15 February 2008
Bridges: Engineers barge in to fix Glasgow’s iconic Clyde Arc
The engineering team working on the Clyde Arc in Glasgow has developed a system for safely completing repairs to the structure.
Led by Edmund Nuttall, the team has started to mobilise river barges, heavy cranes and specialist access equipment to help install temporary supports before work begins to replace connectors on each of the existing hangers.
The temporary support system consists of specially-fabricated saddle frames which sit on top of the arc. Strand jacks transfer the load of the bridge deck, allowing the construction team to safely dismantle the existing hangers and replace the top and bottom fork connectors. Nuttall’s director for Scotland, James Scobie, said: ‘Our chosen solution allows us to minimise any risk associated with working on the bridge itself by working predominantly from the river and the north and south abutments. In planning for the repairs, an early decision was taken to replace all 28 fork connectors.’
He said investigations into the failure which led to the collapse of hanger number 10 (Surveyor, 17 January 2008) were ongoing.