Engineered scaffolding and complex suspended access solutions for a major motorway viaduct refurbishment
The refurbishment of the M5 Oldbury Viaduct required an extensive scaffolding and access solution beneath a three-kilometre section of elevated motorway. Brand Access Solutions provided in-house engineered tube-and-fitting scaffolding, HAKI staircases and specialist suspended, cantilever and beamed structures to support complex concrete repair and infrastructure renewal works.
Scope
The M5 Oldbury Viaduct refurbishment involved a three-kilometre stretch of elevated motorway between Junctions 1 and 2 in the West Midlands, originally constructed in the late 1960s.
Brand Access Solutions, formerly Lyndon SGB, was appointed to deliver scaffolding and access solutions for the BMV joint venture, comprising BAM Nuttall, Morgan Sindall and VolkerFitzpatrick, working on behalf of Highways England.
The infrastructure refurbishment included replacement of the viaduct's waterproofing system, concrete repairs, asbestos removal from concrete joints and the installation of new drainage, lighting, signage, communications systems and central reservation safety barriers.
Brand Access Solutions' scope comprised tube-and-fitting scaffolding, multiple HAKI staircase towers and specialist birdcage, hanging, beamed and cantilever scaffolding structures.
The original project documentation identified approximately 7,000 tonnes of scaffolding materials, including 400 miles of scaffold tube, 500,000 fittings, 80,000 scaffold boards and 4,000 aluminium beams.
All scaffolding structures were designed by the company's in-house engineering team.
Challenge
Providing safe and practical access beneath a three-kilometre elevated motorway presented significant engineering and logistical challenges. The viaduct runs through Sandwell, a densely populated area combining industrial and residential development. The surrounding infrastructure and the scale of the refurbishment required carefully coordinated access arrangements across numerous working areas. The works were scheduled to continue around the clock, placing additional demands on the installation and coordination of temporary access structures. The varied geometry of the viaduct and the different repair activities required multiple scaffolding configurations. Conventional access scaffolding alone was insufficient for all locations, making hanging, cantilever, birdcage and beamed structures necessary. The substantial quantities of scaffolding materials also presented major transportation, handling and installation challenges.
Performance
Brand Access Solutions developed a comprehensive scaffolding package combining conventional tube-and-fitting systems with specialist engineered access structures.
Hanging, cantilever, birdcage and beamed scaffolding arrangements provided access to different areas beneath the elevated motorway, while multiple HAKI staircases supported movement between working levels.
The in-house engineering team designed the temporary works structures to accommodate the varied access requirements of the refurbishment programme.
The project also drew on Brand Access Solutions' extensive experience of elevated motorway infrastructure in the Midlands. According to the company's management, this regional engineering knowledge, combined with operational and logistical expertise, was a key factor in delivering the scaffolding works.
With approximately 7,000 tonnes of scaffolding materials identified in the project documentation, the M5 Oldbury Viaduct scheme demonstrates Brand Access Solutions' capabilities in large-scale infrastructure access, specialist temporary works engineering and complex scaffolding logistics.
Let's do something great on your next project.
Contact Us
Important Note.
Lyndon SGB rebranded to Brand Access Solutions on February 4, 2025.
Projects were delivered at the time under the trading names of: Lyndon SGB, SGB, Lyndon Scaffolding or Taylor’s Hoists.