Latest Project - Busman's Holiday

You no doubt imagine that many of our team don't have a sedentary life outside work.  Enthusiastic climbers often finding there way onto the local climbing wall when the weather puts the crags off limits.

Positioning the tensile test apparatus

So today's project report finds one of our teams undertaking a professional study of an artificial climbing structure.  We all give holds a bit of a tug or tap before hanging on them, but here we are ensuring that the underlying fixings are secure.

Testing selected fixings

The project involved testing selected fixing points, on an established wall, to ensure that they still meet the requirements of BS EN 17572 .

Although not a normal part of routine climbing wall maintenance, this process gives operators confidence in the integrity of their facility.

We offer a range of services to climbing wall and other high level activity providers including anchor testing, harness & equipment inspection plus remodeling and repairs.  Need help? Call 01270 589615

Latest Project - City Centre NO Congestion

When it comes to carrying out detailed inspections it pays to get up close and personal with structures.  One of the down sides is often the congestion and inconvenience caused to road users and pedestrians.

Detailed record keeping is essential

So it will come as a relief to the people of Birmingham that Up and Under were able to use clever rope (and wire) tricks to avoid the need for traffic management while carrying out these works.

Measuring the extent of defects

It is sad that nobody will actually be aware that the works are going on, looks like no tips on this job then.

Need work carrying out with minimal fuss and disruption?  Call us 01270 589615

Latest Project - Inspection Clip-ped

It sometimes happens that we have our confined spaces and rope access skills tested on the same project.  The principal inspection of Pen Y Clip Viaduct was one such occasion.

We discover we have an engineer with an art A level

Firstly we had to inspect the over 100 voids per span requiring the engineers to employ confined spaces techniques to safely access all section of the structure.

On the inside

Then it gets more visually exciting with the inspection of the piers using rope access techniques.  This reduced the amount of traffic management required to a minimum thus causing minimum inconvenience to the road users.

Clever rope-work brings all elements within touching distance

We are fortunate to have a team of experienced engineers with a host of access skills, giving our clients the best of all worlds.

Can we help you? call 01270 589615

Latest Project - Getting Ready for Summer

When we say we work all over the UK we mean it!  Today’s project has a bit of summer promise and a hint of showbiz glamour.

The weather will be better for the holidays

Working with Cormac Solutions, for Cornwall Council, we recently undertook inspections of a range of retaining walls around harbours and beaches.  The council are obviously being proactive in ensuring that we all have safe and enjoyable holidays this summer.

The second part of the project is where the showbiz glamour comes in, no not our team of engineers, attractive as they might be, but the footbridge we were tasked with inspecting was built on Challenge Anneka back in 1991 - for those of a certain age that will bring up memories of helicopters and cat suits, but we better not go there!

It may have Challenged Anneka............. ;o)

Using industrial rope access our engineers - and that is what they are, with qualifications and everything - carried out a detailed, hands on inspection of the whole structure, later preparing a report of their findings. And best of all we were able to keep the bridge largely open throughout the works.

So Cornwall is ready to receive visitors and we have another happy customer - want to join them? Call 01270 58961

5

Latest Project Report - Welsh Links

Two interesting projects in Wales this week:

The first is the inspection of an arch bridge, to establish its condition. Arches are can be susceptible to extremes of weather so examinations in spring are useful to detect deterioration caused by frost or heavy rain.



Measuring an area of pointing loss

The second project was an inspection for assessment, the principal information required was the thickness of the beam flanges supporting the jack arches which in turn support the deck. In this type of construction the bricks forming the jack arch sit directly on the lower beam flange making a caliper measurement impractical.

Measuring the thickness of the beam flange

To get around this problem we use ultra-sonic thickness measurement. This gives us accurate measurement of the remaining flange and has the bonus that with the right equipment it will measure through existing coatings.

We are interested to discuss your needs in regard to bridge asset management.  Please contact us 01270 589615

High Sheriff's Awards - Video

This video was prepared for the Awards dinner and was shown prior to us receiving our prize, we love it, see what you think ;o

Latest Project - Culverts and Bridges

A recent project demonstrated the versitility of the Up and Under Inspection offering.  The works included the requirement for engineers trained in confined space working to undertake principal inspections of two culverts. 

Following on from this the same team was able to undertake the inspection of a single span underbridge and a 12 span viaduct, this time utilising a MEWP which - you guessed it - they were also qualified to use.

So what if they needed to use rope access to get to some parts of the structure - yes right again - they could have done that oh and a pontoon for inspection over water - got it covered.

So what we are saying is that we can offer you a comprehensive inspection package with Engineers with a wealth of professional and technical experience.

So what can we help you with? Inspection, Testing, Investigation?  Problem structures?
Contact us on 01270 589615

More Innovation - Remote Inspection of Culverts

Although we are convinced, based on 26 years of experience, that a close quarter inspection by an experienced engineer is the best way to determine the condition of a structure. There are, however, times when this is either not safe or is impractical.

