The complete c&a Brogan Group package UK-based Brogan Group is one of just a handful of sizeable companies in the country offering a mastclimber rental service, in spite of the growing awareness and their increased take-up over the past 10 years. Although very slow to adopt new ideas and methods, the UK industry is gradually recognising the many advantages, including cost and time savings that mastclimbers provide. Mark Darwin talks to Jim Casey, Brogan’s mastclimber and hoist operations manager about the company and the Two Scanclimber SC5000s industry. on the Tower West, The last two years has seen year on year, expanding its client Liverpool contract a noticeable improvement in base and successfully tendering awareness and usage. For Brogan for larger and more this now means that about half of prestigious projects. all its access enquiries involve the Like many scaffolding companies, use of mastclimbers in the overall the mid to late 1990s saw Brogan package. Unfortunately the poor move from tube and coupler to returns in the sector means a system scaffolding. Its first contract general lack of investment in new at the University of East for equipment, resulting in a fairly consisted of a number of static national fleet of around circular student accommodation 1,500 workable units. buildings, ideal for the Cuplok Due to the size and complexity system scaffold that it had selected. of most building designs, the During the early years Brogan also decision to use scaffolding, opened several depots outside of hoists or mastclimbers is never the UK, including Dublin, Ireland and straightforward and in many cases Vilnius, Lithuania. The gallows bracket can be a combination of all three. “In the early days many of the For the past 25 years Brogan has allows the mastclimber Eastern European countries used to be set up avoiding grown and expanded from a pure mastclimbers rather than scaffolds low level obstructions scaffolding company and now offers and with many Lithuanian workers a complete package of longer term in the UK - including some working access solutions, including scaffold, for Brogan - we thought we would Westfield Shopping hoists and mastclimbers. Centre in Stratford set up a scaffold depot and training London used a total of Formed in 1988 by James Brogan centre in Vilnius with the hope 28 mastclimbers the company’s aim at that time of modernising the antiquated was to become a strategic supplier scaffolding methods in the of contract scaffolding to major UK country,” says Jim Casey, Brogan contractors. Work on high profile mastclimbers and hoists operations projects in London helped to build manager. “Experienced scaffold the company’s reputation for service trainers would travel from the UK to and performance. For several years Lithuania to train operatives before the company doubled its revenues they came to the UK to work.”

The 120 metre high Tower West building in Liverpool used the gallows bracket so that the mastclimber could be positioned at the second floor level

November 2013 cranes & access 37 38 cranes & access November 2013 Over the years the company has 550kg with 260 degrees of slew. had depots in Cork, Liverpool and “We have been very particular in c&a Brogan Group Manchester. Currently operations our choice of equipment when in the UK include the head office in expanding our fleet,” says Casey. New Southgate, North London and “There are many cheaper machines a depot in Bedfordshire to support available but we decided to stay and service operations in the south with the market leaders. Last east. It also has an office and depot year we purchased 45 new units in Rathcoole, Dublin, and offices in and we have been expanding our Dubai and Abu Dhabi. fleet year on year since the start Having seen mastclimbers in in 2005. Sometimes clients are use in Scandinavia and North aware of their benefits and ask for America and on display at trade them specifically, while with other shows, Brogan decided to expand contracts we might suggest that its range by investing in the they use mastclimbers as a more technology, purchasing its first time and/or cost effective solution Scanclimber machines in 2005. to scaffolding.” Scanclimber models are still a “In the UK there are only a handful major part of Brogan’s heavy duty of sizeable mastclimber companies fleet today. Given the wide variety in the market, although there are of applications that mastclimbers a number of companies that run are used for – from brickwork and a couple of units in their fleet. cladding to fixing windows – several Because of the wide variety of ranges are required, including heavy, access required on many modern medium and light duty machines. contracts a combination of solutions Brogan currently has more than 220 is often the ideal solution. Crash mastclimbers - the majority less decks and pedestrian access would Installing a mastclimber than six years old - and in excess of be done by scaffolding however a 50 hoists. Scaffolding however still on a tower block great deal of thought and planning refurbishment contract accounts for over 85 percent of the has to be given to providing the group’s £13 million annual revenues. best solution between scaffolding Mastclimber investment and mastclimbers depending on The 32 storey City Lofts, After much research Brogan decided the height, length, contract time St Paul’s will be Sheffield’s to purchase from three different and schedule of work that needs tallest building manufacturers, Scanclimber, Camac to be carried out. There is never a and Fracco covering its requirement straight-forward solution.” for lightweight, medium and heavy “There are many benefits for clients duty machines. With these three from dealing with just one company brands in the fleet Brogan claims to for all of its access requirements, have the correct sized mastclimber particularly when a range of no matter what the contract. The different equipment is needed heavier duty machines are used for throughout the contract. It is difficult applications such as brick laying, for smaller companies to offer a being able to cope with the heavier decent mastclimber service, and loads. They can also be fitted with I do not think that this is the way running rails, gantries and weather forward for the sector as it requires protection. Loading jibs/davit are a great deal of design, installation, also available on the heavy duty certification and accreditation machines. These have a working resources. If you only have a few radius of six metre and a capacity of machines you cannot make the

