Our specialist Rope Access surveyors were tasked to undertake a Condition Survey or Inspection to Islington Place Footbridge which spans the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.
We were tasked by Birmingham City Council / Acivico working in conjunction with The Canal Trust, to undertake a primary defect survey to the underside and balustrades, prior to planned refurbishment works.
Our Tasks were primarily to undertake the condition survey which consisted of recording signs of defects such as corrosion to beams and missing or defective fixings. The defect survey was also carried out by our specialist Team of x2 IRATA Level 1’s, a Level 2 technician and a Level 3, who traversed the underside of the bridge to record defects. The defects were primarily sketched out, a photo reference taken and finally a comprehensive report was created for the client.
During this condition survey our specialist team used a technical climbing method called Aid Climbing where the technique allows the technicians to move across a structure without using ropes, in this instance the climber is attached by his harness to wire strops, these are then passed around the steel structure of the bridge. Having a minimum of two strops attached at any one time, a third allows to pass intermediate steel beams to progress to the next location or in this case the next defect.
Now onto the next part of the project… the cleaning!.. well, that’s for another time.
