de Havilland Fabrication & Welding were winners of the structural engineering awards in 2021 and 2022 from the Institue of Structural Engineers in the category Heritage/Bridge award for the Big Lock Footbrige in Middlewich, Cheshire.

The Bridges Award for New Life (<£5million): Big Lock Footbridge

 

Background

Big Lock Footbridge is a Grade II listed heritage structure built in the Victorian era. It is owned and maintained by the Canal and River Trust (The Trust) and has played an important role in the town historically and financially. The bridge is still a vital community link between the east and west sides of the Trent and Mersey Canal.

The bridge is at the heart of the local community, connecting people to the town centre, recreation areas, sports clubs, as well as businesses. Additionally, the bridge is adjacent to ‘The Big Lock’ pub and restaurant and is central to the Middlewich Folk and Boat festival, an annual event attended by over 30,000 people and 400 boats to celebrate the town’s industrial heritage. The Trust was committed to ensuring that a key part of the town’s history is well preserved for the future. Arcadis was appointed
to provide a full renovation of the bridge deck, abutments, and approaches with minimal intervention to meet its original appearance and harmony with the existing environment. The project started in April 2019 and the bridge was reopened in June 2021. The overall value for the restoration of the bridge was £330,000.

New Life Refurbishment

Before refurbishment, the bridge was in poor condition. It had been condemned, closed, and replaced with an adjacent scaffold bridge. Collaboratively, the Trust and Arcadis provided a sympathetic restoration design which could achieve the modern-day loadings and safety standards and bring the structure back to its full operational status for the benefit of the local community. To provide the required live load capacity of the structure, the u-frame stiffness of the bridge needed to be improved. To keep the heritage of the structure, a Victorian styled curved u-frame was added to every existing bay of the bridge truss.

To undertake the restoration work, the bridge was lifted out of position, a challenge which required a bespoke steel cradle due to the nature of the crumbling structure and to avoid any contamination to the surrounding environment. In the workshop, the structure was grit blasted prior to finalising design details and fabrication. The bottom plan bracings were restored, and connections upgraded to ensure lateral wind loads could be carried by the deck. The original Victorian elements were retained to the maximum extent possible, only being replaced where necessary for strength or safety reasons. Where replacement was required, the unique historical features were closely replicated, such as the heavily corroded post bases and damaged parapet infill rails. The design ensured minimal expenditure on new steelwork, and the appearance of the bridge remains largely unchanged besides the addition of the new u-frames.

Low maintenance, cost-effective elastomer pad bearings were provided to guarantee adequate support to the structure and relieve longitudinal deck movement stress from the abutment walls. The elastomeric bearing pads being of rubber only (no metal inserts) are not expected to need replacement in the next 100-years.

A fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) Polydeck system was proposed as a lightweight deck material to replace the existing heavy concrete deck, reducing the permanent load of the structure. FRP is a modern, durable, and economic material which has an elegant appearance, and provides a long-lasting maintenance free deck system. The deck structural elements are painted in a black anti-graffiti finish, matching the original colour scheme, and decreasing any future repainting costs.

The existing parapets were deemed to be climbable, and as such Arcadis worked in collaboration with the Trust and the fabricator (De Havilland) to provide a mesh panel that could be connected to the existing bridge parapets to mitigate this risk. The panel is the same woven mesh used at the Eden Project and is so light in appearance that it appears to be invisible when viewed from a distance, allowing the structure to appear very much as it did originally.

Many local residents came out to watch as the newly restored bridge was craned back into position, one year after restoration works began, including a couple who had gotten engaged on the bridge many years ago. One man played the penny whistle as the bridge was lifted into place and another man stood watching with a parrot on his shoulder. It was an exciting moment for the community with people lining the apartment balconies looking over the bridge and gathered at the adjacent pub and towpath to
cheer as the councillor officially opened the refurbished bridge.

Outcome

Arcadis,The Trust, the contractor, and the fabricator, rose to the challenge of providing a new life for Big Lock Footbridge. The successful collaboration resulted in a sympathetic restoration of an elegant Victorian structure, which is a key part of the town’s history that will now continue well into the future for the benefit of the local community.

