CLT Edge Protection for Timber Square project, London

Timber Square is a major Landsec commercial development in Southwark, South London, designed to achieve leading sustainability standards while significantly reducing construction related CO₂. The project comprises two buildings near the South Bank and Tate Modern. Print, a transformed 1950s printworks where 80% of the existing structure is retained and topped with five new floors; and Ink, a new 14-storey hybrid steel and cross laminated timber (CLT) office building.

Together, they form a low-carbon workplace campus that sets a benchmark for structural reuse and sustainable design. To keep the project’s embodied-carbon target of 522 kg CO₂/m², the team used a hybrid steel and cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure. This approach will save roughly 6,250 tonnes of CO₂ whilst cutting construction emissions by about 50% compared to a typical office building.

HAKI were selected as the project’s dedicated temporary Edge Protection provider. This meant that we supplied a comprehensive package of safety solutions tailored for the hybrid steel and CLT construction. The scope included the long term rental of HAKI Barrier System across multiple levels of both the Print and Ink buildings, alongside Catchfan units designed to absorb the energy of falling objects.

To address the specific demands of CLT as an emerging construction material, HAKI’s technical department partnered with the customer on bespoke New Product Development (NPD) for the site. After design works, FEA testing, samples and physical testing the work resulted in two custom attachment solutions for the hybrid structure.

VC FOOT TIMBER PLATE
Designed specifically for use in cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction, the VC Foot Timber Plate ensures that the Barrier System can be installed securely and safely. The plate is fitted using Schmid StarDrive GPR screws and the VC Foot is then secured with an M16 bolt. Weighing 2.6 kg, the plate is made from hot-dip galvanised steel and is fully compliant with EN 13374 Class A.

CLT CATCHFAN SLAB ATTACHMENT MOUNT
The CLT Catchfan Slab Attachment Mount allows the Catchfan to be securely used on cross-laminated timber (CLT) constructions with the Catchfan Slab Wall Fix. The mount plate is fastened with five Schmid StarDrive GPR 6 mm × 100 mm screws and one M12 × 50 mm bolt. Weighing 8.5 kg and made from hot-dip galvanised steel.

Supplementing the new products were a plethora of standard Edge Protection solutions. This included over 4000 of our 1900mm Posts and over 3000 Barriers and Make Up Barriers to form the main framework of the project’s fall prevention system. These were complemented by Sliders and standard Foot, as well as Timber Plates designed for secure fixing on CLT surfaces.

For debris and façade protection, the site was equipped with 4m Catchfan units and the CLT Catchfan Slab Attachment Mount to enable safe, fast installation directly onto timber elements within the hybrid structure. These products, when combined together, formed a robust, adaptable safety solution for one of London’s most progressive low-carbon developments. 

In addition to equipment supply, HAKI provided frequent on-site product and inspection training to ensure safe installation and dismantling procedures for the all products. Complementary site visits were also offered throughout the project and allowed our team to adapt and refine Temporary Edge Protection Systems (TEPS) as the structure progressed and new work areas were formed.