A Car Came Through a 220 kg Shopfront on Latrobe Terrace
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On a Sunday night in wet weather, a vehicle lost control coming around the corner on Latrobe Terrace and hit a large commercial shopfront window head-on.
The impact shattered the lower section and compromised the integrity of the full-height panel. At approximately 3000 mm wide by 2100 mm high and around 220 kilograms, this was never going to be a standard replacement.
Make safe first, replace second
We attended promptly to assess the damage and make the site safe while approval was arranged for the full replacement.
That gap matters on commercial work. The building is secured immediately, but the panel itself cannot be ordered until the job is approved, so the two phases run separately.
Same-day once approved
Approval came through on the Tuesday. We organised the oversized panel and returned to site the same day to install it.
On a high-traffic strip like Latrobe Terrace, downtime is the real cost to the business, so the aim is always to compress the gap between go-ahead and glass in the frame.
Why this one needed a crane
At 220 kilograms, manual handling was not an option, and no amount of people on the panel makes it safe.
We used our specialist mini crane with a vacuum lifting system, which takes the panel on suction cups and holds it on its face rather than its edges. That is what allows a panel this size to be placed precisely rather than wrestled into position.
Having dedicated glass lifting equipment in the region means oversized panels can be installed safely, complex lifts completed with precision, installation time reduced and commercial buildings secured faster.
The job in short
- Site: Commercial shopfront, Latrobe Terrace, Geelong
- Cause: Vehicle lost control in wet weather, Sunday night
- Panel: Approx. 3000 mm x 2100 mm, approx. 220 kg
- Sequence: Same-night make-safe, replacement installed same day as approval
- Equipment: Mini crane with vacuum lifting system
