Palmers erects modular access for historic old mint in Edinburgh

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Palmers Scaffolding UK are providing modern scaffolding solutions on an historic old mint in Edinburgh, for top main contractors, ISG Construction Limited.

ISG’s premium central Edinburgh re-development project – to be known as ‘The Registers’ – comprises the mint building (previously used for the manufacture of currency) at 28-52 West Register Street, which incorporates a listed warehouse constructed in the Venetian Gothic architectural style of the 1860s, just adjacent to the well-known St Andrew Square in the city centre. It is a mixed-use re-development of the mint building, where the team at ISG are creating create 5,700 m2 of Grade A office space and 1,000 m2 of leisure space across ground and basement levels.

Nine Palmers Scaffolding UK Ltd operatives are providing 11 lifts of scaffolding access from April to December on the 21.5m high historic mint building, enabling ISG’s construction workers to retain and repair the building’s façade, whilst reconfiguring and extending the capacity of the building, with a new steel frame structure.

The £200,000+ scaffold is a physically-tied Layher Allround modular access system, designed by Palmers’ in-house engineers to provide access for the construction workers to the external façade and roofs of the new mint building and the existing Venetian building. In addition, Palmers scaffolders are installing 1,330LM of edge protection handrails erected from MEWP’s (eliminating the need for additional working at height) directly to floor steels, for compliant work at height safety during the formation of each of the eight-floor levels.

Palmers Scaffolding UK Limited Managing Director, Lindsay Harle said: “It’s fantastic to be working with ISG on this interesting, challenging project on such an historic building in central Edinburgh – working closely with them to overcome access hurdles in the process. The very tight nature of the city centre site has made the temporary scaffolding works particularly challenging. And the client has also made the unusual request of installing the scaffold ties to the steelwork prior to the scaffold being erected. But these are challenges we relish for our clients.”

Ian McFarlane, Palmers Director of Business and Project Development added: “Palmers Scotland branch has won a number of significant contracts in Edinburgh and Glasgow recently, close to our headquarters. We are pleased to be working in conjunction with ISG Construction Limited to provide their scaffold support on this significant development in central Edinburgh and look forward to bringing the access provision in on time, and on budget.”

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