Mastclimbers can be used internally with similar savings in time and costs

Brogan is one of a handful of sizeable mastclimber companies in the UK

November 2013 cranes & access 39 from scaffolding, but mastclimbers additional cost of a hoist and driver Brogan Group c&a now account for about half of which has to be added into the all new enquiries, an enormous scaffolding quote to move materials improvement over the last year or up and down to the work levels two. Bricklayers in particular are and the materials then have to be resistant to change and still request distributed from the hoist to the scaffolding. However once they place of work. When all this is taken have used a heavy duty mastclimber into account it tends to work out at with a five tonne capacity for the 20 weeks contract length, rather bricks, muck and tools – they see than heights or lengths.” the benefits of always working at the right height, protection from Other factors may include the the weather etc... For window and aesthetics of the different solutions, cladding installation and bricklaying particularly important on large there is also a corner wrap around tower block refurbishment or work which gives up to 1.5 metres work on historic or landmark buildings. platform around the corner of the Residents or sightseers don’t want building.” to look at a scaffold every day, whereas a mastclimber is only seen Scaffold v mastclimbers? when the platform is working. When Tower block refurbishment, Newcastle There is no fixed rule about the platform is retracted it is often resulting overhead pay off.” safety issue when manually filling in the gap between the platform and Platform extensions and the extension which is repeated innovations when the extension is removed. Our Over the years Brogan has worked system moves forward and back as with mastclimbers manufacturers one piece, with no gaps between to develop and improve the product the platform and the extension.” for the UK market. The company On heavy duty machines with has for example designed a platform widths of 1.6 metres the mechanical sliding mechanism platform extension can be up to fixed to the platform - approved by three metres wide and on the lighter manufacturers - which cantilevers units with 1.2 metre wide platforms a small platform extension on the up to a one metre extension. The inside, allowing workers to get sliding platforms can be offered in closer to the face of the building. different shapes, or even profiled, The system was designed by Casey depending on the building shape. who prior to joining Brogan was One added safety feature of the a mechanical engineer, designing system is that the main platform can chassis in the commercial vehicle only move when the extension has sector. “The platform extension has been fully retracted into the main been used extensively by clients as platform, removing the risk of hitting it offers a ready-made safe solution Installing external cladding to Alberta a person or part of the building. House - the £25 million East London for a tricky access problem,” says affordable housing scheme Casey. “Other companies use fixed Slow to change “UK contractors are slow to change extensions, however there is a how to decide whether to use difficult to see the masts in place Trinity Walk Shopping Centre, scaffold/hoists, mastclimbers or a on the elevations. There is also less Wakefield, Yorkshire combination of the two. In the UK repair work to the building when for example some companies will using a mastclimber because of the say that mastclimbers are generally reduced number of anchor points. used on projects more than 20 metres high. With scaffolding No room on the ground cost-effectively limited to around Brogan also has the capability to 45 metres, the higher the project design, fabricate and manufacture the more likely mastclimbers will be custom work equipment when used. One example given is of a 100 required. One such contract metre long building with a height of requiring a cantilevered gallows 25 metres i.e. 2,500 square metres bracket system which allowed where the mastclimber solution the mastclimber to be sited at the is said to offer cost saving in the second floor level was on the 34 region of 60 percent. According storey, 120 metre high Tower West to Brogan the break point is more building in Liverpool. dependent on time. The glazing contractor, working for “If the contract needs the access main contractor Carillion, required system for more than 20 weeks two mastclimbing work platforms then it is probably going to be to be erected to the full height of cheaper with scaffolding,” says the structure on the North elevation. Casey. “However it depends on the However due to site boundaries and type of job and the scheduling of restrictions at ground level it was the works. There is of course an not possible to base the machines

