South West Galvanizers has hit the heights and helped top off a multi-million pound world-class outdoor education and training centre in Devon.
The plant was called upon by Taunton Fabrications to galvanize more than 20 tonnes of steel used to create stair treads and handrails on a 30 metre tall stair tower and climbing wall installed at the Haven Banks Outdoor Education Centre in Exeter.
The tower overlooks the town’s historic quay and canal and incorporates a 25 metre climbing wall, a ‘leap of faith’ power fan, and an abseiling platform. The structure is part of a new £5.6 million facility being funded by Devon County Council to provide activities such as kayaking, windsurfing, and orienteering. The tower was pre-assembled in seven sections at Taunton Fabrications’ factory, and then transported to the site 30 miles away by escorted vehicle.
Tony Wonnacott, General Manager of South West Galvanizers, said: “We are delighted to support such an interesting project that will provide a focal feature to the new state-of-the-art activity centre in the county. The project required intricate precision, as it was made up of a number of spiralling steel sections, so it was essential the greatest care was taken to ensure the metalwork was galvanized to a high standard.”
David Phelps, Commercial and Production Director of Taunton Fabrications, commented: “As a firm, we specialise in creating architecturally-challenging metal work, working through the whole process, from the initial concept using our specialist CAD system right through to construction and installation. We called upon the team at South West Galvanizers to ensure the metalwork looked both aesthetically-pleasing and to ensure its longevity against rust and corrosion.”