Reaching the heights at City Quays 3
City Quays 3, in Belfast Harbour, is primed to be one of the largest Grade A office developments to be built in Northern Ireland. Scaffolding Association member Advanced NI are providing the scaffolding structures for the 68 metres high main building.The City Quays project is a £250m development regenerating 20 acres of ex-shipping land. In addition to ‘Grade A’ office space, there are also leisure, hotel and retail buildings, plus car parking. Construction is estimated to cost £50 million, generating 600 construction jobs. Upon completion City Quays 3 will provide jobs for around 1,800 people. Near the River Langan and the M3 bridge, the site is beside City Quays 2, the home to Ulster TV and a number of other businesses.
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Advanced NI has utilised the Layher Scaffolding System for the project and has erected a staircase as a means of secondary escape should the hoist breakdown. This is one of the advantages of choosing Layher for the job, as Advanced NI has been able to erect this staircase without problems and without additional materials to the base of the scaffolding, such as extra bracing, double legs with the system selected being so strong. Paul Bright and Robbie Andrews were involved at the early stages, when finding a solution to erecting handrails in the safest and most economical way possible was key. This was achieved by welding handrail brackets to the steel works and erecting handrails at ground level for the steel erectors to erect as the scaffold was installed. This reduced the amount of working at height on the project. Advanced NI also erected safety ‘catch nets’ to the building for additional safety protection. All six internal lift shafts in the new building are scaffolded from top to bottom of the building.Safety, speed and versatility are at the heart of Layher’s scaffold systems. Its lightweight design means ease of transportation and assembly. Wide bay design with no cross-bracing provides optimum access onto and around scaffold structure. And, if required, the system connects directly to stair towers, roofing, protection and accessories.Robbie Andrews is the MD at Advanced NI Scaffolding: “This is a major contract for us to win and we’re delighted to be working on it alongside other locally based businesses. City Quays is a flagship development for Northern Ireland and will provide a major boost for Belfast.”Farrans are the main contractor. Glenn Gilmore, Regional Director added: “Our team has been heavily involved behind the scenes and this contract win is testament to our professionalism and expertise.”FIND OUT MORE www.advancedniscaffolding.com