Location: Portland Port, Dorset
Sector: Defence
Vessel: RFA Mounts Bay
Service: Specialist Marine & Industrial Scaffolding
Project Overview
3SC Group Scaffolding was appointed to provide specialist access scaffolding aboard RFA Mounts Bay during a repair period at Portland Port in Dorset.
RFA Mounts Bay is a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel providing operational support to the Royal Navy. The project required several different scaffold configurations to provide safe and practical access within challenging areas of the ship.
Working aboard an operational vessel presents very different restrictions from conventional land-based scaffolding. Limited space, machinery, existing ship structures and changing access requirements all had to be considered while ensuring the scaffold supported the teams carrying out the repair work.
Multiple Bespoke Scaffold Structures
Rather than installing one conventional scaffold, our team constructed several separate access systems across different areas of RFA Mounts Bay.
The project included:
- Two truss-out scaffolds
- Two horseshoe-shaped scaffold towers within the engine rooms
- Five birdcage scaffolds
- Working platforms positioned around restricted vessel structures
- Safe access for the ship’s staff and contractors carrying out repair works
- Adaptations to accommodate changing requirements during the programme
Each structure had a different purpose and had to be planned around the environment in which it was being erected.
Truss-Out Scaffolding
Two truss-out scaffolds were constructed where building the scaffold conventionally from ground level was not practical.
A truss-out scaffold creates a supported working platform using projecting beams or trusses rather than standards rising directly from the ground. This makes the system particularly useful where access beneath the required working area is restricted or unavailable.
On RFA Mounts Bay, this approach enabled our scaffolders to create practical working platforms while adapting to the structural restrictions presented by the vessel.
Engine Room Access
Two horseshoe-shaped scaffold towers were erected within the vessel’s engine rooms.
Engine rooms create demanding access conditions because scaffold must be installed around existing machinery, pipework, equipment and structural components. Available space can be extremely restricted, leaving little scope for a conventional rectangular scaffold tower.
The horseshoe configuration allowed our team to provide working access around the required areas while accommodating the machinery and existing infrastructure within the engine rooms.
Five Birdcage Scaffolds
The project also required the construction of five birdcage scaffolds.
Birdcage scaffolding provides a large, stable working platform supported by a grid of standards and ledgers. The system can be particularly effective where contractors need access across a broader overhead or internal working area rather than simply along a single elevation.
Each birdcage was configured around the available space and the specific access requirements aboard RFA Mounts Bay.
Adapting to Changing Requirements
One of the key challenges was maintaining flexibility throughout the repair period.
Our scaffolders worked closely with the ship’s staff and the lagging contractors, adapting the scaffold arrangements where requirements changed as the work progressed.
This cooperative approach helped ensure that access remained available where it was needed without unnecessarily delaying other activities taking place aboard the vessel.
The effectiveness of this approach was reflected in the overall programme, with the repair work ultimately completed a couple of days ahead of the original estimate.
Client Feedback
Following completion of the project, David Mann, Chief Engineer of RFA Mounts Bay, provided the following feedback:
“I just wanted to drop you a note to thank you and your team for the support provided during the recent repair period. The scaffolders worked really well with both the ship’s staff and the laggers throughout the job.
Their flexibility and willingness to work around changing requirements made a real difference and helped keep everything moving smoothly.
Thanks in no small part to their efforts and cooperative attitude, we were able to complete the work a couple of days ahead of the original estimate. That was a great result for everyone involved.
Please pass on my thanks to the team. Their hard work and professionalism were very much appreciated and did not go unnoticed.
Many thanks again, and I look forward to working with you again in the future.”
Specialist Marine Scaffolding at Portland Port
The RFA Mounts Bay project demonstrates the versatility required when providing scaffolding within marine and defence environments.
From truss-out structures and confined engine-room towers to multiple birdcage scaffolds, each element had to be configured around a different access challenge while supporting the wider repair programme.
By working closely with the ship’s personnel and other contractors, our scaffolders were able to respond to changing requirements and help keep the project progressing efficiently.
3SC Group Scaffolding provides bespoke marine and industrial access solutions for vessels, ports and specialist working environments where conventional scaffold arrangements may not be suitable.
