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Work on the Bow Bridge Beek is almost complete. The last major job was the preservation of the part of the bridge located above ProRail’s four train tracks. In order not to interfere with train traffic, we could only carry out the work on this area of over 2,500 m2 during a train-free period.
Due to the removal of two tracks, a 172-hour out-of-service period was scheduled in week 34. Within this out-of-service period, Van der Ende was able to perform the preservation work.
Because of the short time and the large amount of work that several contractors had to perform simultaneously in a small work area, this was a very high-risk job, both in terms of planning and safety. In preparation, it quickly became clear that we could only complete this job with an ingenious accessibility solution and the non-stop commitment of our people and subcontractors.
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[column]Of the 172 hours, 156 hours were available to Van der Ende. In that time the scaffolding including sealing had to be erected. Immediately after this, blasting of over 2,500 m2 (Sa2½) and the application of three coats of paint began. The drying times of the paint were accelerated by additional heating of the room. Then the immense scaffolding structure had to be dismantled so that the site was again free in time for train traffic.
The entire operation was planned to almost minute accuracy and described in a script. Several escalation scenarios had also been worked out so that we could quickly respond to any third-party walk-outs.
Thanks in part to the tremendous efforts of our people and our scaffolding contractor Brand Infra Structure Services, we managed to deliver this part of the work on time and in accordance with the high quality requirements. Also, despite the high risks, not a single safety incident occurred.
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[column]The client Rijkswaterstaat and manager Prorail have been delighted with the smooth progress of the work. And we too look back on this feat with due pride.
Some facts at a glance:
Time available: 156 hours
Area to be preserved: over 2,500 m2
Opp. accessibility facility: over 800 m2 (waterproof and dustproof)
Preliminary treatment: remove existing paint layers by blasting
Paint system: 3 layers
Deployment: over 5,000 man hours
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