40 cranes & access November 2013 c&a Brogan Group would not rule out an acquisition if specialists. “We are already busy the price and products were right but if we win just five percent of – we never say never. Most rental our existing enquiries then the companies will also continue to use mastclimbers will be very busy,” existing manufacturers for products adds Casey. “Because of this we because compatibility allows more are currently looking for skilled flexibility and also makes servicing mastclimber and hoists employees and training easier.” in addition to trainees that have the Still a lack of awareness correct qualifications. The future for Mastclimbers being used on the M6 Ramp car park mastclimbers looks really healthy.” at the Westfield Shopping Centre, Stratford Main contractors are still learning about mastclimbers although on the ground floor so a cantilevered Palfinger loader cranes to help with this is improving as construction gallows bracket system was used, loading and unloading of equipment and planning managers move allowing the machine to be based at should no site crane be available.” between projects and spread the second floor level. Double stacked word. Perhaps one of the main factors restricting their growth In partnership with Scanclimber’s There are some contracts that is the amount of support and design team, the Gallows bracket can benefit from double stacked back-up required. A mastclimber was designed to support the mastclimbers – two platforms cannot just be hired out as an machine base load of 12 tonnes on the same mast. It is not very item of equipment – there has to fixed through the 450mm thick A 17m wide, 26m high mastclimber common and only used on very tall be an approved design and then on the £311m Pinderfields Hospital reinforced concrete structure buildings where different trades erection and dismantling by trained development in Pontefract wall with high tensile steel 20mm are working at different levels at diameter threaded rod and spreader the same time. “Brogan has carried plates. out contracts in the past however The bracket exerted a force of when you explain to the client that seven tonnes horizontally onto platforms must be at least three the permanent structure and the metres apart, you must have deck bracket had to be designed to protection for the lower platform, ensure its dimensions between and then ask how will the materials the fixing points did not clash get to the upper platform it is often with the existing vents, voids and not as appealing as it first seemed,” reinforcement that had been formed says Casey. “It has to be well in the concrete face. thought out – and for most recent Safety first enquiries there have been more cost effective solutions.” “We are very strict when it comes to safety. Fortunately the “It is also usually more beneficial to mastclimber sector in the UK has have several machines on a façade a good safety record with very rather than – if it were possible – few incidents. Sadly some other one long platform. This is because countries do not have our vigilance different trades work at different when it comes to operating and speeds and each would tie up maintaining equipment,” says the platform for different times at Casey. “A fatal incident in Spain different levels. It is also far better from a cost point of view to have a year or two ago highlighted the several smaller mastclimbers along problems that can arise from a lack a façade rather than one or two of maintenance and machine abuse. longer platforms.” However we understand that at that time, anyone could have rented the More competition? mastclimber in the same way as With the increased popularity of the renting a lawnmower although this mastclimbers are more companies has now changed.” likely to enter the sector? We only use directly employed “I think it is highly unlikely even labour to erect or dismantle with the growing popularity, that machines and all our employees there will be more rental companies are fully trained and competent entering the market,” says Casey. go through our IPAF mastclimber “Most existing companies will training centre in London. Operatives expand their own fleets but at the are either trained on site or at our moment there are major barriers training centre and have to go to entering the market, while through the basics of safe operation, current pricing strategies adopted Westfield Shopping Centre, Stratford London was a particularly interesting and tricky visual checks, levelling, moving by certain players limits growth contract using a total of 28 mastclimbers working on the main ceiling of the pedestrian the platform and the rescue plan and investment. What may be walkway. The mastclimbers were used so the contractor could work on the whole in the event of a failure. We also more likely is further consolidation ceiling rather than installing a very large bird cage scaffold. The speed of erection was run our own transport fleet and the amongst the larger companies. We a major factor as the contract had to be completed very rapidly. Client changes meant units had to be moved rather than dismantled and Brogan devised a bespoke jacking trucks are equipped with heavy duty are here for the long haul so we system and used castors to slide the machines into new positions.

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44 cranes & access November 2013 Elevators c&a mastclimbers over the Amazon Two Alimak SE 500 FC rack and pinion passenger hoists have been installed on 295 metre high transmission towers along the Amazon River near Almeirim, Para, Brazil to provide access for critical servicing and maintenance.

