Twickenham Footbridge Encapsulation – Debris Containment – Alltask

Tufcoat were contracted by Alltask to carry out encapsulation of a public footbridge at Twickenham Station. Twickenham Station is undergoing renovation work costing £5.2m, ready for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. This will involve improvements to the station’s facilities including: resurfaced platforms, new lighting, new accessible toilets, improvements to the existing toilets and footbridge.

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Tufcoat were required to encapsulate the scaffolding structure around the footbridge. This was so that grit blasting could be carried out to remove the old layer of paint from the walkway. The paint was lead-based, meaning it had the potential to be harmful to the public if it wasn’t contained. Furthermore, the footbridge was positioned directly over the main rail track of Twickenham Station. This meant it was vital that the grit blast and paint debris was fully contained to avoid disruption to the railway below.

Over a duration of 2 days Tufcoat used 14 rolls of 300µm flame retardant shrink wrap, which equated to 1077m2. The install team first measured out the specifications of the structure and then lifted the sheeting over to encapsulate the frame. The shrink wrap was then shrunk off to provide a drum tight seal around the structure. Tufcoat also used final seal on the structure. This involved using expanding foam and patch tape to cover any gaps that were in the structure after the shrink wrapping was carried out. This meant that there were no areas where the pollutants could escape through into the external environment. Ensuring the structure was completely sealed off was particularly important for this project, considering the potential dangers if debris reached the main rail track.

Alltask have a thorough understanding of setting up scaffold for shrink wrap and throughout the project accommodated the Tufcoat team if alterations to the structure were needed. This is a further example of the ongoing working relationship we have established. Tufcoat are proud to have successfully worked on a project of such national importance leading up to the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.