8th May 2009
Span-tastic access from SGB
SGB Project Services has supplied a complex scaffold structure to the underside
of the Jubilee Bridge at Inverbervie, near Montrose, enabling contractors to carry
out vital repairs.
Opened in 1935 and named to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V,
the Jubilee Bridge is an impressive seven-arched viaduct road bridge carrying
the A92 trunk road over Bervie Water, a small river running through a steep sided
valley. Principle Contractor, Makers Freyssinet is carrying out repair work and
installing a corrosion protection system to prevent weakening of the steel reinforcement
within the bridge. Having worked with SGB on a similar project, also on the A92
at Montrose, the company approached SGB again to design an access system that
would provide a safe and efficient means of delivering personnel and their equipment
to the underside of the bridge arches.
Design of the scaffolding was complicated by the height of the bridge – reaching 10 lifts in places – and the steep-sloping wooded valley floor. SGB’s solution was a combination of its modular CUPLOK® system scaffold, traditional tube-and-fitting scaffolding, and COVERSPAN® beams to brace the tall structure and enhance its strength and rigidity.
Erection of the scaffold began in December 2008. To minimise the quantity of
equipment required, SGB supplied scaffolding for four of the seven spans, enabling
Makers Freyssinet to start repairing the defective concrete. As the work progressed,
the scaffolding was progressively dismantled and re-erected under the remaining
soffits, providing continuous access to the workface without having to scaffold
the whole structure at once. SGB also had to design debris containment to ensure
there was no contamination to the water course below the bridge.
Paul Wood, Contract Manager with Makers Freyssinet commented: “The sheer size
and height of the bridge posed a challenge to the scaffold designers, who had
to produce a solution that was not only safe for working at these heights, but
also capable of erection and removal in the optimum time-frame. SGB provided the
most competitive solution without compromising performance or quality.”
The access equipment used on the Inverbervie Bridge project was supplied by SGB’s
Aberdeen branch. “Having the depot so close to the site made life much easier
for us” added Mr Wood. “Response times were very short and we had almost instant
access to SGB’s equipment and people throughout the project”.
SGB Project Services will be on site for approximately 40 weeks, with the £1.3 million repair contract due for completion in August 2009.