Located near the equator the to access power cable stays and towers are the tallest of their kind aircraft warning lights located on in South America and are part each tower. Alimak says its rack of the 1,191km high voltage line and pinion drive system offers running from the Tucuruí Dam in advantages over wire rope and the State of Pará, to Manaus in hydraulic elevators - by carrying Amazonas and carry three 500 kV its own machinery the elevator and two 230 kV power lines over does not require a machine room the Amazon River. or load-bearing elevator shaft. It The 500kg capacity elevators have also claims a safety advantage over traction elevators because in a lift heights of 289 metres and must power outage, the car uses gravity cope with extreme heat, humidity The 500kg capacity elevators which have and a centrifugal brake system to lift heights of 289 metres have to cope with and heavy rain. Alimak Hek working descend back to the nearest landing extreme heat, humidity and heavy rain. for contractor, Isolux Corsan at a controlled speed. Should the installed and commissioned the pair passenger car exceed the rated earlier this year, allowing service descent speed, it is stopped and maintenance personnel automatically by a safety brake. Märker cement works Geda has installed an SH 2000 parts easily and safely up or Two Alimak SE 500 FC rack and pinion hoists have been installed on 295 metre high transmission towers industrial lift at the Märker cement down the tower. The lift has been along the Amazon River near Almeirim, Para, Brazil works in Harburg, Germany. specially adapted to withstand The lift travels 70 metres up the the difficult conditions - very preheater tower and is used for high temperatures and large essential maintenance work volumes of dust from the cement during production - 24 hours a making process. On each of the day, seven days a week. The nine landings special landing 1.55 metre by 2.8 metre lift has a level safety gates and landing rated load of 2,000kg and enough enclosures ensure extra safety at space to transport bulky, heavy the entry and exit points.

The lift travels 70 metres up the Geda has installed an SH 2000 preheater tower and is used for industrial lift at the Märker essential maintenance work cement works in Harburg, during cement production Germany

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Shipship mastmast c&a mastclimbers refurbishmentrefurbishment Harsco Infrastructure has ideal as they could be put into place provided mastclimbers for a major in a fraction of the time.” ship refurbishment project in The mastclimbers were also well Harsco Infrastructure supplied six, twin-mast mastclimbing work platforms to help refurbish the Hawene Brim Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel. Scotland. The company supplied suited to the physical profile of six, twin-mast Hek MSHF the ship as it has an unusual, Brim took place in a dry dock at have incurred using scaffolding, mastclimbers to help clean, 252 metre long flat-bottomed hull Nigg Yard near Invergordon in self-propelled access platforms repair, blast and repaint the with smooth, vertical sides. The Scotland. The dock itself had to be and other access methods to high 66,538 tonne Haewene Brim - a refurbishment process involved drained before the mastclimbers areas.” Floating Production, Storage and different stages - high-pressure could be installed. In order to keep “The mastclimbers were used to Offloading (FPSO) vessel - owned cleaning and shot-blasting, prime the overall project schedule as short access the starboard side first, and and operated by Bluewater coating and specialist painting as possible, Harsco assembled the then moved to the port side,” adds Energy Services. which had to be carried out in strict machines offsite, and delivered Joe Smith. “That meant that we had “Given that this was a time-critical sequence. Each platform was 25 them to Nigg Yard fully assembled, to be very flexible and responsive to project, the use of scaffolding to metres long and stood freely on a allowing for quick installation with the changing needs and timings that provide access was not practical as mobile chassis reaching heights of the support of an on-site crane. we encountered during the 26 day it would have taken far too long to 25 metres with each having a top “I found the mastclimbers to be very project.” tie installed for additional support. install and then strike,” said Harsco practical and productive for shipyard Harsco also provided a number of This allowed the contractor full site service manager, Joe Smith. work,” said Alec Angus, hull & self-propelled booms for access to height and uninterrupted access to “There would also have been issues tanks supervisor for Bluewater the more difficult-to-reach areas the ship’s hull. with the space required to construct Energy Services. “They eliminated around the bow and the stern. the scaffold. Mastclimbers were The maintenance work on Haewene a great deal of time that would

