Heavy load props for temporary support construction

The forces involved are such that the stamps were flown in from the United Kingdom. A conversation with Chakir Dahia, Project Manager Civil & Infrastructure at Brand Infrastructure Services, part of the multinational company BrandSafway.

BrandSafway is a leading provider of specialized services for the global industrial, construction-related and infrastructure markets, providing access systems, supports and formwork, industrial services and related solutions to more than 30,000 customers around the world. BrandSafway was formed when Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services and Safway Group were combined in 2017. "With our roots in America, safety is a top priority for us; it's in our DNA," Dahia said. "Even for this project, we very clearly identified the risks upfront and how to minimize them."

Safety Performance

"By discussing the bottlenecks or challenges at an early stage, an appropriate solution can be worked out," Dahia continued. "The challenge here is mainly in the location. Our outriggers will be located in the work islands between the barriers of the A4 motorway. So the planned work can only take place in a road barrier. That requires the necessary preparation. And that is precisely where we make the difference. We have all the disciplines under one roof to carry out this kind of work autonomously, completely independent of third parties. We take care of the engineering, delivery of the product and assembly under our own management. The complete package, where Safety Performance is leading." Dahia notices that more and more Dutch clients regard safety as priority number one instead of awarding a project solely on the basis of price. "A positive development," he believes. "With our 'five pillars of safety,' we have developed a strong and stable foundation on which we have built our excellent safety performance and culture and which truly drive our strategic safety initiatives worldwide."

For the viaduct, Brand Infra Services is supplying a total of 70 heavy-duty outriggers and the necessary braid scaffolding. "There will be a gigantic load on the outriggers," Dahia knows. "Our outriggers can withstand 200 kN each. The maximum forces involved here are calculated at 150 kN. So we have built in a considerable margin. During road closures, the outriggers are placed and secured by crane, so Heijmans can then carry out the pouring. Upon completion, we again ensure that the props are neatly dismantled and removed to the next project."