Project Analysis & Testing Success

As part of a current major construction project, Booth Industries have designed a special locking system to support the weight of the large vertical sliding acoustic doors whilst in the fully open and closed positions, with the doors weighing 60 and 84 tonnes respectively. Due to the extreme length of the locking device, a bespoke connection detail was designed to connect two bars together.  This bespoke connection underwent a thorough in-house finite element analysis (FEA) to predict the yield and failure loads. The results of this analysis were then further validated in a laboratory under formal test conditions, using a destructive pull test.

The theoretical and real yield loads correlated to within 1%, whilst the final ultimate tensile load was calculated as being equivalent to 5 double decker buses.  An incredible feat of Engineering by our team, and further validation of our FEA testing reliability and value as part of an overall assurance service, for some of the most demanding projects and sectors, where a truly bespoke door requirement might have previously seemed impossible.

The below video clip shows the final moments of the destructive test on the connector, with its ultimate individual overall tensile strength being confirmed as far in advance of the requirement when using multiple connectors for each door leaf.