Heathside School, Weybridge

Waverley were approached by contractor Woodland Commercial Projects to design, manufacture and install a large canopy to provide sixth form students with a covered breakout area that could be used in all weathers.

Design challenges & solutions

The canopy structure needed to be independent of any existing buildings and to be robust enough to withstand windy conditions due to its elevated position on the school site. It also needed to be light enough to be hand balled to the area due to the tight access restrictions and steps up to the area.

The Weatherspan canopy system was the ideal solution. Constructed from aluminium profiles which can easily be handled by two operatives, the system could be taken to the location with minimal effort.

Waverley installed a free-standing apex canopy measuring 11m x 12m. Prior to manufacture, we visited site and produced a CAD drawing showing support column locations and wind load calculations by a third party structural engineer, so that Woodland Commercial could cast the required concrete foundations.

The outcome

The canopy consists of a central goalpost frame 11m in length, supported by a total of 4 columns. Either side of the goalpost frame, 6m roof beams are connected by lengths of gutter profile and each supported on 4 columns. The roof consists of 16mm thick multiwall polycarbonate sheets in an opaque finish which reduces UV rays by 97% whilst letting through a high degree of natural daylight.

The columns are bolted to the concrete pad stones, and the rainwater downpipes – which are concealed inside the support columns on each corner of the canopy – exit the columns just above ground level so that the rainwater can be dispersed into rainwater gulleys adjacent to each post.

Woodland Commercial are pleased with the end result and said of their experience with Waverley:

‘I would thoroughly recommend them. Great service, very efficient, low maintenance and really user friendly’

The School Facilities Manager at Heathside says the whole project has been an overwhelming success – and that the students all race to get their space at one of the picnic benches housed under the canopy!