Creator brings the fun factor to Framlingham Castle

It’s not every day you get to create something a little bit out of the ordinary when working on a scaffolding project. But, this is exactly what Creator did when they added a huge slide to their existing scaffolding erection at the English Heritage site at Framlingham Castle.

The slide was designed and added to the scaffolding by Creator to keep children entertained while building works were ongoing. And it has proved to be extremely popular with hundreds of visitors marvelling at the unexpected creation and putting their adventurous hats on to give it a go. The structure has also featured on ITV news and appears in the music video for Ed Sheeran’s hit Castle on the Hill.

Bradley Berry, director at Creator, said: “It was fantastic to be able to put our skills to the test on such an unusual project. To find fame in the process has been a bonus!

“The Framlingham Castle site is an interesting building with a rich history. Slide aside, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed the extensive work we’ve carried out on the whole project, which has been extended to the internal design for the castle, including for the prison block, moat bridge and the refurbishment of the original pillars.”

FIND OUT MORE www.creator-scaffolddesigns.co.uk

Calling all members

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Advanced NI tackles Aberdeen Museum and Art Gallery contract

Scaffolding Association member of three years Advanced NI has been appointed to provide scaffolding support for works at the renowned Aberdeen Museum and Art Gallery. The works include scaffolding to all external walls, birdcages, edge protection, cantilevered scaffolds, crash decks, loading bays, shoring works and the erection of an advertising banner to the front of the building for Aberdeen City Council.

The project, which is part of a £30 million contract for Advanced NI’s client, McLaughlin and Harvey, began in September 2015 and is due for completion this summer.

Robert Andrews, director at Advanced NI, told AccessPoint that the brief for the project initially covered the erection of a temporary roof over the whole site so that all roofs could be removed and steel work be erected for the additional floors and extension at the same time. However, after meeting the project manager and planners, changes were made. “We thought it would be more cost-effective and efficient to erect birdcages inside the building as crash decks which could then double up as temporary roofs for each section as and when the client was ready for them,” he said.

“We came up against many challenges along the way due to the building being listed, and we had to work closely with the respective agencies to ensure all works were signed off along the way. We’ve also kept our engineer, Ricky, from Highland Temporary Works very busy with him designing upwards of 40 scaffolding designs for this one project alone!

“We do a lot of works for McLaughlin and Harvey and have been told it’s our willingness to go the extra mile that keeps us working together. We relish the challenge of finding a solution to any problem,” Mr Andrews concluded.

FIND OUT MORE www.advancedniscaffolding.com

JLP Scaffolding awarded multi-million-pound contract

Hull-based JLP Scaffolding has been awarded the scaffolding contract on the high-profile renovation of the city’s Holy Trinity Minster, formerly Holy Trinity Church, following a competitive three-way tender.

The contract sees JLP, which is only in its second year of trading, providing scaffolding to aid both internal and external renovations.

Jordan Precious, JLP Scaffolding’s managing director, said: “I’m extremely proud of the 20-strong team that’s been working on this project since it started in November last year. It’s a complicated contract due to the delicate nature of the building but we’ve worked hard to solve any issues that have cropped up along the way.”

Scaffolding has been erected to be freestanding and allow access to the external fascias. Then, additional structures have been created to allow access to the roof. Internally, the scaffolding had to be built around the building’s existing columns because the floor in some locations is only four inches thick – crypts are located underneath.

Half the building has remained in use throughout the renovation works so a secondary structure has also been created to allow for the erection of a screen to stop dust and debris affecting day-to-day operations.

Mr Precious added: “With Hull being the UK’s current city of culture, there’s a buzz in the area and we’re proud to be part of that by securing this contract. The client, Houlton, has been delighted with our work to date and we’re looking forward to working with them on more exciting projects in the future.”