UKSSH AND SYS CONTINUE TO PIONEER HAKI BRIDGE SYSTEM
When SYS (Scaffolding Contractors) Ltd were tasked with providing a temporary footbridge for its client AmcoGiffen to carry passengers over the rail tracks at Cottingham in Yorkshire while the station’s historic Victorian footbridge was renovated, they turned to UK System Scaffold Hire for strategic support.
Joe Pearce, MD of SYS Scaffolding, became a convert to the Haki Bridge System when his company worked with UKSSH to provide a temporary footbridge over the River Witham in Lincoln. On that occasion it took just 20-man hours to build the bridge adjacent to the river before craning it into position.
At Cottingham Station, SYS (Scaffolding Contractors) Ltd and UKSSH devised a different – but equally innovative – solution to the major challenge that is always encountered on Infrastructure projects: The fact that possession times are critical and relatively short.
Rather than use a crane, this time UKSSH demonstrated the solution of using Haki Universal to erect a birdcage so that SYS could build the bridge in situ (on to two temporary public staircases) before removing the birdcage to open the track.
Joe emphasised the importance of his company’s relationship with UKSSH: “We have a team of highly skilled scaffolders, but UKSSH are the Haki experts, so it is both reassuring and cost-effective to work with them throughout projects like these. They don’t just supply the materials; they provide a vital contribution to the design and approval process and their on-site support is second to none. We all know that once on site there can be unexpected challenges and if you have only a short night-time possession, then you have to find effective solutions very quickly: The peace of mind of having Haki experts onside and on site is invaluable.
It was a team effort that reaped dividends with the 10-metre footbridge completed in the course of a single possession.
The bridge, which was 1.65 metres wide and designed to provide an imposed loading of 5Nsq.m was equipped with GRP non-slip decking on the walkway and stairs and had 1.75-metre-high security cladding panels fitted to both sides of the bridge.
Download the case study here.