PROBLEM
The historic and famous Cleveland Bridge in the city of Bath needed major maintenance works. To carry out these works, a complex suspended scaffold structure needed to be installed underneath to give contractors access. One of our partners, Centregreat Engineering, asked us if we could provide a large pontoon to load in materials and provide access for their scaffolders to make initial connections and install the scaffolding. Then, after the scaffold was removed around a year later, access was needed for painters to touch up all the areas where the steel scaffold girder clamps had been used. We also had to keep the riverway open for leisure vessels and trip boats.
SOLUTION
– Pontoon: 8m x 6.4m ScaffFloat with 90Hp engine, skipper, safety pack and tender.
– Tower: On top of this we designed a 6m high scaffold birdcage
– Payload: A 3 tonne payload was utilised to store and transport scaffolding
– Launch: Due to the very tricky access, the pontoon assembled in two halves and then connected and completed on the water.
– A powered anchor windlass was used to help hold position and avoid the use of lines crossing and blocking the river
– Full RAMS were provided as well as a detailed flood plan and risk assessment
The project was completed as required whilst keeping river users happy and supportive and road users suffering minimal delays due to traffic management.
