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widespread use among architects, str uctural engineers and main contractors but, although initially slow to take hold among the scaffolding industry, new initiatives indicate this is about to change. GKR won an NASC Award for innovation for its use of virtual reality in safety training (see p13), and powered access hirer Nationwide Platforms has followed suit, with a large-scale deployment of a hybrid VR system designed to boost the safety of road workers repairing the M5 Oldbury viaduct. Garry Fannon, head of BIM at Willmott Dixon, told Construction Manager that some large scaffolding firms are offering 3D BIM models on big projects, and civil and structural engineering software developer CADS says it is receiving more enquiries from scaffolders interested in BIM functionality within its new design
software Smart Scaffolder. The platform includes a BIM Toolbox module that enables users to build a 3D scaffold model, then export the file to BIM authoring software, including Revit. Scaffolding supplier Layher is also innovating with digital, with itsLayPlan OEM which makes it possible to generate accurate 3D models and animations of scaffold designs. The inherent risks of work at height may drive the deeper integration of temporary works into BIM following the introduction of the BIM Level 2 specification PAS 1192-6 last year. This sets out requirements for the sharing of health and safety information, and emphasises the need to identify and share 'foreseeable risk' across teams much earlier on and throughout a project’s life cycle. This makes a strong case for bringing safety-critical activities such as scaffolding design into BIM much earlier than at present.
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The Big Ben Conservation Project is arguably the UK’s most visible scaffolding job, encasing one of the world’s most visited and iconic tourist landmarks: the Queen Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster, more commonly known as Big Ben. Standing at 96 metres tall, the remedial work includes conserving the stonework and cast-iron roof, as well as dismantling the Great Clock piece by piece, with each cog and component removed from site, examined and restored. It was a complex project for PHD with myriad difficulties that had to be overcome in relation to security, design and logistics. The Elizabeth Tower is hemmed in by structures on three sides, which added to the cost and complexity. These include a set of redundant steps and an underground tunnel to the north, a parliamentary building abutting the tower on the south side and a colonnade walkway to the west. The only elevation where scaffolding could go down to the ground was on the east and even that had its challenges. The solution was to erect four, 30m-high freestanding towers on each corner of the tower – these support trusses running east to west on the north and south sides of the tower. The scaffolding is supported by the trusses on the north and south sides – the scaffolding below the truss is suspended. The scaffolding is a Layher system that does away with separate 6
couplers, which were considered at risk from being dropped from height. Lifting the trusses into place was a major operation, necessitating the closure of a main road for a week. The trusses were brought to site in four pieces, joined together and lifted into place from the road with a 300-tonne crane. A second crane was used to position the truss on the south side of the tower. Navigating it around the tower would have been impossible, and movement of all scaffold materials up and down the tower was taken care of by an extra-wide hoist selected to enable the 4.2m-long minute hands of the clock to be taken down in one piece. Getting materials onto site was also a challenge because of the tight security requirements and to avoid disrupting parliamentary business.
Loads were bundled up and security checked with notice of every delivery given in advance to the Palace of Westminster. This requires careful advanced planning. Furthermore, operatives are working in a footprint of 15m by 15m so co-ordination between the trades was very important once they started utilising the structure. PHD had up to 40 operatives working on the structure but had to erect two lifts per week to the top of Big Ben to stay on programme. A team of eight scaffolders achieved this, including two apprentices. A daily meeting with the client takes care of the co-ordination issues between the various trades and planning sessions held to prepare six weekly projections.
The London Mastaba in London’s Hyde Park is unlike any other scaffold project in the world: an imposing art installation created by world-renowned Bulgarian artist Christo and his late wife, Jeanne Claude, the structure floated on the Serpentine Lake from June until September 2018. The London Mastaba stood at 20 metres high with base dimensions of 40m x 30m and was formed of 7,506 horizontally stacked, brightly coloured barrels. These barrels were supported by an intricate scaffolding framework, supplied and erected by Coventry Scaffolding. This unique s c a f f o l d i n g p ro j e c t p re s e n te d a distinct set of challenges.
