The same can be said when you're looking at using a mast climber for your construction project. You're not looking for a mast climber, you’re looking for quick and easy access to the external façade of the building you’re working on.
The problem is, not many people are aware of mast climbers, let alone the benefits a mast climber can provide.
Helping you get to grips with all aspects of mast climbing, we're exploring what exactly a mast climber is and what makes it such a valuable modern method of construction.
Definition of a Mast Climber
Best described as a vertically travelling motorised platform attached to the outside of a building, a mast climber is used for all areas of building work, from new build construction to repairs, maintenance, facilities management and even recladding.
Travelling up and down one or more vertical masts, a mast climber carries both materials and personnel to the required working level, helping complete work much faster and on budget.
Promoted by the IPAF (International Powered Access Federation), mast climbers come in a range of shapes and sizes, offering a variety in height, width, and load capacities, meaning they can be used on all types of multi-storey buildings.
Mast Climber: What else are they called?
Mast climbers are referred to by many different names in some regions and industries; either formally or informally.
Typically, in the UK and in some of the largest markets on the continent, mast climbers are called MCWPs or mast climbing work platforms. This name perfectly sums up what they do, too, providing a single platform for construction work to be completed on.
The term MEWP or mobile elevated work platform is often used but more as an umbrella term as well. While it doesn’t include mast climbers, MEWPS refers to things such as scissor lifts and truck mounts, which are other means of completing work at elevation.
Despite this, MCWP or mast climbing work platforms is the more common term and is what is typically recognised as the industry standard term, found on the IPAF website.
A Mast Climber for your project
One of the most common misconceptions is that a mast climber work platform is a straight-line solution only.
It isn’t.
Designed to work around everything a building can throw in its way, mast climbers can still be used around corners and if buildings have balconies, making them just as flexible as scaffolding.
This means there is an almost bespoke approach to every mast climber, tailored to your building.
Mast climbers can be as small as 2.5m in length or as wide as 37.8m with a twin mast, capable of working as high as 250m in the UK and can even be double stacked, so whatever size or scale of your project, there is a mast climber option available to you.
Your Mast Climber Partner
Just because a mast climber is a new approach to construction that you might not be familiar with, it doesn’t mean that it is something to be ignored or feared.
Modern methods of construction might seem like a buzzword and an attempt to tick a box but finding more contemporary solutions to the same old problems makes sense.
Although MCWPs have been around for over 20 years, when compared with scaffolding, they are a modern option making access to your building’s façade much easier.
Now you’ve got a better understanding of what exactly a mast climber is and how it can be used on your next project, now’s the time to speak to mast climbing experts and find out more.