Railside restoration support

J & K Scaffolding (Midlands) Ltd, who are Assessed Members of the Scaffolding Association, have been providing access for a restoration project on Grade II listed Wingfield Station.

Wingfield Station, built in 1839-40, is one of the earliest railway stations in England. It was designed by the renowned English architect Francis Thompson. The station is Grade II listed for many reasons, but notably as the sole survivor of Thompson’s notable sequence of picturesque stations between Derby and Leeds. The station closed in 1967, but the Midland main line running alongside it is still fully operational.

After falling into “substantial disrepair”, Amber Valley Borough Council obtained the station in 2019 through a compulsory purchase order, with Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust (DHBT) as the back-to-back partner and with support from Historic England.

“Because we worked every Saturday and not consecutive nights, we couldn’t establish a sleep pattern, and so we monitored health and morale.”

Despite all this, the project was rewarding: “It was really interesting and we all adapted well to new challenges. DHBT and ASBC Heritage & Conservation Specialists (who are carrying out the restoration works) were brilliant to work alongside, and we will work with them again. We learned a lot and it was great to be involved in a project that safeguards a heritage building for the future.”

Find out more: www.jandkscaffolding.co.uk

Normally, the human ear can hear sounds from 0 decibels (dB) to 140 dB. Above 80 dB, hearing damage can occur depending on the length of exposure; sounds above 120 dB can be painful as well as dangerously damaging. Many items of construction equipment create noise well above the threshold of risk. Hand-held power tools and circular saws make almost 100 dB in sound, jackhammers and bulldozers generate over 100 dB, and earth drilling equipment usually exceeds 120 dB. Noise attenuation is achieved by an acoustic barrier material that both blocks and absorbs the noise. Installing the barrier as close as possible to the source of the noise maximises the sheltered area. In all cases, the reduction must be at least 10 dB to be perceived as making a significant difference to the level of noise.

In order to meet the sound barrier performance required by local authorities and contractors, scaffold sheeting should be independently tested to BS EN ISO 10140-2:2010, the International Standard for Measurement of Airborne Sound Insulation of Building Elements. In all cases, it is essential to confirm that a sheeting manufacturer can demonstrate the necessary independent testing. For example, ITP’s product tests were conducted by the College of Science and Technology’s Acoustic Testing Laboratory at the University of Salford. The tests evaluated the acoustic performance of our products in comparison to two popular acoustic curtains and an acoustic insulated sheeting material in a controlled, like-for-like installation setting. The testing suite was set up to reflect as closely as possible real-life installation and the materials as they would be used in normal situations.

Find out more: www.itpltd.com/powerclad-acoustic-barrier-sheeting

Heritage restoration projects unsurprisingly come with additional considerations and responsibilities. Add an adjacent live railway line and, as J & K Scaffolding discovered, these factors multiply. The railway needed to be closed during works so it was decided that the scaffold would be erected overnight on three consecutive Saturdays.

Joe Kelly, Director at J & K explains: “This was our first time working within Network Rail’s strict protocols. Our RAMS had to be approved before starting, and we provided ‘fit for work’ medical forms. We had planned for ten operatives working each week, but Network Rail stipulated one of their team to every three of ours, so we had to adapt and have a team of six each week.”

Not only did J & K have less people working than planned, but they also had less hours on the tools than intended, as Joe explained: “We arrived onsite at 10pm but we often weren’t given clearance until midnight. This was for a variety of reasons but, regardless of when we started, we had to be finished and off the track by 6am at the latest.

“When the closest point of the structure is less than 2.5 metres away from a track where trains pass at over 100mph everything has to be perfect. And so we were extra vigilant with planning and preparation – the scaffold had to be finished to designed state, tied in, secured and signed off.

“Working at night brings challenges, the key one for us being to provide effective lighting in the required positions for every worker.