The recent refurbishment of one of the Army’s most significant training assets was made possible thanks to a team of fast-working scaffolders.
The Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (CATT), which is based at Warminster and uses networked simulators to enable soldiers to train in a virtual environment, underwent a major £1.9m upgrade over August and September.
The project was funded by Aspire Defence Limited (ADL), with on-site works managed by KBR-owned Aspire Defence Services Limited (ADSL), on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). Aspire Defence is contracted by the MOD under Project Allenby/Connaught to build and maintain soldiers’ living and working accommodation at military garrisons across Salisbury Plain and at Aldershot.
The CATT refurb required the installation of the largest volume of scaffolding in the shortest possible timeframe for any Aspire life cycle project.
To enable access to the high ceiling within the CATT, around 324 tonnes of scaffolding were erected by contractors Ideal Scaffolding (Southern) Ltd and S&K Scaffolding Ltd – that’s over 14 miles of scaffold boards and more than 20,000 metres of tubing. In addition, four lorry loads of plywood timber were delivered to the site, so that each state-of-the-art simulator could be boarded up and protected during works. The wood has since been donated to the Ghurkhas for reuse.
Richard Pearce, Strategic Asset Manager (Aspire Defence Limited) and Brian Martin, Programme Manager (Aspire Defence Services Limited) on the scaffolding platform inside the CATT
Brian Martin, Programme Manager for ADSL Warminster & Larkhill Garrison, explained: “The scaffolders were exemplary. This was the largest internal job they had ever taken on and, in just one week, they completed an installation that would normally take a month. We had around forty contractors on site in a highly-controlled working environment, with excellent collaboration and productivity.”
Every simulator now has an individual fire alarm and air-conditioning controls, enhancing the safety and comfort of soldiers during training. The installation of over 600 energy-efficient LEDs (totalling 21 miles of cable) will also create substantial savings, dramatically reducing the power bill for the building.
Richard Pearce, Strategic Asset Manager for ADL, said: “Our customer will notice a huge difference, thanks to improved lighting levels and ventilation throughout the facility. This significant investment will ensure that the CATT remains a safe, compliant and economical asset for the Army, where soldiers can continue to gain vital operational skills.”
US oil giant ExxonMobil is preparing to spend more than £500m on a major overhaul of the Fawley refinery.
If approved by local authorities, the half a billion pound upgrade would enable the refinery to produce more high-quality diesel from new oil processing units, and extend the life of the facility.
Located on the south coast of England Fawley processes around 270,000 barrels of crude oil a day, fueling around one in six British vehicles.
Work has already begun on clearing the site for the planned units which will sit within the 3,000 acre Fawley refinery.
Speaking to the Financial Times refinery manager Simon Downing said: “We see a long-term future for Fawley and we’re looking to make a significant investment in the site,”
“This is not a paper exercise, we already have a big team working on this.
Altrad has combined Cape PLC, NSG and Hertel to create UK’s largest industrial services provider to the petrochemical, energy and infrastructure industries.
The consolidation of the three Altrad-owned business creates a single business named Altrad Services that has been designed to provide an efficient, streamlined offering to customers.
Altrad Services has developed three distinct business lines, with each having its own separate strategy, aligned to its customers and markets. These include Maintenance, Modifications and Overhauls (MMOs), Projects and Nuclear.
Simon Hicks, managing director for Cape UK said: “The newly launched Altrad Services enables us to offer something truly unique to our customers – with our dedication to customer service and operational excellence continuing to drive our approach.
“MMO is the traditional part of the business and will continue delivering industry-leading excellence developing deeper relationships with our customers. Projects will be made up of Altrad’s specialist services and offshore businesses – targeting growth through major projects. The Nuclear Stream brings together the excellence of Hertel and Cape, continuing their work with current customers in this area, while developing greater capabilities around nuclear decommissioning.”
“Our vision is clear and ambitious. By bringing together these three leading brands, we’re future-proofing our business and aligning our operations to the current market trends. Altrad’s new expanded offer delivers an enhanced, innovative service – catering for every business in the oil, gas and chemicals industries, no matter what the size or requirement.”
Future developments will see the new integration build on its years of experience in the oil and gas, energy and infrastructure industries, with a vision to become a sustainable business for the future.
