RSS Infrastructure (RSSI), a subsidiary of Auctus Management Group, is proud to announce that it will support Amey—Civils Examination Framework Agreement (CEFA) in examining the structure of the Royal Albert Bridge, which is based in Saltash, Plymouth.
History of the Royal Albert Bridge
Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed and engineered the bridge. During the construction of this iconic structure, Brunel devised a series of pioneering methods that made him one of the most well-known design engineers this country has ever produced.
Importance of Regular Bridge Inspections
The bridge was refurbished in 2010; however, as with any long-standing structure, ensuring it remains safe to use is important. Amey CEFA, named as Network Rail’s sole supplier on the Civil Examinations Framework Agreement, has been commissioned as part of a multi-million-pound project to carry out a full rope access inspection of the structural supports.
RSSI’s Role in the Examination Project
As part of this examination, RSSI was tasked with providing a solution that would ultimately allow the Amey CEFA workforce to operate without a Line Block or Lookouts, which would have caused significant disruption and potentially increased project lead times, resulting in higher resource requirements.
Site Survey and Selection of the Automatic Track Warning System (ATWS)
Senior Planners at RSSI surveyed the site on the 24th of February 2017 and determined that the most appropriate method of protection for the Amey CEFA workforce would be the Automatic Track Warning System (ATWS). The train movements across the bridge required a system that could provide a bi-directional warning from a static location on-site and reduce worker fatigue. The ATWS is well suited for such scenarios due to its innovative design, which provides both an audible and visual warning whenever a train passes over the ‘Strike-in’ Treadle. The warning remains on until automatically deactivated by the same train passing over the ‘Strike-out’ Treadle, cancelling the warning.
Rapid Deployment of the Protection System
The project was surveyed, planned, and deployed by the 10th of March, ensuring that the Amey CEFA workforce could work under the advanced protection methods offered by the ATWS within two weeks.