To test the concept, Coventry worked on a one-third scale version of the Mastaba on the Black Sea in Sozopol, Bulgaria, when initial design problems were overcome. To achieve the desired size and shape of the structure on time, whilst providing the team with total flexibility, a system scaffold, interspersed with traditional tube and fittings was used. Work on the London Mastaba on the Serpentine began on 23 April and took two months to complete. Scaling up to the full 40m x 30m x 20m of the structure required additional rigidity by bracing every line of scaffolding along the length and breadth of the steel frame. The team had to work around a lot of complex engineering calculations to meet the precise dimensions of the installation. Owing to fixed sizes of the barrels, as well as the 4x3x2 proportions of the structure, tolerances were down to the very last millimetre; this was doubly difficult because the barrels had to be installed after the scaffolding was erected. In addition, the first line of barrels had to be supported below the base line of the scaffold in order to achieve the perfect aesthetic for the artist. It was critical the barrels looked like they were floating on the lake, so the scaffolding could not be visible. 7
An additional constraint was that the diagonal walls across the sides of the Mastaba had to be precisely 60 degrees to accommodate the natural pitch of horizontally stacked cylindrical objects. Prior to moving the barrel lines into place, a black steel mesh was fixed to all four exterior sides of the structure to avoid any exposure of the scaffolding between the gaps in the barrels.
This inaugural award recognises member companies achieving the core objectives set out by the NASC president which this year included mentoring, increasing the role of women in the industry, focusing on training and awareness of mental health and wellbeing. RPF implemented a specific demand in their employment contract for mentoring as well as support for employees with mental health issues, offering financial help and professional counselling services. RPF has specifically helped employees with bereavement and personal financial hardship which paid dividends with staff/management relationships. Furthermore, over 70 per cent of staff undertook training courses.
GKR created the world’s first virtual reality working-at-height safety training for scaffolders. It aimed to change behaviour and attitude to safety on site by exposing scaffolders to the impact of taking risks and failure to intercept hazards. By working with VR agency E-Learning Studios, it created simulated experiences in VR that would deliver the same physiological and 8
psychological reaction from operators after experiencing the outcome of a risk or hazard. After identifying top safety issues, it built scenarios that couldn’t be recreated in real life and using a fully immersive, hands-on learning experience which appeals to the learning style of scaffolders. GKR identified that scaffolders lose the ‘high-rise mindset’ when working at lower level. Although it had zero incidents at height – as scaffolders can perceive the risk from a more obviously high-risk environment – GKR found that most incidents/accidents happen at lower level – potentially through familiarity and lower perceived risk. The training follows randomised scenarios at gantry level and half way up a building. The immersive nature of the training means that trainees have to think and make decisions in real time.
Regardless of whether they intercept in time, the consequences of the hazard will play out – either immediately after the scenario or as a ‘this is what would have happened’ situation. In one training scenario simulated in the system, a worker neglects to secure a ladder to a scaffold and subsequently falls into the road outside an exclusion zone and gets hit by a car. Operatives, wearing a Samsung Gear VR headset and earphones, see the man fall, watch the ambulance approach, hear the sirens wail, and must then listen to an emotional phone call to the man’s wife after he is pronounced dead. “The experience is so realistic, some operatives needed a break between training modules to unwind,” says Helen Gawor, business strategy director at GKR Scaffolding. “The discussion post-training is often very intense as operatives come to terms with the possible consequences of their actions and attitudes on site.” Read more on GKR's use of VR on p13.
GKR launched a health and safety league with the objective to measure the H&S performance of each project team, and to reinforce the ‘above industry best practice’ standards expected. The H&S team uses the iAuditor app to collect data across all live projects within each of the four GKR Business Units. Sixteen categories are measured, covering various aspects of the work environment, quality of documentation, adherence to audits and inspections, levels of engagement and competency. The audits are carried out monthly and sites are not notified of when the audit will take place.