Our latest innovation gets around the problem often suffered when using CCTV; that being that conventional crawlers don't deal with invert obstructions or deep water very well.

Does this look like it might help?



Want to know more? Call us 01270 589615

Latest Project - Structure Investigation

As you know we are the place to come to when you have a puzzling problem.  And so it was with a recent project.  "We want to know why our parapet posts are swelling" 

There were a list of likely causes suggested including internal gas pressure, fabrication errors or water in the posts.  Our team prepared a plan to safely investigate the issue, including for the risk of drilling into a gas filled vessel.

Paint thickness measurment on site

The works, undertaken overnight, included air sampling and the use of video recorded borescope examination.

The findings were reported to the client with the likely cause being less exotic than many postulated by others - but then isn't that often the case.

If you need a structure examined to determine the cause of a defect, as part of an assessment exercise or event to prepare 'as built' drawings Contact us 01270 589615

Project Report - Great River Ouse Bridge

Out in the dark again, I am sure some of our guys are developing echo location and the ability to hang upside down by their feet ............ actually ;o)

Today's project report is a short one about a pretty large Principal Inspection.  It included a delamation (hammer tap) survey and concrete testing of the 7 span Great River Ouse Bridge near King’s Lynn for Atkins.

Hammer testing all surfaces

The testing comprised 8 No. test panels to the soffit and 4 panels to each of two piers.  We chose to use an underbridge unit, as the most effective means of gaining access to the soffit above the river and waterlogged spans.

The True Value of Inspection

Good quality inspection as part of a structure maintenance strategy is vital. It allows the structure owner or manager to intervene to prevent significant costs or failures occuring.

Here's an alternative:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20632863

Latest Project - Waterloo

No, not the battle, the ABBA song, or even the sunset, it's the Bridge we are talking about today.  Bridges over the thames hold a special place in our hearts at Up and Under. 

The inspection of Battersea Bridge in 1988 was our first and since then we have undertake dozens of projects on 15 of the road crossings on the tidal Thames in the centre of London.

Correct Bridge....... Check!

They are all special in their own way, either because of their design or because of a feature of the particular project, but most of us enjoy the time in the spotlight that Tower bridge commands.  Anyway, back to today's story:

This job comprised the inspection of the internal parts of the piers.  We collected a range of condition and dimensional data in order to prepare a report for our client. 

It is essential everyone knows what they are doing here!

The project relied on a wide range of our skills.  Working on the Thames requires consideration of tides, arrangement of safety boats and liaison with the Port of London, with whom we have an excellent, long standing relationship.

Mucky but still smiling

Internally we needed a carefully devised combination of confined spaces and rope access techniques plus bridge engineering expertise to meet the technical and safety elements of the brief.

This is the type of job where we excel and we will be back in London very soon to examine another landmark.

Rope access or confined spaces, inspection or maintenance contact us 01270 589615

Latest Project - M5 Motorway Inspections

Being access specialists doesn't mean we always go for the most exciting means of carrying out an inspection.

On the contrary we select the most appropriate means of access, giving the client the best value solution.  Recently while conducting a hammer tap and visual surveys of the 4 side spans of 2 I/C bridges on the M5 we emplyed the most appropriate means  which was

Scaffold Tower

Oh yes and we needed some

Rope Access

This bridge is interesting in that it has been strengthened using bonded steel plates; these were also included in the inspection.

We chose rope access to undertake the inspection of the soffit above the revetment, while tower scaffolding was selected, for its efficiency, in the areas of the soffit between the bottom of the revetment and the pier.  Having a multi skilled team of inspection engineers made this switch between techniques practical and efficient.

The works were completed by Kev, Darren, Rob and Stuart to te satisfaction of all concerned.

For complete solutions, rope access, confined space, conventional or access over water, contact us 01270 589615 

Project News - Hamble Bridge

Working with Enterprise Mouchel we recently completed the inspection of the Hamble Bridge on the M27, near Southampton.  Our team of engineers used industrial rope access techniques to complete a visual inspection and paint inspection in accordance with Highways Agency Standards BD63/07 and BD87/05.

 

Much of the structure had to be accessed using aid climbing techniques.  During the works we had a safety boat in attendance.

In addition to the above water works we also undertook a diving inspection of the two central piers.

Cooperation is te key to successful completion of this type of project.  We have a number of landmark stucture projects either ongoing or in preparation, follow us here or on facebook to keep up with all of the latest news.

Highways Agency Area 10 - Reflections on 5 years of good stuff

This weekend will see the end of AOne+'s stewardship of Highways Agency Area 10. During this time we have had the pleasure of working with a great team based in Warrington.