Lyndon Scaffolding has been supporting their client Lendlease with innovative access solutions on a prestigious project in London at 150 Bishopsgate.They erected a mobile birdcage scaffold that is 16m wide, 10m long, 7m high and weighs 18.5 tonnes, for the creation of one of the first ballrooms to be built in the city for decades, in an area that is 4,800m3.Lendlease needed access 9m up to install the services inside and over the top of the acoustic ceiling for the ballroom. Jon Smith, Project Manager said: “They couldn’t install a full birdcage to the area, so we needed a solution, I had an idea to erect a birdcage and put it on tracks. Thankfully, this idea was very well received by Lendlease, as it solved their problems immediately and safely: They loved the innovation. After all, it’s not everyday you see a 18.5-tonne mobile tower.”As the scaffold structure – all designed in-house by Lyndon engineers – is 10m long, it will need to be moved twice to cover the vast 30m long ballroom. The top lift is 7m high to allow operatives to work from podiums to access in between the concrete and steel beams which have a 1.5m recess. And the scaffold also has boarded lifts around the perimeter to access the columns to do the cladding at the same time.Jon Smith said: “This solution has potentially taken months off the fit out programme, as the other solution was to do it all from MEWP’s. And as the birdcage will move both ways at various times to allow the install of services, it may be moved a dozen times depending on the clients’ needs.” CEO Rob Lynch added: “We are delighted with the solution, it’s a classic case of Lyndon finding the right, innovative, safe, cost-saving solution for clients with our temporary works and scaffolding.”
Global system scaffolding manufacturers Layher have released ‘The Layher App’ with the added benefit of Mixed Reality.
Mixed Reality combines real camera shots with digitally generated scaffolding models. In this process, reality – that means all things that you just see – are supplemented with additional information in the form of 3D scaffolding objects.
Available free to download on iOS and Android the app essentially works in conjunction with the Layher Allround Catalogue. The app user has the ability to scan over specific images within the catalogue with their smartphone camera thus bringing that element to life in the form of an impressive 3D scaffolding object. Like magic, Layher products and structures can now be seen in the users actual surroundings.
The structures or products can be manipulated, enlarged and rotated giving the user a more detailed view of the structures.
The news of the app seems to of been well received after Sean Pike, Managing Director at Layher UK announced the launch on Linkedin last week. Commenting on his post, Helen Gawor, Business Director at GKR Scaffolding Ltd said: “I’d like to see this Sean. AR, MR and VR will play a huge part in our industry over the next 5 years in various applications. Congratulations on this development”.
More information can be found on the Layher website.
Mercer Scaffolding has been awarded the scaffolding and access package on a new £300m hotel development site in the heart of the West End of London.
Luxury hotel chain Edwardian Hotels London is developing a new 350 bedroom hotel and cinema complex in the heart of Leicester Square, London with a variety of leisure facilities and a mixture of bars and restaurants.
Once completed in 2020 The Leicester Square Hotel will have eight storeys above ground and six below ground. The building is designed to complement existing properties and will work as a series of independent but connected venues, as well as operating as a single entity for hosting major film premieres in the future.
Mercer Scaffolding Operations Manager, Adam Millgate said on Linkedin: “We are grateful to be handpicked by the client on this exciting project due to complete in 2020, the extensive design and consultation over the past 12 months has been exciting. Ben Beaumont and his team at 48.3 Scaffold Design Ltd have been busy in the background making this project possible”.
“Great work by our senior estimator Mitchell Rowland and the rest of the Mercer team to get this secured. We look forward to working with Julian Daniel and his team at Blue Sky Building”.
Two previous directors of Beaver 84 have purchased Presco for an undisclosed sum.
The Walsall, West Midlands based scaffolding manufacturer has been acquired by Steve Tysoe and Ian Smith both of which were previous directors of Beaver 84 a leading supplier of tempory fencing, scaffolding and edge protection solutions for hire and sales.
According to TCI, the deal comprises all the intellectual property, trademarks and brands associated with Presco as well as its Presco’s 10,000 sq ft factory and distribution centre in Walsall, its 14 employees and its supply deals with half a dozen factories in China.
The new owners plan to take Presco into bespoke scaffolding systems. Additionally, they also plan to sell directly to end users but without undercutting existing distributors. Key customers will also be offered bespoke marketing plans and some stock will be available to hire.
Steve Tysoe said: “Presco was a company at the top of the supply chain with a name not rivalled by any other in its market. We intend to refocus and return it back to its rightful place as well as expanding it to ensure that a great British business name is not lost as many others have been over the years.
“Our intention is to grow the business through partnerships, a more focused approach to the client, either distributor or end user, to add products that enhance the current range and to bring back the bases of UK manufacturing where appropriate.”
Forgeco in partnership with Raptor Scaffold Designs has created a video series to showcase the many benefits of the patented Klawz Scaffold Fitting.
Over several months the collaboration tested the use of the Klawz fitting within many different access applications. Forgeco has said their investigation has found that the use of the Klawz fitting allows the saving of both materials and time with other benefits being highlighted throughout the process.
One aspect they found for further consideration was the environmental impact of materials being transported into areas such as central London where there are a number of fees like the Congestion Charge. Today companies are becoming more responsible for their environmental footprint, Klawz can reduce the number of fittings needed and the weight of a scaffold says Forgeco.
