When part of a building’s façade becomes damaged or deteriorates as a consequence of weathering or age, it can pose a danger to those in the immediate vicinity, including the public, from falling masonry or other material.
PTSG Building Access Specialists Ltd is one of the five independent divisions of PTSG. Its engineers perform a variety of specialist services for buildings of all kinds. They have become a trusted name for delivering emergency repairs due to their expertise in access techniques. With 46 office locations throughout the UK, they can also be mobilised to any site at a moment’s notice, minimising the amount of time that a building poses a risk.
The following short case studies illustrate their experience in the field of emergency structural repairs.
East Coast Power Station
In December 2022, PTSG’s steeplejack and rope access specialists completed emergency repairs to prevent the collapse of a brick chimney stack at a major power station on the east coast.
Engineers from PTSG Building Access Specialist Ltd were asked to provide an inspection at the power station following concerns surrounding its structural integrity. The inspection of three brick flue liners within a 120-metre chimney identified a number of significant cracks which posed a real danger of collapse. This would have meant stopping production at the power station.
Working in partnership with a mechanical engineering team, PTSG’s steeplejacks designed a splint-type support that would shore up the brickwork horizontally and vertically, allowing the chimney to remain fully operational.
From identifying the crack in the chimney, it took PTSG’s engineers just three weeks to design the support system, fabricate all components and install them, ensuring the brickwork was structurally sound and the power station could continue as normal. Their work had no adverse effect on production during that time.
Wallace Tower, South-West Scotland
Earlier in 2022, PTSG completed a specialist at-height project Wallace Tower, a picturesque gothic structure in Ayr, South-West Scotland.
The Wallace Tower was built to commemorate William Wallace at the time of an upsurge in the Scottish desire for self-determination. A visitors’ book originally sat in the warden’s lodge which existed alongside the tower, demonstrating that in its opening year (1857-8) over two thousand visitors passed through the Tower and lodge. A number of historically significant portraits were displayed inside, with subjects including Robert Burns, Robert the Bruce and Wallace himself.
A random inspection of the structure highlighted found that the tower façades had loose and stonework which was falling to the directly above the busy streets. PTSG’s steeplejacks and rope access engineers, based in Edinburgh, were mobilised immediately to site to make safe the historic structure.
Overhead protection was required, which was provided by installing scaffolding and safety netting to protect the public from falling masonry. This also gave engineers full access to make the stonework fully safe. Following successful completion of the masonry work, the street has been fully opened.
Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh
In April 2018, PTSG rose to a significant challenge at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. The Rocco Forte-owned hotel required emergency repairs after the building was declared unsafe. PTSG’s rope access team quickly moved in to remove, repair and replace stonework to the elevation but the nature of the historic building means that any work at height is a complex operation.
The landmark hotel is located at the east end of Princes Street, the main shopping street beneath the north and east elevations, with the west side connected to a shopping mall and the south side to the Waverley train station.
The work initially resulted in the closure of Princes Street as an eight-man rope access team was mobilised. Overhead protection scaffolding tunnels were put in place at the north and east side of the hotel and a separate tunnel was constructed to enable pedestrian access. Restricted access for the public to the adjacent Edinburgh Waverley Station and Waverley Mall was also addressed.
The height and location of the hotel results in wind and weather challenges to working at height. Recent heavy and drifting snow – a result of the so-called ‘beast from the East’ – has also had an impact on work at the site. PTSG’s team also had to work night shifts to lift and build the loose and dangerous stonework.
The Pendrich team has worked closely with Balmoral Hotel, Network Rail, the City of Edinburgh Council and the owners of the Waverley Mall shopping centre to ensure the impact of the work on the public and road and rail users was minimised. The project was brought to a successful and speedy conclusion to the delight of the client. As a result, PTSG was also awarded a contract to paint over 500 windows at the hotel.
