RYDE PIER REFURBISHMENT
Safety First with GRP GRATING
The nature of this project dictates that safety is paramount. Therefore whenever the weather conditions are too dangerous to carry on with the records, work ceases until it is safe to resume. We played a small but important part in this project so please read on.
The 600Metre long Grade II listed pier is over 200 years old and provides a major link between the Isle of Wight and the English mainland via the ferry service which docks there, a train line then carries passengers from the pier to the Ryde Esplanade
Over the years, the pier and the train line have become battered by the harsh environmental conditions that were thrown at them by the strong tidal waters of the Solent.
How We Helped
Our Client Alltask® was asked by their client Octavius Infrastructure to provide purpose-built suspended access and protection scaffolding for the refurbishment and strengthening works.
GRP Gritted Open Mesh Grating 38mm Deep supplied by GripClad® was used for access on the pier as a non-corrosive scaffolding option with the tide coming in and out the scaffolding gets covered in sea water, the GRP grating isn’t affected by this and maintains its structure and strength whilst providing a high level of anti-slip surface.
Does your company strive for Zero Workplace injuries?
The Main Issue and Solution
As a result, a series of repairs, maintenance, strengthening, and refurbishments are desperately needed. For the works to be carried out, scaffolding structures were required which are sited on pontoons that are strong enough to safely allow the engineers to work in the harsh marine conditions.
Alltask® was asked by their client Octavius Infrastructure to provide purpose-built suspended access and protection scaffolding for the refurbishment and strengthening works.GRP Gritted Open Mesh Grating 38mm Deep supplied by GripClad® was used for access on the pier as a non-corrosive scaffolding option with the tide coming in and out the scaffolding gets covered in seawater, the GRP grating isn’t affected by this and maintains its structure and strength whilst providing a high level of anti-slip surface.
The Railway Structure
The Railway structure of the pier was built between 1878 and 1880. Its platforms are owned by Network Rail and the line is leased to South Western Railway ( SWR). In 1962 the pier was strengthened with new steelwork and in 2012 and 2103 it underwent emergency repairs, In 2016 a study recommend that it be repaired and refurbished to continue to support Island Line services for a further 60 years.
Safety First
GRP OPEN MESH GRATING Anti-Slip
" The contractors enjoyed the challenge of making sure the scaffolding and pontoons were completely safe while working out on the sea, in tough weather conditions, often seeing tidal swells which could sometimes be as high as 3 metres tall. They decided that Open Mesh GRP Grating with an antislip surface from GripClad fitted the bill, and we were pleased to be part of it." - Barry Eagle - GripClad Ltd