Spencer Group have begun a new project to carry out essential maintenance work on Erskine Bridge in Scotland, which will ensure its cables remain safe for another decade of use.
The cable-stayed bridge, which spans the Clyde and connects West Dunbartonshire with Renfrewshire near Glasgow, will have its cables inspected and painted by Spencer Group and COWI over an 8-week period. The work is due to be completed on 08 October.
Spencer Group will inspect all four of the stay cables which support the bridge deck. These cables are in fact a bundle of several smaller cables, which were pioneering at the time of its construction in 1967 and the longest of their kind in the world. These cables will be separated by wedges, inspected for corrosion by COWI, and painted to prevent damage.
Key to the works will be the use of a unique access cradle, designed specifically for the bridge by Spencer Group, which is hoisted up the cables and allow engineers access without requiring construction safely and efficiently. This type of access solution drastically reduces disruption as it is quick to install, is efficient to work from and encapsulated the work. Working with Transerv Scotland, Spencer are also undertaking maintenance of Erskine bridges underdeck access gantries. These highly specialist platforms were installed by Spencer in 2010 and provide access to the underside of the bridge without disruption to bridge uses. The gantries provide access for structural inspections and maintenance of key utilities.
James Barnes, Project Manager – Civils at Spencer Group said: “We’re very pleased to be working on the Erskine Bridge, doing the kind of preventative maintenance that will keep it in top condition for another decade. We’re very mindful of the effect this work has on the community, and we have helped plan the works around the objective of keeping disruption as low as possible.”
Peter McCann, Scotland TranServ’s Major Bridges Manager said: “Working in liaison with Police Scotland and local authorities, we have scheduled this work so that it can be delivered with minimal disruption to local commuters and businesses. This is an essential project that will help protect the steel cables from corrosion for many years to come.”
Spencer have been working on bridges for 15 years in a variety of capacities, from design to maintenance to manufacturing and asset management, including highways, rail, waterways, cycle ways and pedestrian routes. Spencer are an industry leader in complex engineering project on existing major structures.
