Commercial Scaffolding – Surry Hills Driveway Scaffold

At Stronghold Hire, we pride ourselves on providing smart, safe and flexible scaffolding solutions, even in the most complex environments. Our recent project involved the design and installation of an engineered scaffold system over a busy building driveway to facilitate the safe removal of asbestos coating from the ceiling and ductwork.

Scaffolding for Asbestos Removal

The objective of this project was to supply and install an engineered scaffold structure over the driveway leading into a building’s car park. This structure had to support asbestos removal works while maintaining daily access for vehicles — a challenge that required meticulous planning, clever engineering, and precise execution.

Maintaining Vehicle Access

One of the primary challenges was ensuring that tenants and building users could still access the car park during the scaffold build. Our scaffold design had to allow for a clear drive-through zone underneath the structure while maintaining the strength and stability required for overhead asbestos removal work.

We achieved this by using our galvanised heavy-duty Kwikstage system, known for its robust load-bearing capabilities and modular flexibility. The structure was built in a way that vehicles could safely pass beneath it without obstructing work zones or compromising safety.

Strict Daily Deadlines

Another significant constraint was the strict timeline imposed during the erection phase. The driveway had to reopen for vehicle access by 3:00 PM every day, meaning we had limited morning hours to complete sections of the scaffold to a point where the site could safely accommodate car movements.

Our team worked to a tightly managed schedule, breaking the build into efficient, timed stages. Each morning, crews worked methodically to complete a new section, ensuring the site was cleared and compliant for the 3 PM reopening deadline. This required careful coordination with our client and onsite contractors to maintain both safety and productivity.

Full Encapsulation Compatibility

As the work involved asbestos removal, the scaffold needed to be designed for full encapsulation by others once erected. Thanks to our in-house experience with shrink wrap encapsulation, we understand exactly what is required for a scaffold to be encapsulation ready. This knowledge allowed us to incorporate the right fixing points, spacing, and layout considerations into the initial design, ensuring a smooth and efficient wrap process for the encapsulation team.

In designing the scaffold, we had to strike a careful balance between worker clearance inside the encapsulated zone and vehicle clearance underneath. Our engineered drawings factored in all necessary spacing, access platforms and protective measures, ensuring safe working conditions for all parties involved.

Asbestos Removal Results

The scaffold was delivered on time, to specification and with full compliance to safety regulations. Our use of the Kwik stage heavy-duty scaffolding system once again proved ideal for a complex and high-stakes environment. Thanks to our experienced team, clear communication, and detailed planning, the project was completed with zero incidents and minimal disruption to the building’s occupants.