A scoring matrix is used to identify areas needing improvement as well as those areas of high performance. Action plans are put in place on the back of these audits. The data is managed and analysed, feeding into the league. This identifies high-performing projects, those with good performance and those on an improvement plan. A detailed, visual report is compiled using the data and shared during the monthly H&S meeting and circulated across the leadership team. Trends are tracked across each month to identify themes according to project lifecycle, business unit and need for communication/process improvements. The league also plays on each team’s competitiveness with every project now rallying to be at the top of the league every month. This helps promote a culture of continuous improvement and grow dedication to health and safety. Winning sites get to have breakfast with the directors. But the real impact is in the data: compliance has increased by 25% since April with some areas consistently achieving 100%. GKR currently has no projects on an improvement plan. This league initiative dovetails with GKR’s use of virtual reality working-at-height safety training for scaffolders (See Innovation Award). 10
George started working with Connect in February 2017. From the start his enthusiasm to learn shone through. After completing his induction Training in the Yard and his COTS, he joined the Cambridge team and has worked on a variety of different projects. Initially very reserved and apprehensive of the older scaffolders on site, George blossomed as his experience grew. “If you look at George now, it is like looking at someone with a completely different personality,” says Mark Williamson, SHEQ manager at Connect Scaffolding. “He has significantly developed his technical and social skills and is now more than happy to actively get involved in all situations. His confidence in his abilities grows at a steady rate, making him a good example for other trainees to look up to. Even at a young age, George likes to see a project completed to a high standard and shows a great deal of pride when he has been involved in the work on site. He is always one of the first to show our new trainees the ropes when they first arrive on site and is always helping the qualified scaffolders. Initiative is a great quality to have in any employee but especially at an apprenticeship level as this is something that is difficult to teach. Considering how shy George was at first, he has shown he is able to thrive, even in an environment that was initially out of his comfort zone.”
Malvern improved both its inspection process and quality of working life for office staff.
Having a paperwork-based system for inspection meant information would be slow to circulate and reaction time to non-compliance could be delayed. Having trialled a safety auditing software app, Malvern fully embraced the software, adapting it to its bespoke requirements. The information recorded on the report is clear and can be distributed instantly. It uses minimal amount of text and employs visual aids. The company can now resolve a non-compliance on the same day. Initiatives to find healthier working practices and environments for the office team (20 per cent of the staff) included standing desks with antifatigue mats. Trials of 20-minute periods of standing work resulted in instant improvement. One employee reported feeling brighter and less lethargic in the afternoons and, after adopting the work style for almost a year, claims it has boosted productivity and banished lower back pain. Additionally, internal lights were swapped for daylight bulbs to mimic the quality and spectrum of natural daylight, which has been proven to combat conditions such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Malvern staff also receive nutritional advice and have taken advantage of the introduction of walks to boost activity.
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in 3D, either scaled down, sitting on a desk, drawing or the floor, or in full scale, imposed on the building itself. Scaffolding and formwork specialist PERI provides similar possibilities with its PERI Augmented ExPERIence app which can display 3D models in AR, virtual reality or mixed reality using a smart phone or mobile device. It's early days for the app, with PERI planning to announce updates in April, at the BAUMA construction show in Munich. As well as being a great communication and marketing tool, the ability to look at a scaffold in-situ before it is erected offers some practical benefits too. It’s a lot easier to see where bits are missing or where interfaces won’t work when the scaffold is there before your eyes.
