IDH projects and technical information
Based on our extensive engineering design experience, we’ve developed a range of case studies and technical resources. You’ll find useful information, from design examples to more on our key services.
Façade Retention Design
Façade retention structures are increasingly common, and in many cases necessary to commence construction or reparation works. Here’s everything you need to know about them.
Rebuilding of the Five Arch Bridge
Painshill near Cobham, Surrey is an award winning 18th century landscape garden with iconic follies, which attracts over 100,00 visitors annually.
Concrete Class And Concrete Group Correlation
To better understand concrete groupings according to CIRIA R108 (1-7) it is important to recognise how different kinds of cement and admixtures influence this classification.
Back-propping
Back-propping of RC slabs during construction is often neglected or misunderstood in the civil engineering industry. Regrettably, many permanent works designers still consider the subject as not relevant and a contractor’s issue.
System Scaffold v Tube and Fitting Scaffold
Generally speaking the scaffolding market place is divided in to two approaches to provide access and support to work activities. Firstly, what is widely known as Tube & Fittings and secondly System Scaffolds. Both applications are in wide use in the UK and both...
Working Platforms For Tracked Plants
Piling mats are a working platform used for construction plant such as piling rigs or mobile cranes. They provide a stable base on which plant can safely travel and operate. The term working platform is restricted to ground supported platforms constructed of granular material.
Lateral Pressure on Concrete Formwork
During the entire process concrete formwork is subjected to various loads and forces. Vertical forces are associated with the dead load from placed concrete mix, formwork and the live load of workers and their equipment.
Best Practice on How to Achieve Feature Finishes
The prime purpose of formwork is to provide a temporary fixed shape for concrete to harden in like a jelly mould. If the requirements for the finish of the hardened concrete are important in terms of texture, pattern or general appearance, then these need to be properly specified and considered from the outset.
Double Scaffold Boards – Appliance & Calculation Approach
Platforms within tube and fitting scaffolds may be constructed using various permutations of decking units and materials, however timber scaffold boards are most commonly used.
Preliminary & Proof Tie testing for scaffolds
A Preliminary Tie test should be done prior to the construction works of any scaffold and should be carried out away from the area where the scaffold is to be erected, to prevent stressing on the façade where the scaffold is to be positioned.
Scaffolds & Fire Regulations
Since we have been designing, this is an area that has not always been clearly defined in terms of guidance and what is required in order to provide a compliant design.
How Do Double Standards Work?
In scaffold design when we reach the leg capacity we have several options open to us such as reduce the loading, reduce the bay sizes or introduce double standards and try to spread the load.
What is Bearing Pressure?
Bearing pressure is simply a load (force) over a certain area. For instance, a 100 kg mass exerts a force of 1 kN. When this load is evenly applied over 1 square metre then we can say the pressure being applied by this force is: = 1kN / 1m^2 = 1 kN/m^2
Tie Patterns & Effective Length
Many designers take the effective length of a scaffold standard, arranged in a basic scaffold configuration, as 2m. I.E. 2m Bays and 2m lifts with conventional tie patterns, ledger and face bracing.
When Should Scaffolds Be Designed?
We are often asked if particular scaffold arrangements ‘need’ to be designed. The HSE have compiled a list of scaffold arrangements they would expect to see a design.
What is Effective Length?
Effective length is a critical concept in Structural Design which relates to ‘the length of a component which is effectively restrained’.
How Do Ties Work?
Everybody knows to stabilise a scaffold we tie it to the adjacent building as the scaffold is erected. Depending on a number of factors such as geographic location, netting, sheeting height and load we determine in the design process what tie pattern to adopt and the frequency of ties.
What is Live Load?
When designing scaffolds at IDH we have to identify what they are going to be used for. In order to design the scaffold, gantry, birdcage or bridging etc, we need to first identify the load it will carry.
Tesco – Budleigh
Temporary Works – Case Study
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