Frankham was appointed to survey and to undertake a structural assessment of Barrier Gardens Pier brow in Woolwich.
- Port of London Authority
- Barrier Gardens, Woolwich
- Transport
- Civil & Structural Engineering
- Maritime Engineering
Frankham faced challenges both during the survey and during the assessment of the structure. Inspection times were targeted to optimise the use of the London Titan which had to be moored adjacent to the brow. This could only be achieved at high tide due to the required minimum draft for the vessel. The time spent on the man rider was optimised to survey the critical elements of the brow which could not be surveyed otherwise (such as the external cladding and roof).
Another challenge Frankham engineers had to face was the lack of any record information. The assessment was undertaken assuming some parameters such as the steel grade.
The survey and assessment of Barrier Gardens Pier was carried out in line with the Port of London Authority’s vision for Carbon Reduction & Emission Management and Resource Management & Pollution Prevention.
The PLA has committed to achieve Net Zero by 2040 and have committed to halve their carbon emission by 2025 and to reduce their particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emission to at least 90% by 2050. Maintenance of their assets with reduction of risks of structural failure, demolition and reconstruction aligns with their environmental and waste management goals.
The River Thames is the UK’s busiest inland waterway and the Port of London Authority has a fleet of over 30 vessels
which serve a range of river users from commuters to cargo handling and recreational users. These vessels and investments in infrastructure projects demonstrate the PLA’s commitment to their “Vision for the Tidal Thames”
framework which sets the following key goals:
- Port of London – More trade and more jobs
- Inland freight – Moving goods off the road and onto the river
- Passenger transport – More journeys
- Sport and recreation – More participants
- Environment and heritage – Improved tidal Thames environment
- Community and culture – More people enjoying the Thames
CEng MICE BEng (Hons)