GKR’s virtual reality safety training has already won quite a few accolades, among them the NASC’s 2018 innovation award (see p8). The idea behind it is that if someone ‘experiences’ an accident and its negative impacts, they will be less likely to take risks in a similar situation in real life. To date, GKR has trained around half of its 300-strong workforce. Although GKR intended that the technology would be used on site to provide fast training quickly, this isn’t the way to get the most out of it, explains director Helen Gawor. “Despite the technology being powerful, the biggest impact comes from the conversations afterwards,” says Gawor. “What they experience leads to very intense discussions about safety.” GKR is working with researchers in Norway to quantify the impact of the training.
Another lesson has emerged from GKR’s foray into virtual training: how powerful immersive learning is for scaffolders, who are likely to be kinaesthetic learners, explains Gawor. “Now I am passionate about creating more training that appeals to this learning style,” she says. “We need to change the way we train our people.” We’re only just starting to see some of the nifty uses for augmented reality (AR) in the construction industry. One of them is for showing building owners, main contractors and even the scaffolders themselves how scaffolding will look before it is erected. November last year saw software firm Avontus add AR capability to its Scaffold Designer and accompanying Scaffold Viewer app. With the help of a smart phone, users can display their scaffolds
Can a robot really erect scaffolding? Well, no, it can’t. However, it could do the heavy, repetitive lifting work, leaving scaffolders to do the tricky stuff. This is the basis of an idea from German start-up company Kewazo: an automated system that lifts scaffolding parts to where they are needed on rails that fix to standard scaffold poles. “We want to support people to do their job,” says Kewazo co-founder and CEO Artem Kuchukov, who started working on the idea three years ago while studying
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an MSc in Advanced Construction and Building Technology at the Technical University of Munich. “The way things are done today, it’s not sustainable for human bodies. We want to give people the chance to do their jobs in a way that is healthy and also to help make an industry that will attract young people.” Kewazo’s aim is to produce a system that moves both horizontally and vertically. The first iteration, which will move only vertically, was tested last year and from May will be installed on construction sites with Kewazo’s application partners, XERVON, Bilfinger arnholdt and KAEFER Isoliertechnik, and scaffolding contractors Teupe & Soehne Geruestbau, B+P Geruestbau and Geruestbau Fr. Schimmer. “When we showed our idea to scaffolding contractors, they said that starting with flexible and automatic vertical transportation would lead to improvements,” says Kuchukov. The system is quick to install so it can be moved to different points on a scaffold or even different sites, and operates on batteries, so no power cables are needed. As well as reducing long-term health problems, Kewazo reckons that its robot will lead to fewer accidents and save time and resources. Using the robot would allow two scaffolders to do the work faster than three do now, says Kuchukov. 14
any more possessions to erect the scaffold or to work on the building,” says Castle Scaffolding’s managing director Ryan Jewell. One of the biggest challenges in developing the system, which is tethered to the scaffold, was proving that it would perform under wind loading. Independent tests proved that it could cope with windspeeds of up to 80mph, says Jewell. Using Castle’s system removes the cost of possessions, reduces labour costs due to night working and shortens the construction programme.
Working over a live railway can be a risky business – which is why Network Rail insists on any such work being done when the line is closed, usually a few hours during the night. However, for the redevelopment of Twickenham station, which involves the construction of buildings right over the track, Osborne is able to work during normal working hours, thanks to a clever new protective netting developed by Castle Scaffolding. The system, which has a patent pending, involves a bracket which clamps onto the face of the scaffold. Workers manually pull up a telescopic tube holding the netting so that the netting extends to 5m above the current working level. “It took around two shifts to get it onto the lower level of the scaffolding initially and then we haven’t needed
A team of researchers from the universities of Las Vegas, Houston and Hawaii at Manoa have been experimenting with wireless sensors, IoT technology and finite element model (FEM) techniques to create a system that warns when scaffolds have been altered or damaged, threatening their structural integrity. It’s a huge problem in the US – and the UK too. Engineers have already used sensors on scaffolds to measure load, displacement and strain, but this method sees the readings from the sensors fed back into the FEM model all the time so that the system ‘knows’ when something is wrong. To date the researchers have only tested it on a very simple scaffold in the lab but they say that their model does a good job of describing the behaviour of the scaffold in real time. The ultimate goal would be to remove the need for time-consuming human inspections altogether but interest – and funding – from industry has been limited, says researcher Jee Woong Park, assistant professor at the University of Nevada.
