Window Replacement Access, North Sydney

Stronghold Hire was recently engaged by Transport NSW to supply access scaffolding for a window replacement and upgrade project in North Sydney. The upgrade involved the installation of new acoustic-rated windows designed to reduce noise from nearby road developments — an important improvement for local residents affected by the area’s expanding transport infrastructure.

Project Overview

The brief required a scaffold system that provided safe and efficient access for trades carrying out the window replacement works. The scaffold was to be erected on a suspended slab, which introduced significant engineering considerations around load capacity and structural support.

Engineering Challenges

Initial discussions focused on using a heavy-duty steel scaffold system. While this would have easily handled the load and height requirements, it came with a major drawback — it would have required back-propping of the suspended slabs. This back-propping would extend into the basement car park, occupying valuable parking spaces and causing unnecessary disruption for residents.

Given that parking is already extremely limited in this area, this solution was deemed impractical.

Innovative Solution

After careful consultation with our engineering team and the client, it was determined that our lightweight aluminium scaffold system would be best suited to the project. The reduced weight eliminated the need for back-propping while still providing the required strength and stability for safe façade access.
This approach not only reduced costs and installation time but also minimised inconvenience to residents — a key consideration for a project of this nature.

On-Site Challenges

As with many projects on occupied buildings in busy city environments, a number of logistical and safety challenges had to be addressed:

• Noise restrictions limited work hours, requiring careful scheduling.
• Safe pedestrian access and egress to and from the building needed to be maintained at all times.
• Tight site access meant that only small trucks could be used for deliveries.
• Limited unloading and overnight storage areas required precise planning and coordination.
• Encapsulation mesh was restricted to working decks only, to reduce wind loads on the scaffold and preserve city views for residents.

Despite these challenges, the project was delivered safely, efficiently, and with minimal disruption to both residents and surrounding businesses.

Outcome

Through smart planning, close client collaboration, and the use of lightweight engineered scaffold systems, Stronghold Hire successfully provided a safe, compliant, and low-impact access solution for Transport for NSW’s North Sydney project.