2005: façade installation is almost always work at height; rescue and emergency procedures must be in place before work begins

■ Wind speed thresholds: BS EN 13200 and crane manufacturer guidance define operating wind limits; façade lift plans should specify the maximum wind speed at which lifts may proceed and the method for measuring it on site

■ CDM 2015: façade installation sequences should be addressed in the construction phase plan; where specialist subcontractors are involved, their lifting methods statements form part of the overall safety management

Vacuum lifter maintenance and pre-use checks are not optional. A vacuum lifter with a slow leak that passes a visual inspection but fails under load at height is a serious risk. Ensure your equipment is examined by a competent person at the required intervals and that pre-use vacuum retention tests are carried out and recorded.

Vacuum Lifting Equipment

Webbing Slings

Adjustable Spreader Beams

Load Weighing Equipment

Scaffold Hoists

Specifying lifting equipment for a façade package?

Tell us about the panel types, weights, and installation sequence and we'll make sure the equipment protects the finish as well as controls the load. Façade panels don't get a second chance.

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