the structures and design them to eliminate as much of this risk as possible. Copies of the design must be issued to users or clients for acceptance and sign-off and held on site before any work commences, and there should also be a system in place for managing design variations should they arise.
might seem much like another but the reality is, of course, far more complicated. In a field where the price for getting it wrong can be high, it pays to make sure you have the right supplier. There are a few key considerations to take into account to ensure that the quality of structures installed is high and meets the right legislation, helping to minimise risk of injury for both operatives and members of the public. Here are five of the main criteria you should look out for when appointing a scaffolding contractor to make sure the relationship between client, contractor and scaffolding contractor runs as smoothly as possible: A reputable scaffolding contractor should operate under auditable processes, have a recorded training scheme and be full members of the NASC. They need to make sure they have at least £10m of employers’ liability insurance in place, as well as £5m for public liability.
They also need to demonstrate that their employees have the right level of competency. For example, a qualified Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) Scaffolder or CISRS Advanced Scaffolder should lead the scaffold operations within a gang of scaffolders. Meanwhile, all labourers should have a CISRS Scaffolding Labourer card, and all trainees should have a CISRS Trainee Scaffolder card. The company also needs to have employees with the correct level of competency within their workforce to make sure that operations are supervised properly. Where more complex scaffolding solutions are required, the design has to be provided by a competent scaffolding designer and the appropriate design standard followed. That means ensuring that the scaffolding system is strong and stable enough throughout the project. Designers also need to think about the risks involved in erecting and dismantling
Clients need to be able to provide full information to scaffolding contractors on what is required. The type of information needed includes: board width, the length and height of the scaffold, the number of lifts needed and the lift height, the length of the hire period, as well as any adaptions needed. To that end, many scaffolding contractors and main contractors alike recommend collaboration as early as possible in the process, ideally at the planning and design stage, to ensure that everyone involved understands the requirements of the project and can work together to determine the best solution. While a competent employee of the scaffolding contractor will inspect the completed scaffold for compliance with regulations and codes of practice before handover, scaffolds also need to undergo a regular seven-day inspection regime. This is the responsibility of the contractor/user, rather than the scaffolder themselves. If the contractor does not have a competent person who has attended a nationally recognised scaffold inspection training course, then the contractor will need to engage the scaffolding contractor to carry out this duty on their behalf, which should be by a separate instruction to the main contract. Before work commences, the contractor and scaffolding contractor need to work together to produce a job- and site-specific risk assessment in writing for each individual scaffold structure. 17
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sees significant advances that are designed to improve performance, safety and efficiency – all key factors that can underpin profitability and competitiveness. Access has always been a central factor in this context and, here too, developments in equipment and methods can be readily noted, with the greater uptake of modular or system scaffolding a prime example. “Access is not limited to facade scaffolds but encompasses a wide range of application environments such as the rail industry, oil and gas production or the heritage sector,” says Sean Pike, UK managing director of Layher Ltd, one of the largest manufacturers of system scaffolding and weather protection equipment, “so there is an ever-growing need for system designs to meet key operational challenges.” Pike believes that there are clear advantages arising from the modular approach, with the access industry’s commitment to problem solving prompting a steady flow of product innovation. “There is therefore a growing list of benefits that are becoming increasingly acknowledged throughout the building and construction industry,” he says. The system concept invariably centres on an in-built, highly safe connection method so the need for clamps and other separate fittings is dramatically reduced. This not only results in enhanced safety – there is a reduced risk of components falling or being left on site, for example – it also leads to faster erection and dismantling speed, and less material requirement. The amount of time set aside in a project schedule for 25
