Roof davit systems support equipment suspended from a building’s roof or edge, such as platforms used for window washing or other façade operations. Davits are typically used to mount a motorized platform and contain two primary components—a base and an arm. They are held together by galvanized steel sockets and are anchored to the building.
While the base is a permanent fixture attached to the building structure, the arm is portable. The arm may be lowered, raised, or removed completely when not in use.
Davit Systems Product Features
Davit systems are available in roof-rigged and ground-rigged varieties. By design, roof davits are easy to operate and are most commonly used with a tie-back system. They work on multi-story buildings and can either suspend a ground-rigged or roof-rigged motorized platform with roof egress and safe access. Maintenance personnel can board a stage while it lies safely on the roof, mitigating risks of accidents or falls.
Generally, roof davit systems follow these guidelines:
- Platform lengths can exceed 20’ without minimizing effectiveness
- The building should be less than 490’ tall
- The facade outreach between 8-8.5’
- Steel components fabricated from ASTM A36 steel with a fully galvanized finish in compliance with ASTM A123
- A mobile socket pedestal attaches to the structure while the mobile socket attaches to the pedestal
- The socket comprises a transport handle, roller wheel assembly, bottom plate, middle support bar, and vertical formed socket
Knickerbocker Roofing’s Davit Systems Capabilities
Knickerbocker Roofing was tasked with installing tie-off davits on three roofs for Rush Hospital—The Atrium, Kellogg, and Jelke. This project required advanced coordination with our installers, building maintenance, and the hospital staff.
The fall restraints were installed structural roof deck and walls. Some of the davits included structural support below the deck, in crawl spaces above hospital rooms, intensive care rooms, and mechanical penthouses. Upon completion of the installation, we made the fall arrest anchors completely watertight to ensure that we did not void the hospital’s roof warranty.
Once installed, we had an independent testing group perform 5,000-pound pull tests on every installed davit to verify compliance with current OSHA regulations. Finally, we presented the owner with a certificate of compliance once we completed the installation and passed all testing.
Roof Davits from Knickerbocker Roofing
Davit systems are an affordable means for meeting updated safety requirements for your building. These systems can be engineered and customized to meet any unique building condition. With 125 years of experience in roofing operations, our family company uses best safety practices to guarantee the safety of our customers, the public, and our employees. We pride ourselves on the quality of our products and the excellence of our customer service
For more information on our roof davit system capabilities, please do not hesitate to contact us or request a quote.