Harsco has provided a variety of Self Climbing Formwork (SCF) systems, plus MANTO® to wall shuttering formwork, link beams, hoists and other associated equipment to help create the 1380-metre suspension bridge which will have one of the world’s longest individual spans measuring 1310 metres.
Main project contractor, Veidekke ASA of Norway, was impressed with Harsco’s ability to understand the complexities of this particular project, and draw on its considerable experience of similar projects to help design a practical, safe and efficient access solution.
This is enabling a number of significant challenges to be successfully overcome, including the need to accommodate the changing dimensions of the bridge pylons as they rise, and the requirement to construct SCF units that would operate inside the bridge pylons. These tasks are made more difficult by the difficult weather conditions on site, which at times can produce wind speeds of 36 miles per hour.
Harsco’s ability to provide a comprehensive portfolio of products and services for this project was another significant factor in Veidekke’s decision. This is helping simplify the project by enabling Veidekke to work with just a small number of contacts within Harsco, who are now able to co-ordinate the delivery of all the formwork, hoists and consumable materials to the site as required.
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Scaffolding Systems South West bosses were fined a total of £13,000, Terrence Foster was fined £8,000 and his business partner Shaun Greenslade was fined £5,000. Both had to pay court costs of £2,040.
Exeter Magistrates court heard that on the 25 March 2009 a large section of scaffolding erected by Scaffolding Systems South West at a builders merchants came away from the building, damaging a number of parked cars.
The causes for the collapse that HSE inspectors found was that netting had been fixed to the scaffold that extended nearly a meter above the roof of the building. The netting was also fixed to the inside edge of the scaffold instead of the outside which basically made the scaffold a sail to the prevailing wind. The investigation also found there was inadequate stability measures on the scaffold to withstand foreseeable wind speeds, such as scaffolding ties.
HSE Inspector, Andrew Kingscott said:
Due to the impending review of TG20:08 Volume 2, which is necessary following the introduction of the European Wind Code and the publication of BS EN1991-1-4:2005 A1:2010 (European Wind) and the National Annexe to BS EN1991-1-4:2005 A1:2010, all the safe height tables, text and diagrams associated with wind loading covered in TG20:08 Volume 2 are no longer valid and the tables detailed below should not be used, with immediate effect:
Tables being reviewed:
Table 29 – 31 (Pages 154 – 159) 
Scaffolders have concerns over the step causing extra strain on the back when lifting tube above the head to fix the advanced guardrail. There is also concerns with the plate that the scaffolder stands on becoming very slippery when wet.
The online petition can be found here
