The City Rail Link is one of the most significant infrastructure projects in New Zealand, and the team at Steadfast Scaffolding was brought in to help, powered by Proscaf. The project required the construction of tunnels and caverns of varying degrees of complexity. The Steadfast Scaffolding team was responsible for installing a modular scaffolding access system to aid finishing services crews with height access.
The City Rail Link (CRL) is a 3.45km twin-tunnel underground rail link up to 42 metres below the Auckland city centre. It will transform the downtown Waitematā Station ( Britomart) into a two-way through-station that better connects the city’s rail network. The CRL allows the rail network to at least double the rail capacity, making it an essential part of Auckland’s transport future.
Tunnelling challenges are many and varied, from ground conditions and water inflows to maintaining worker safety and minimizing disruption to the many crews on-site. In addition, the lengths of tunnels leading to the 25m cavern for the station made the Mercury Lane tunnel challenging.
The construction client needed access to the tunnel walls in order to install the finishing services. Typically, an EWP would be used for mobility and access. However, because of the complexity of access, crews could not use EWP access to gain the required heights, so the construction client needed another solution.
Safesmart designed a mobile gantry platform made from Proscaf scaffolding that provided access to the tunnel walls from floor to ceiling. The scaffolding structure was modular and, most importantly, could be moved on castors within the tunnel.
Crews had access across three levels and could move the entire platform throughout the tunnel as needed. The design also included cantilevered sections, ladder access, and full surround guardrails and toeboards for increased safety.
Proscaf, as a modular and maneuverable solution, worked as designed with the installer Steadfast Scaffold stating, ‘Just goes to show what can be produced when you know what you’re doing with the gear.’
If you need help with your next scaffolding project, get in touch with the proscaf experts at Safesmart. We can provide you with the best possible solution for your needs
