HBPW Advised On Victorian Makeover

HBPW had to don its ‘historical hat’ when called upon to advise on the repair and refurbishment of one of Derbyshire’s older Victorian bridges.
Leawood Bridge in Cromford, near Matlock Bath, is an aging steel structure which carries the Derby to Matlock rail line over the River Derwent. However, weathered by time, Network Rail felt it was in need of a makeover.

Geoenvironmental Engineer, Jay Fox, said: “The bridge was corroding and some of the steel sections needed replacing as part of the refurb project. We were commissioned by AMCO Rail on behalf of Network Rail, to investigate the ground conditions, adjacent to the bridge, for the design of scaffold temporary works.

“There were a number of difficult access constraints requiring the use of a portable drilling rig and rope access. The investigations were needed close to the live railway, the River Derwent and steep rock faces adjacent to a tunnel portal,” added Jay.

Based on the findings of the investigations, advice for the construction of scaffold foundations was provided to AMCO, and this has now been fed into the on-going feasibility assessment.