We have looked back over the past five years of helping to manage this vitally important component in the country’s infrastructure and have come up with a few highlights. Our contribution to keeping the Trunk Roads of the North West in good order have included: 

• More than 2,500 General Bridge Inspections
• Over 1,500 Principal Inspections
• Inputting over 4,500 inspection reports into SMIS
• Checking and updating inventories of ~50 Pre-opening and end of defect liability inspections
• Assessing 215 structures for susceptibility to scour
• Carrying out more than 350 inspections following heavy rainfall/flood events
• Undertaking numerous special and monitoring inspections
• Monitoring the piers, half-joints and internal sections of Bidston Viaduct on a quarterly basis prior to completion of the strengthening works between 2007 -2010
• Assessing thousands of structures to determine their resilience against terrorism
• Monitoring bearings on Thelwall Viaduct and other structures
• Installing (pier location ) reference labelling to help the emergency services
• Helping to maintain the highway lighting
• Installing security measures to reduce the threat of vandalism and terrorism
• Removing graffiti, clearing trash screens, plus clearing and greasing flap valves
• Cleaning and greasing bearings on rail structures
• Determining traffic management, access and rail access requirements plus liaising with specialist suppliers
• In the past year alone, cleaning and removing ~10 tonnes of pigeon droppings from structures, plus installing kilometres of pigeon spikes
• Maintaining and checking AOne+ work at height safety equipment (harnesses and lanyards)
• Solving access problems involving rope access and confined spaces working, work over and alongside deep water, the use of boats and pontoons and reacting to the joys of the british weather. 

 This has been a mammoth effort by our team, frequently working through the night, in all weathers, solving problems as they arose and innovating to meet the clients, the HA’s and the public’s needs for efficiency and safety.

None of this could have been achieved without the spirit of cooperation between ourselves and the AOne+ team. We would like to thank them all for embracing our ‘get it done’ approach.

It remains only to say thank you to all of our team members who have contributed so much over the past five years to the success of this project and to wish all those moving on to the next contract from AOne+ all the best for the future.

Our skill, enthusiasm and experience is available to all Highways Area Trunk Road managers. Contact us 01270 589615 ask for Miles.

Latest Project News - Tunnels with Towers

We recently completed the inspection of the ventilation towers to the Tyne Tunnel.  Conventional rope access was preceeded by the application of centuries old technology to get ropes up and over the rim of the the ventilation towers, the highest being over 40m high.

Big!

 The inspection, carried out by our engineers, was completed in accordance with Highways Agency Standard BD63/07.

Getting hands on

The methods used ensured that we we were able to access all areas of towers with no need for installation of any fixings/anchors.

Best off all the tunnel remained open to traffic throughout these works.

Inspections, testing or investigations our award winning team will find a solution that works for you, contact us  01270 589615

Safety Update - In Support of Inspection

The recent out of court settlement in the Doha Airport dispute highlights the need to inspect complex structures both during and following construction. The Doha case is reported as centering around cracks in end pieces designed to connect supporting cables to the structure. Although the building continued to function, and has since been remediated, the costs to the parties involved are expected to be high.

NCE 2012

Historically design, by necessity, was more conservative than that of some of the exciting structures we see being built today. Our greater understanding of material behaviour coupled with our use of complex modelling software has allowed structures to be built with less material, fewer components and to spans and heights not previously possible.

The potential downside is that there is now likely to be less redundancy in these structures and failures of individual components could lead to catastrophic failure. Designers are aware of these issues and design the structures accordingly, but monitoring the condition is an essential part of the whole life maintenance strategy.

If you have inspection, testing or investigation questions we are happy to help. Contact us 01270 589615

Helping Amey Keep Sheffield Running

 We recently completed two culvert condition surveys for Amey as part of their Sheffield PFI contract.  Up and Under are a long standing supplier to Amey of a range of services including speciailst access inspection investigation and testing services.

This job  involved the inspection of two culverts to determine their condition plus gathering data to allow the highway load capacity to be assessed.  Inspecting these hidden parts of the transport network is essential to its effective and safe operation. 

As you see, it is not an easy place to work, but with the right team, training and equipment we are able to undertake the works safely and professionally.

If you need culverts inspecting or repairing we are happy to discuss your needs. Our services include:

• Inspection
• Training
• Repairs
• Survey
• Dimensional checks
• Intrusive investigation 
• Safety escort
• Rescue services

Confined spaces, over water or rope access call 01270 589615

 

 

 

 

Bridge Inspection for Mouchel

We recently completed the inspection of two structures for Mouchels.  Our engineers completed the inspection using rope access techniques and the use of our award winning pontoon system to gain access to all parts of the structures.

In addition to inspection the job involved a range of concrete testing including:

• taking samples for chloride ion content analysis,
• cover survey,
• half cell measurements,
• core sampling for compressive and cube strength determination
• carbonation tests.

We undertake a range of Bridge Inspection and Maintenance if you think we can help get in touch

CPD Feedback

The first CPD event of Andy's 2012/13 tour happened last night and it looks like it got off to a great start.  One person said " This is my first ICE event, I was absolutely blown away by your talk, excellent!"  This made the drive down and back through torrential downpours worthwhile.  There are further events in November and January at various locations around the UK.

Feedback

If you want more information or to book a CPD presentation see this link for details.