Healthcare & Care Homes
Poole Hospital, Poole — Bespoke Crash Deck & Birdcage Scaffolding
Fully designed crash deck and birdcage installed in just two days over a weekend at operational Poole Hospital.
Project Overview
TWK Scaffolding was appointed by CRL (Concrete Repairs Limited) to provide a fully designed crash deck and birdcage structure within an internal courtyard at Poole Hospital in Dorset.
The installation was required to protect stairwells and a glass-roofed office annexe beneath the working area, allowing specialist rope-access operatives to carry out concrete repairs to the surrounding courtyard elevations.
With the hospital remaining fully operational, the scaffold had to be installed within a tightly controlled working window to minimise disruption to the surrounding areas.
Our team was given just one weekend to complete the structure and hand it over before the hospital returned to its busier Monday morning operations.
The Challenge — A Live Hospital & a Two-Day Installation Window
Working inside an operational hospital brings very different considerations to a conventional construction site.
The scaffold was positioned within an internal courtyard, directly above stairwells and a glass-roofed office annexe that required protection during the concrete repair works.
The structure needed to provide an appropriately designed protective deck beneath the rope-access working areas while accommodating the existing building and the activities taking place around it.
Time was the other major challenge.
With the surrounding hospital areas becoming considerably busier during the working week, the installation was scheduled over a weekend to make use of the quieter period.
This gave our teams just two days to erect the complete structure, with the scaffold ready for handover before Monday morning.
There was little room for delays, so planning the erection sequence, organising materials and making effective use of the available working hours were essential.
The TWK Solution — A Fully Designed Protective Structure, Erected in One Weekend
TWK supplied and erected a purpose-designed crash deck and birdcage arrangement spanning the areas that needed protection beneath the courtyard elevations.
The crash deck was intended to provide overhead protection during the concrete repairs, while the supporting birdcage structure formed part of the engineered scaffold arrangement.
The concrete repairs themselves were carried out by specialist rope-access operatives, with our structure providing protection to the areas below rather than serving as their primary working platform.
To meet the demanding programme, we mobilised a team of eight scaffolders working 10-hour shifts across the weekend.
The erection sequence was carefully coordinated so the team could progress efficiently within the available time, with materials and labour organised around the restricted working window.
Despite the complexity of installing a designed protective structure within the hospital courtyard, the complete scaffold was erected and handed over within two days.
Project Delivery & Outcome
The scaffold was completed over the weekend and handed over ready for Monday morning, allowing CRL’s concrete repair programme to proceed with the required protective structure in place.
The installation demonstrated the importance of combining proper scaffold design with practical planning and sufficient resources.
With the works taking place inside an operational hospital, there was no opportunity for a drawn-out erection programme. Our teams needed to arrive prepared, work to a clear sequence and complete the installation within the agreed window.
By mobilising eight operatives and coordinating the works over two 10-hour shifts, TWK delivered the required crash deck and birdcage within the two-day programme.
The project is a good example of our ability to undertake specialist scaffolding installations where restricted access, operational buildings and demanding deadlines all have to be considered together.
Technical Highlights
- Fully designed crash deck and birdcage scaffold
- Protective structure erected over existing stairwells
- Scaffold spanning a glass-roofed office annexe
- Protection beneath specialist rope-access concrete repair works
- Installation within an operational hospital courtyard
- Eight scaffold operatives mobilised
- Two 10-hour shifts per operative across the weekend
- Complete structure erected within two days
- Handover achieved before Monday morning operations
Need Specialist Scaffolding for an Operational Building?
Whether you require a designed crash deck, internal birdcage or specialist access within an occupied building, TWK Scaffolding can develop an arrangement suited to your structure, working environment and programme.
Contact our team to discuss your requirements and arrange a site survey and quotation.