scaffold operations can, therefore, be significantly reduced. Indeed, in sectors such as house-building, the ability of the scaffold to keep pace with the build programme can be significantly enhanced. One of the more notable advantages of the modular approach arises from the incorporation of specialised components. By the use of a common fixing method, manufacturers in the sector can develop equipment that links directly to a scaffold structure to extend the range of access solutions at the disposal of the contractor. Lightweight temporary roof ing structures – both static and rolling – are a good example when compared to alternatives such as metal sheets. Dust and sound protection systems and temporary bridging designs also meet specific site needs and can be integrated with purpose-designed systems – often helping the contractor to make the most of his existing material stocks. In its early days modular equipment was criticised for its inability to be combined with tube and fitting, but this hurdle has now been addressed by most system providers, with many having designed-in versatility. The creation of rosette connection systems also allows a range of layouts – only being able to run in a straight line was another flaw of early-stage systems. With the availability of comprehensive and tailored training packages, and the proven design and support input from the system scaffolding sector, the growth in the uptake of the modular option is both widespread and gaining pace. “These are all factors that can be realised almost irrespective of the access or protection project size or type,” says Sean Pike. 26
Situated on the Greenwich Peninsula, Upper Riverside blocks will provide 1,000 new homes in large prism-like asymmetric glass structures supported by concrete frames, boasting views of London’s eclectic skyline. The demand in high-rise buildings poses challenges to contractors to hand over projects in tight times. Innovative solutions are sought fast and to a high standard. For the construction of Upper Riverside No.1 and No.2, AJ Morrisroe (AJM) turned to PERI UK for an access solution that would provide two secure access points leading to all floors. The first phase of the project saw the installation of the PERI UP Rosett Flex Alu 75 access system, providing the required access on both sides of the structure. The system was designed 28
to reach the projected height of the structure and was strengthened to hold the increasing dead load as the staircase was extended. Although the stair tower was suitable for the job, the project’s cycle time demanded faster output. As a result, the access system started to pose problems for cladding contractors. The PERI UP staircase is a permanent fixture, making it incompatible with
the cladding process as it could only be removed once the concreting process had been completed. The obstruction caused by the staircase had a domino effect on the overall cycle time, delaying any progress on the lower floors. Modular components such as fit outs could not be installed, as it was necessary to complete cladding in order to protect the interior from external elements.
Removal of the staircases would have interrupted the concreting process, as there would be no means of access to the upper levels. A solution was required that would enable the operation of both processes to occur simultaneously in addition to freeing up space at ground level. AJM and PERI worked collaboratively to implement a smart solution: combining two products. ‘‘We suggested integrating our PERI RCS Climbing formwork with the PERI UP access system, as this enabled the stair tower to manoeuvre up the building with minimal change each time it was raised,” says product manager, Howard Ball. "This eased the pressure on labour whilst providing the required safety controls. We were able to save our client time, which had a huge impact on the duration of the project.” Suspended from cured concrete slabs, the system enabled access to six levels at any one time, including swift access to the wet deck which enabled contractors to start the rebaring process. In addition, the lower levels of the structure were handed over to other contractors earlier than planned, enabling cladding, steelwork and fit outs to take place. Due to its success, the combined s ys te m wa s u s e d a ga i n o n t h e construction of block 3, where it
accommodated changes in concrete slab profiles. Varying extension pieces were fitted to each floor to meet the requirements of unique structural edges. The climbing stair tower solution re m o ve d t h e p ro ce ss o f f i x i n g components at height, as the staircase was constructed at ground level and positioned into place using a crane. This reduced pressures of working at height to erect material, especially during adverse weather conditions. Site operatives could resume work without needing to wait for access to be installed as the building progressed. The one-off installation of the climbing stair tower meant that crane operation was reduced to a minimum. This meant that the crane was then free to facilitate other tasks on site. The RCS system, fitted with a hydraulic pump, enabled the platform and staircase to climb from floor to floor simultaneously, making the project less dependent on cranes yet capable of providing access at any height. The project received recognition from Knight Dragon and MACE, which has resulted in AJM receiving awards for safe working and innovation.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Scotland undergoing refurbishment was the first contract from Turner Access to solely use composite decking. New Lanark is a former 18th-century mill village located near Lanark on the banks of the River Clyde. In 1799 it was the biggest cotton mill in Scotland, with more than 2,000 people living and working in the village. It formed one of the largest factory sites in the world and became an early example of a planned settlement and urban planning. Today, the site is one of Scotland’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The scaffold project included providing a full perimeter scaffolding structure, including chimney scaffolds, around the Caithness Row building for general repairs and maintenance. Composite deck is extremely strong, tested in accordance with EN 12811-1 and has a load capacity of class 6, but designed to be lightweight with a deck weight of only 12kg. It features an anti-slip surface and is fire, water, acid and alkali resistant. It is also fully recyclable. Composite deck is also popular in proejcts where deadlines are critical, thanks to how quickly and efficiently it can be erected.
