East Aerial Work Platform

Province of Zeeland
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The East Aerial Work Platform of the Province of Zeeland enables various maintenance and inspection works on the western and underside sections of the iconic Zeeland Bridge. In 2021, the existing platform was thoroughly modernised and refurbished by Delmeco. The Province of Zeeland also aims to facilitate maintenance on the eastern side of the bridge without reducing the current maintenance capacity. To achieve this, a completely new East Aerial Work Platform had to be developed.

Pre-engineering

The new East Aerial Work Platform will be used for the following activities:

  • Cleaning of the Zeeland Bridge

  • Performing inspection works

  • Carrying out repairs on the Zeeland Bridge

  • Preserving the Zeeland Bridge

Delmeco Engineering Consultancy was commissioned to develop several concepts through a pre-engineering study, taking into account the following challenges:

  • The safety of Zeeland Bridge users, including maintenance personnel, must be guaranteed

  • Traffic flow on the main carriageway must not be obstructed

  • Inconvenience for bicycle path users must be kept to a minimum

  • The installation or machine must provide access to all bridge spans

  • The installation or machine must offer an extended working range compared to the existing installations or machines

Through a so-called pre-engineering phase, it is possible to work efficiently and effectively towards an optimal solution. Several concepts were explored, including:

  • Installing a rail system along the bridge to guide a maintenance machine

  • A fully movable scaffolding structure with a span of approximately 95 metres

  • A structure positioned above the roadway

  • A design based on the West Aerial Work Platform

Ultimately, a new design based on the West Aerial Work Platform was chosen. During this study, the relevant legislation and regulations were reviewed.

Detail-engineering

As with the West Aerial Work Platform, a so-called guiding frame is installed on the west side of the portal carriage, which is located on the bicycle path on the western side of the Zeeland Bridge. This guiding frame serves as a guide for the lifting tower. At the lower end of this tower, a primary platform is suspended, which is connected to the tower by a slewing ring.

Through a lifting mechanism, the height of the tower can be adjusted, thereby changing the height of the primary platform as well. Along the entire length of the primary platform, the east tower can travel horizontally. This east tower provides access to the eastern side of the bridge for various maintenance and inspection activities. The east tower itself consists of three different levels from which the work can be carried out.

Within this project, Delmeco Engineering Consultancy was responsible for:

  • The design

  • The technical drawings

  • The calculations

  • The risk analyses

  • The FEM analyses

Delmeco Projects constructed the East Aerial Work Platform. A reference showing the work performed on all equipment on the Zeeland Bridge can be viewed here.

Client

The Province of Zeeland is a governmental organisation that represents the interests of the province and develops policies in the fields of economy, nature, infrastructure, culture, and the living environment. The province collaborates with municipalities, the national government, businesses, and social organisations to keep Zeeland liveable, accessible, and economically strong.

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