Generation Hire & Sale Edinburgh was tasked to provide a scaffold structure that would provide access for cladding replacement on the Exchange Tower in the heart of Edinburgh. Given the existing building is situated directly above an underground tunnel which services all trains in and out of Edinburgh Waverley Train Station, it was extremely important that works were carried out in an efficient and timely manner.
With time being an important factor in this project, the team at Generation Edinburgh knew the best structure for the job was the ALTRAD Futuro system scaffold along with the ALTRAD DESSA 1.3m aluminium lattice beam. With Futuro allowing up to 8 connections per joint it meant faster and safer erection and dismantling time.
Working above an operational train tunnel meant extra precautions had to be taken when erecting the System Scaffold. Any leg loads imposed by the temporary works needed the approval of; main contractor, third party engineers working on behalf of the property owners and Network Rail’s engineering team. A big challenge for Generation was the fact that the building needed to remain fully operational for its tenants throughout all onsite works.
Generation Hire & Sale worked alongside ALTRAD DESSA to support the product and issue all temporary Works Designs. Full working drawings were submitted by ALTRAD DESSA along with calculations stipulating the interface loads with the building and the ground. The 1.3m deep Asterix HD beams were employed over the main entrance to the building to support the 40m tall scaffolding above, (the clear span over the entrance would not have been possible without this product). The designers were able to propose a solution that enabled safe access to the sloped façade 20m above the road level. The designs were checked and approved by the main contractor’s consulting engineers.
With a project duration of 12 months, it was a priority for Generation to ensure the chosen system was versatile enough to shape around the structure as well as offering long-term stability within its design. The ALTRAD Futuro system offers these features.
Due to the city centre location, all deliveries and collections needed to be clear from the site by 8:00 am on a daily basis. Generation’s nationwide fleet of trucks was able to successfully deliver and collect 850 tonnes of materials without any issues, delays or inconvenience; making a total of 78 deliveries to site and 113 collections.
Share on social media:
