The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth in Scotland, west of central Edinburgh. The bridge is built on the principle of the cantilever bridge, where a cantilever beam supports a light central girder, a principle that has been used for thousands of years in the construction of bridges. This 128-year-old bridge needed repair works and maintenance to the steel deck without any disruption to rail operations.
CaSE was involved in the Temporary Works design of the suspended access platform that ensures the permanent maintenance works to be completed efficiently. The design was carried out for the repairs on Forth Rail Bridge South and main span girders, operating on the existing gantry rails and incorporating an innovative articulation system to accommodate rail tolerance. The platform is suspended 46m above the river Forth and the gantry is in use during the 2-year repair phase of the bridge.
