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ScaffFloat has deployed an innovative floating platform in Teesside to support complex pier maintenance work, enhancing both safety and efficiency for scaffolders working over water.
The specialist access firm partnered with industrial services provider Altrad on a project for ConocoPhillips, delivering a custom-built floating pontoon designed to operate in the challenging environment beneath a piled pier structure.
Measuring 8m x 3m, the modular ScaffFloat platform features twin 60hp high-thrust outboard engines, allowing for precise movement around tight and restricted areas under the pier. A key design feature includes a specially engineered pile recess in the bow, which allows the platform to sit close to the pier without making contact, improving safety and reducing the risk of structural interference.
Gary Jago, Operations Manager at ScaffFloat, said: “This project demonstrates how ScaffFloat can provide a stable and manoeuvrable floating foundation, significantly improving the efficiency and safety of scaffold operations for challenging overwater structures.”
To support safe working practices, a drop-in gate and deck section were added to improve rigging access, while a dedicated safety boat and supervisor monitored activity throughout the operation. This ensured full compliance with safety protocols and platform stability at all times.
In a further innovation, the ScaffFloat pontoon was used alongside a securely lashed elevated access platform to maintain consistent working heights despite changing tidal levels. This allowed the team to carry out work continuously and safely across tidal cycles—a common challenge in marine construction environments.
The floating scaffold base significantly cut project times compared to previous access systems, offering quicker scaffold deployment and improving the overall quality of maintenance works.