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Originally constructed in 1872 as a private home, Athlone House sits in an elevated position in around eight acres of grounds with exceptional views across London. Requisitioned and used as an RAF Intelligence School during World War II, it later became a geriatric hospital, before being left unoccupied and becoming so derelict that the next owner was keen to demolish it and build a new property. Local opposition to this led to years of planning delays and the current owner has opted to return the house to its former glory. Reportedly, Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman purchased Athlone House for £65 million. The task of transforming the historic property is the responsibility of main contractor Knight Harwood, and the company enlisted the help of Millcroft to design, erect and manage the complex scaffolding and access requirements of the project. Knight Harwood’s scope of works i n c l u d e s n e w ro o f s, e x te n s i v e structural works, restoration of stonework and brickwork, damp proofing and replacement of all windows. The poor condition of the building and the extensive façade works meant that Millcroft couldn't fix the scaffolding to any part of the
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existing house. Instead, Millcroft’s design team designed an independent scaffolding structure that is anchored to the ground using around 200 Kentledge blocks instead. Millcroft’s in-house design team also had to consider the exceptionally high wind loading prompted by the property’s elevated position and the wind tunnel effect of the openings within the scaffold enclosure. This involved the use of simulation techniques to engineer the scaffolding for safety and to sequence erection of the scaffold and sheeting in a meticulous programme that supports site safety at all times. Millcroft is retaining a permanent team on site to carry out adaptions as the programme progresses, attending weekly project planning and health and safety meetings to support Knight Harwood’s project management team.
Extensive and innovative scaffolding was designed and installed for a major demolition project at one of the tallest buildings in Birmingham City Centre: the NatWest Tower. Principal contractor H Smith (Engineers) Ltd appointed Scaffold Erection Services (SES) to design and construct scaffold solutions to enable access for this complex project. The building was in a very confined city-centre environment with numerous obstacles to overcome, including difficult access, podium roofs and adjacent property roofs. In addition, four basement levels required extensive back-propping solutions to allow a 250-feet high scaffold to be constructed to the office tower. The task was far from straightforward. The NatWest Tower was initially constructed in 1975 to a design by John Madin. Occupying a prominent position in a prestigious a d d re s s i n t h e c i t y ’s b u s i n e s s district, it was once one of the city's most iconic buildings, along w i t h t h e c i t y ’s l i b r a r y. I t s a t unused after 2003, until planning p e r m i s s i o n w a s g ra n te d f o r a new 35-storey modern office and retail building.