Job Summary

We are seeking a time‑served Welder to join our team. The successful candidate will be highly skilled and experienced, ideally with a strong background working with a variety of metals including mild steel, stainless steel, and a range of non‑ferrous materials.

Essential Requirements

• Reliable, hardworking, and accurate
• Excellent attention to detail with a versatile skillset
• Able to work independently with minimal supervision
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes such as drilling, grinding, punching, brake press, guillotine operations, etc.
• Good communication skills
• Solid understanding of workplace Health & Safety practices

Desirable (but not essential)

• CSCS or other relevant skills cards
• Coded welding qualifications
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings
• Abrasive wheels training
• Forklift truck licence
• First Aid certification

Job Details

Type: Permanent, Full‑Time
Salary: Negotiable depending on experience

To apply, please send your CV to will@dehavfab.co.uk

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Site Supervisor & Site Fitter Vacancy

Role Overview

This is a varied and hands‑on role that typically includes the following:

• Installation of various sizes and grades of pipework on water treatment sites. PVC/ABS, STST, CARBON COATED, DUCTILE IRON, DUAL CONTAINED CHEMICAL DOSING HOSES.
• Installation of Steelwork structures, access platforms, supports and feature staircases.
• Managing direct relationships with customers and plant operatives.
• Completing installation and mechanical commissioning of plants.
• Completing Service Reports and other associated documentation.
• Responding to customer needs.
•  Assisting the company with service improvement initiatives; taking a proactive approach to increasing productivity & profitability.
• Ensuring a high standard of customer care and service is consistently maintained.
• Ensuring full compliance with all company policies, including Health & Safety requirements, at all times.
• Enhancing your own skills and knowledge through proactive learning and self-development.
• Full training would be provided with transport to site.

Please note: Our clients are based across the UK and internationally. Some travel and stays away from home will be required, with all arrangements agreed in advance.

About you

To be considered for this role you will need to have the following;

• Construction Industry recognised training cards CSCS
• A full UK driving license is required and a willingness to travel
• Mechanical experience
• Experience with the water treatment industry would be an advantage
• Passionate about providing a first-class service to our customers
• Strong communication skills both verbally and written, with the versatility to communicate at all levels in a clear and concise manner
• A professional approach to your work and communication with colleagues and customers

Person profile

A well‑motivated, dynamic, and hardworking individual with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively at all levels within an organisation. Someone who works well as part of a team but can also use their own initiative to resolve issues as they arise. The ideal candidate will be flexible, able to meet deadlines and targets, and comfortable working in a fast‑paced environment. They should also be able to demonstrate a solid understanding of technical and mechanical systems, as this is essential for the role.

Benefits

Competitive salary
Work wear
20 days holiday rising to 25 days (subject to service period) includes UK bank holidays
Workplace Pension Scheme

As a growing company we constantly look to refine, develop and improve our knowledge base and offer and so are always on the lookout for talented, highly motivated personnel to join the team. Our future success will be built on the engagement of pro- active people with an open, innovative mind-set so if you feel you have what it takes, we’d love to hear from you!

For further information or to submit your application and CV please contact us at sales@dehavfab.co.uk

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Job Summary

We are looking for a time‑served Fabricator with a strong background in working with a wide range of metals, including mild steel, stainless steel, and various non‑ferrous materials. The ideal candidate will be skilled, dependable, and able to produce high‑quality work with accuracy and attention to detail.

Essential Requirements

• Reliable, hardworking, and accurate
• Strong attention to detail and an adaptable, all‑round skillset
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings
• Capable of working to tight tolerances
• Able to work independently with minimal supervision
• Good knowledge of manufacturing processes including drilling, grinding, punching, brake press, guillotine, etc.
• Strong communication skills
• Good understanding of Health & Safety in the workplace

Desirable (but not essential)

• CSCS or other relevant skills cards
• Coded welding qualification
• Training in Abrasive Wheels, Working at Height, and Confined Space Awareness
• Forklift truck licence
• First Aid certification

Job Details

Type: Permanent, Full‑Time
Salary: Negotiable depending on experience

To apply, please send your CV to will@dehavfab.co.uk.