Tower also incorporates a three by 4.6 metre ‘Mammoth’ hoist with a capacity of 5,500kg, which was Hoists reach used for the fast movement of larger materials. All hoists can be operated simultaneously. The common tower solution new heights provides a clear (five by five metres) landing space at each floor to allow Brookfield Multiplex installed Two of the hoists - the 100 metres the safe and easy movement of three high-speed Alimak a minute, 3,200kg capacity Scando materials in and out of the hoists. construction hoists at The Tower, 650 FC-S 100 - are specifically Only the common tower - and not One St George Wharf, London. designed to speed up construction the hoists - is tied directly into the At a height of 185 metres it is time and save costs with a full building, allowing external cladding one of the tallest residential height transit time reduced to just to be applied to the whole building buildings in Europe. 90 seconds, compared to more during construction with the than four minutes using standard exception of the 4.5 metre access hoists. The hoists also incorporate openings at each level. As a result VFC drives which have improved there are far fewer panels to replace levelling accuracy and power at the end of the project, which savings of around 30 percent. dramatically speeds up de-rigging. The hoists are installed in conjunction with a common tower system which is manufactured from aluminium alloy to minimise weight and has a five metre square footprint, yet is capable of running multiple hoists simultaneously. This access system allows all material The 100 metres per minute, 3,200kg capacity Scando 650 Three high-speed Alimak and personnel transportation to be The hoist system installed at The FC-S 100 - are specifically construction hoists were installed concentrated in one area, which Tower also incorporates a three by designed to speed up at The Tower. At a height of 185 streamlines loading efficiency at 4.6 metre ‘Mammoth’ hoist with a construction time and save costs metres it is one of the tallest lift capacity of 5,500kg for the fast ground level. with a full height transit time residential buildings in Europe. movement of larger materials reduced to just 90 seconds The hoist system installed at The November 2013 cranes & access 47 Versalift’s NSSTA sticker of conformity ManchesterManchester c&a mastclimbers castlecastle developmentdevelopment The Student Castle project in the heart of Manchester has been helped with a double-decked mastclimber from Harsco Infrastructure. Working with main contractor Shepherd Construction, Harsco designed and supplied the bespoke system to provide access to all external elevations, allowing the architectural panels to be easily applied to the 31storey student accommodation block. The Student Castle - adjacent to Manchester Oxford Road rail station - has a complex building profile with variations in height, projections and recesses. Mastclimbers were proposed as they provide clear, unobstructed access to all areas of the facade, while allowing the transport of materials to the working area to be unimpeded. A mix of single and double mast platforms in 17 positions around Of the 17 platforms six were ‘double deck’ - two independent platforms on the the exterior of the building were samae mast - allowing two different operations to take place simultaneously. installed, some reaching up to 100 metres in height. Of the 17 various points around the structure, enter and exit the platform, Harsco’s platforms, six were ‘double deck’ requiring carefully engineered system allowed the team working Harsco Infrastructure designed and load-bearing support structures. supplied a bespoke access system to allowing two different operations to on this project to access platforms aid the construction of the new, 31 take place simultaneously. Several While most platform access from the upper floors of the building. storey Student Castle accommodation of the mastclimbers installed solutions force the user to lower As a result, the main contractor building in Manchester. were mounted on roof areas at the whole platform to base level to reported improved efficiency.

site containers used both as particularly back strain. offies and work containers. These Thanks to the ten Geda 2 PK World class are placed on top of each other crane operator hoists the crane forming a complex several storeys operators are quickly lifted to high. Swedish law states that in their cabins. The GEDA 2 PK is teaching hospital buildings with at least three storeys, designed to transport 2 people, a hoist must be installed during whereas the maximum load is When the first patients arrive in the new Stockholm University Hospital construction work to transport 200 kg. This allows, if necessary, Nya Karolinska in Stockholm in 2016, awaiting them will be customised people and materials. Skanska the transportation of material for patient care in one of the most modern university hospitals in the world. opted on two Geda Multilift P6- maintenance work to the top. The When complete, the pioneering hoists. And each of the 10 tower lifting speed is 25metres per minute hospital will have 600 in-patient cranes is equipped with Geda and the maximum lifting height for beds and a capacity of up to 1,600 2 PK operator hoists. the hoist is 150 metres. The car patient visits per day. The Karolinska The Multilift P6 is the smallest in the has a ramp which makes the step Hospital Project will also set new range with a capacity of 650 kg or onto the crane perfectly safe. The environmental benchmarks - its six people, lift speed of 24 metres crane operator hoist can also be innovative heating and cooling per minute and maximum lift height used in an emergency recovering system as well as the use of of 100 metres. One of the machines or saving unconscious or sick crane solar and wind energy are integral at the Karolinska Hospital is used operators. aspects of the design. The project to transport people and loads on Construction work on the project is being financed by a co-operation the scaffold staircase tower of the should be completed by 2016. between public and private Skanska work and office containers investors and at a cost of 14.5 bn as well as an emergency hoist to Swedish Krona and covering quickly transport any injured people 32,000 square metres is Sweden’s down using a stretcher. The second biggest building and the world’s hoist is installed on the containers biggest hospital building project at the Skanska service centre. that has ever been built using PPP The two GEDA Multilift P6 devices financing model. The Multilift P6 is the smallest in were also equipped with electric the range with a capacity of 650kg Construction work is being carried unloading ramps. At the exit level or six people, lift speed of 24 out by Swedish construction the unloading ramp can simply be metres per minute and maximum company Skanska. On site there opened by pressing a button – a lift height of 100 metres. will be 400 temporary construction solution that saves both power and

November 2013 cranes & access 49