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Among the access problems to overcome, was the need to build a 250-feet high scaffold above adjacent pedestrian streets, busy city-centre roads and lower-level roofs. Heavyduty designed street gantries and protection fans were installed progressively at several levels as the scaffold was constructed. In addition, SES designed and erected primary truss-out beam work from high-level floors to support secondary prefabricated beam spans over adjacent property roofs. The intensive scaffold leg loads clustered through trebled standards were transferred through the four basement levels. Installation of extensively designed back propping systems gave an overall scaffold height of just under 290 feet. H Smith project manager Nick Francis, who has many years’ experience with specialist demolition projects, said of the NatWest job: “To date this project is by far one of the most complex demolition works I have been involved in. The access works are one of the most difficult aspects to overcome.” BAM will build 103 Colmore Row, the replacement for the Tower, due to be completed by autumn 2020. Designed by architects Doone Silver Kerr, the building will boast a rooftop restaurant, a winter garden, a further eatery on the ground floor and 223,000 sq ft of office space over 20 floors, as well as multi-purpose lobby business lounges. At 346 feet in hieght, with the apex 807 feet above sea level, it will be the highest new office building under construction outside London. 32
Scaffolding is not just for providing a safe support to allow work on buildings; it also features heavily in the maintenance of deep access shafts, like those on London’s Thames Water Ring Main - the system which provides fresh water to over six million people in central London. K Scaffolding Ltd was asked to provide scaffolding for the Barrow Hill Trunk main shaft – 78m deep and 9m diameter – to enable maintenance and repairs to take place. O ve rs e e i n g p ro ce e d i n gs i s K Scaffolding’s contracts director, Keith Broom. “Working in these deep shafts calls for extra care to be taken with safety issues,” he says. “And the staff involved not only have to be qualified scaffolders, they have also received confined-space training.” Work begins by craning scaffolding equipment down to the base of the shaft – the scaffolding to be erected is a designed structure which takes into account the depth of the shaft and the weights involved. Four scaffolders then make their way down a series of vertical ladders to start building the scaffolding up from the base of the shaft. For safety, a man is stationed at the top of the shaft to keep a constant watch on the men as they work. “One of the biggest problems is the strength of the wind,” says Broom. “If it is too strong, lowering the gear down becomes too dangerous. But if all is well, the scaffolding gradually makes its way up the shaft in preparation for the maintenance work to begin. It takes about 10 weeks to complete the scaffolding.”
London store a ‘dirty great scaffold’ was unveiled, built to showcase its Autumn collection. At first glance, visitors would be forgiven for thinking the store was still under construction, but in fact the three-storey high scaffold is one of artist Graham Hudson’s most recent works. Constructed from industrial scaffold, the artwork Sisyphus Reclined was built with the help of his friend and long-term scaffolder provider, Matt Bowler from MK Scaffolding and Vantage Event Structures. Artist Graham Hudson, 41, and Matt Bowler, 36, first met at MK Gallery in 2009, where Graham was commissioned to install his work titled An Insignificant Extension in Space and a Considerable Extension in Time, which consisted of a multilevelled framework of scaffolding and pallets. Having approached several 34
scaffolding firms who had turned him down, it was Matt who accepted the commission. Since then Matt and Graham have collaborated on seven different projects, including in Milan for Fendi, in London for Comme de Garçon, Nintendo and Selfridges, where an explosion of scaffold poles was delicately poised in the shop window and an 8ft crane
digger was installed, along with a statue of Venus de Milo in Selfridge’s interior. “When I first met Matt I really liked his craftmanship but also his openness,” says Graham. “It’s quite a rarity to get people in the scaffolding industry to take art seriously, but Matt responds intuitively so it’s collaborative.” Graham is a regular visitor to Matt’s Old Wolverton business premises, where both Vantage Event Structures and MK Scaffolding are stationed. Matt explains: “Graham and I sometimes work out elements of his installation in the yard using the scaffold and then build them on site, which is really exciting.” Scaffold is a medium preferred by a growing number of artists: Israeli artist Eyal Burstein and German-born Carsten Holler utilised scaffold for their projects at the V&A and the Hayward Gallery respectively.