JR Scaffold Services has completed a specialist scaffold and temporary roof project at the B-listed Walton Building at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
The Scottish contractor installed custom-designed double-gabled scaffolding on each side of the building before forming a temporary roof to support essential roof renovation works.
The project required a multi-stage plan due to the building’s location within a live hospital site. Roads around the work area had to remain open throughout to allow safe access for pedestrians, traffic, ambulances and deliveries.
The Walton Building is also within the Glasgow Central Conservation Area and sits above a historic tunnel system. As a result, the scaffold base had to be designed as a non-load bearing solution to keep weight off the areas above the tunnels.
Built from beams
The access design was produced by Gallery Access Solutions, with support from Coltart Earley Architecture.
The solution used the base as a foundation for the double-gabled scaffold, with the structure built off beams to deal with limited access around the building.
Once the scaffold was in place, the team installed a temporary roof that could be rolled over the Walton Building roof safely. Materials were moved up the structure using an electric palletiser, which helped raise materials part-way up the building.
JR Scaffold Services said Contracts Director John Jack led the project, supported by several experienced members of its scaffold team.
Lead contractor role
Evan Horne, Estimator for JR Scaffold Services, said the company had taken on a wider role than is usual for a scaffolding business.
“We were the lead contractor on this particular project, which is quite unusual for a scaffolding company,” he said.
“However, we took these new challenges in our stride, looking after aspects of the project such as construction phase plans, traffic management plans and providing assets including signage and welfare facilities for our trade contractors.
“We worked closely with the client and our partners, and, despite the unique and complex challenges of this particular project, we delivered the job on time and, most importantly safely.”
Training before site work
JR Scaffold Services also carried out project-specific training before the site works began.
The company recreated the designed scaffold solution at its own yard to help newer scaffolders understand the temporary roof arrangement before working on the live hospital site.
Some team members were also sent to other temporary roof projects, including work at St Fillan’s Church in Houston, to build further experience before the Glasgow project.
Owen Stoney, Temporary Roof Advisor for JR Scaffold Services, said: “Because of the size and complexity of this job, we thought it was important to provide familiarisation and awareness training for our whole team.
“We built the gabled scaffold in our new yard and replicated the structure they were going to be building on in Glasgow.
“This allowed our team to work with the materials before they went live on site, giving them an understanding and awareness of how the structure would come together.
“We worked closely with the architects and designers to ensure that everything was set up in a way that provided safe access for the work to take place, while also protecting those using the areas surrounding the site.”