The technical aspects of the Klawz fitting show how it can be used to replace several pieces of equipment saving weight and time for the user. The Klawz beam video showcases how it can be used with system scaffold and aluminum beams to simply space out the beam from the rosette or cup thus avoiding timely beam installation.
The Klawz fitting is currently tested to EN71-1:2005 Class B but after investigating its uses it will be going through further testing to showcase further advantages it can bring.
Group Technical Director Samuel Crowley said: “It is great to investigate a product like Klawz further and keep developing it to bring further benefits for the customer. I think the videos really highlight some great benefits of the product”.
View the Klawz youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFZacn6lI-E05h_XJ2pjx5Q/videos
Connolly Scaffolding Ltd has been awarded the Manchester Airport transformation programme contract. The Greater Manchester-based firm will be providing scaffolding access solutions for the transformation of Terminal 2 into the Airport’s new ‘Super Terminal’.
Over £1 billion is being invested into the programme managed by Laing O’Rourke over the 5 year project period. The reconfiguration programme which is one of the largest construction projects in the North of England will see Terminal 2, one of Europe’s busiest terminals, become the airport’s primary terminal building when it is extended by 150%.
At the peak of the project, at the beginning of 2019, it is expected that nearly 1,500 people will be working onsite, with a target of 150 apprentices. According to Manchester Evening News, 75% of workers onsite are from within a 35-mile radius of the project.
The ‘Super Terminal’ will include an all-new international departure lounge, providing passengers with luxurious and functional waiting spaces. There will be 60 new food, beverage and retail outlets across 167,000 square feet of retail space. Enough to service 27 million annual passengers.
Connolly Scaffolding Managing Director, Wayne Connolly, said: “The selection process to find a scaffolding partner for this major project was very thorough and we are delighted that we were able to successfully demonstrate our ethos of providing scaffolding services on time, safely and within budget.
We are extremely proud to be part of such a transformation of a facility that will greatly benefit the North West and will be used by millions of travelers from across the globe.”
Two construction workers fell to their deaths on Wednesday morning after falling seven stories from collapsed scaffolding near Walt Disney World in Florida. A third worker managed to hang on and climb to safety.
The accident happened at a JW Marriott hotel that is under construction, in Orange County just outside the Disney property, according to Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles.
He says there were about 18 workers at the scene when they got the call about the accident at 4:15 a.m. They were working at the top of the hotel, above the sixth floor, where concrete is being poured. Jachles says that the support structure gave way, sending two workers plummeting to their deaths. The third worker sustained minor injuries.
Fatal construction accident: 14900 blk Chelonia Pkwy./Hotel under construction/several workers on scaffold/support structure, working between 6 & 7th floors when, for reasons unknown, scaffold gave way. 2 workers fell to the ground and died on scene (more) #BREAKINGpic.twitter.com/g0OLvH3dfW
They erected a mobile birdcage scaffold that is 16m wide, 10m long, 7m high and weighs 18.5 tonnes, for the creation of one of the first ballrooms to be built in the city for decades, in an area that is 4,800m3.
Lendlease needed access 9m up to install the services inside and over the top of the acoustic ceiling for the ballroom.
Jon Smith, Project Manager said: “They couldn’t install a full birdcage to the area, so we needed a solution, I had an idea to erect a birdcage and put it on tracks. Thankfully, this idea was very well received by Lendlease, as it solved their problems immediately and safely: They loved the innovation. After all, it’s not everyday you see a 18.5-tonne mobile tower.”
As the scaffold structure – all designed in-house by Lyndon engineers – is 10m long, it will need to be moved twice to cover the vast 30m long ballroom. The top lift is 7m high to allow operatives to work from podiums to access in between the concrete and steel beams which have a 1.5m recess. And the scaffold also has boarded lifts around the perimeter to access the columns to do the cladding at the same time.
Jon Smith said: “This solution has potentially taken months off the fit out programme, as the other solution was to do it all from MEWP’s. And as the birdcage will move both ways at various times to allow the install of services, it may be moved a dozen times depending on the clients’ needs.”
CEO Rob Lynch added: “We are delighted with the solution, it’s a classic case of Lyndon finding the right, innovative, safe, cost-saving solution for clients with our temporary works and scaffolding.” 
The structures or products can be manipulated, enlarged and rotated giving the user a more detailed view of the structures.
The news of the app seems to of been well received after Sean Pike, Managing Director at Layher UK announced the launch on Linkedin last week. Commenting on his post, Helen Gawor, Business Director at GKR Scaffolding Ltd said: “I’d like to see this Sean. AR, MR and VR will play a huge part in our industry over the next 5 years in various applications. Congratulations on this development”.
More information can be found on the Layher website. 
