Client: Global Marine Contractor
Location: Portland Port
Sector: Marine & Industrial
Vessel: Cable Laying Ship
Service: Bespoke Access Scaffolding
Programme: 5 Days
Team: 6 Scaffolders
Project Overview
3SC Group Scaffolding was appointed to design, supply, erect and dismantle a specialist scaffold structure aboard a Global Marine cable laying vessel at Portland Port.
The project required safe access to the vessel’s cable laying arm so essential maintenance and repair work could be carried out on the structure, hydraulic systems and large compression bolts.
Because the working areas were positioned at significant height and surrounded by complex marine equipment, a conventional scaffold arrangement would not have provided the access required. Our team therefore developed a bespoke solution incorporating two substantial scaffold towers connected by prefabricated beam sections.
The complete installation was delivered within a five-day programme by a team of six scaffolders.
The Challenge
The cable laying arm is a critical piece of equipment and requires effective maintenance to remain operational.
Providing access presented several challenges because specialist engineers needed to reach different levels of the structure while working around heavy hydraulics, large compression bolts and the geometry of the cable laying equipment.
Key considerations included:
- Access to multiple levels of the cable laying arm
- Significant working heights
- Complex structural geometry and load-bearing points
- Restricted working conditions aboard the vessel
- Tight operational working windows
- Access around large hydraulic components
- Safe positioning for engineers carrying tools and equipment
- The need to reduce unnecessary working at height during scaffold construction
The scaffold therefore had to provide considerably more than simple access from one level. Engineers needed secure platforms at several heights and around different sections of the equipment.
Two Nine-Lift Scaffold Towers
Our solution centred around the construction of two nine-lift scaffold towers, with one positioned on each side of the cable laying arm.
The height of these towers provided access across the different levels required for inspection, maintenance and repair.
Rather than leaving the two structures independent, they were connected using a beam structure at multiple levels. This created a coordinated scaffold arrangement spanning the cable laying arm and provided access to areas that could not be reached effectively from either tower alone.
Fully boarded working platforms and edge protection were incorporated throughout, creating stable working areas for specialist marine engineers.
Prefabricating the Beam Structure on Land
One of the most important elements of the project was the decision to prefabricate the connecting beam section before it was installed aboard the vessel.
The beam structure was assembled on land, allowing our scaffolders to complete a significant proportion of the construction in a more controlled working environment.
Prefabrication provided several advantages:
- Reduced installation time aboard the vessel
- Limited the amount of construction required at height
- Allowed the beam section to be assembled before the vessel installation
- Supported efficient delivery within the restricted working programme
- Reduced exposure to working-at-height risks
Once completed, the entire section was ready to be transferred onto the vessel.
Crane Lift Onto the Cable Laying Ship
Rather than dismantling the prefabricated beam and rebuilding it at height, the completed section was lifted aboard using the vessel’s crane.
Our team then completed the final ties and connections at height, integrating the prefabricated section with the two nine-lift scaffold towers.
This approach significantly reduced the amount of scaffold assembly that needed to take place in the more restricted elevated working environment.
The photographs supplied with the project show the scale of the installation, with the twin scaffold towers extending above the vessel and the connecting structure positioned across the cable laying equipment.
Safe Access for Specialist Marine Engineers
Once the scaffold was complete, it provided access across the areas required for the maintenance programme.
The working platforms supported:
- Repairs and servicing to the cable laying arm structure
- Hydraulic system inspection and maintenance
- Access to compression bolts for inspection and tightening
- Specialist engineering work at multiple levels
- Safe positioning of engineers, equipment and tools
The combination of the two towers and interconnected working areas meant engineers could access different components of the cable laying system from secure scaffold platforms rather than relying on more limited access methods.
TG20:21 and SG4:22
The scaffold arrangement incorporated fully boarded working platforms and edge protection throughout.
According to the project brief, the structure was designed in line with TG20:21 and SG4:22 guidelines, with the final scaffold ties and connections completed at height by our experienced team.
The project was delivered with zero reportable incidents or injuries.
Delivered Ahead of Schedule
Despite the scale and complexity of the installation, the scaffold was delivered and installed ahead of schedule.
Prefabricating the beam structure on land and lifting it aboard as a completed section helped reduce installation time while also limiting the amount of scaffold construction required at height.
This allowed the Global Marine team to begin the essential maintenance and repair work efficiently while working from secure access platforms.
Client Feedback
Following the project, the Global Marine Contractor’s Project Manager provided positive feedback on both the scaffold solution and the way it was installed:
“The scaffold solution provided by 3SC Group was excellent. The pre-fabrication and install were impressive and gave our engineers safe, reliable access throughout the works.”
The feedback reflects the key objectives of the project: providing dependable access, reducing installation time and enabling the specialist engineering team to complete its work safely.
Bespoke Marine Scaffolding at Portland Port
This Global Marine project demonstrates how scaffold planning, prefabrication and coordinated lifting can solve complex access problems aboard specialist vessels.
Rather than constructing the entire scaffold progressively at height, our team combined two nine-lift towers with a beam structure assembled on land and lifted aboard using the vessel’s own crane.
The result was a bespoke access system that provided engineers with working platforms across multiple levels of the cable laying arm while helping the project remain efficient and reducing working-at-height exposure during installation.
3SC Group Scaffolding provides specialist marine and industrial access solutions for vessels, ports and challenging structures where conventional scaffold arrangements are not suitable.
