Pyeroy goes forth with painting contract win

Citation

(2006), "Pyeroy goes forth with painting contract win", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 53 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2006.12853bab.023

Pyeroy goes forth with painting contract win

Pyeroy goes forth with painting contract win

Protective coatings specialist, the Pyeroy Group, has won a £5 million repainting contract on the Forth Rail Bridge (Plate 5).

The three-year contract forms part of a rolling civil engineering and structural refurbishment programme being undertaken on the bridge by main contractor Balfour Beatty for Network Rail.

Plate 5

Pyeroy has already worked on the Forth Rail bridge for four years, re-painting almost 40,000 m (by December) of the southern stretch of the landmark structure. The new three-year deal breaks with the previous custom of awarding these demanding painting contracts on an annual basis.

The work to be undertaken on the bridge includes grit blasting and re- painting of a number of major tubular beams and structural steelwork on both the South Queensferry and Inchgarvie cantilever sections.

Pyeroy recently gained strategic partnership status with Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering for painting and ancillary services.

This agreement builds on the company's previous preferred subcontractor initiative and is designed to develop closer working relationships between the two companies that includes earlier involvement in the design and tendering phases of projects and contracts.

Brendan Fitzsimons, Director of the Pyeroy's industrial division, said: “The Forth Rail Bridge is a very demanding project and we have a successful track record of overcoming the logistical problems posed by working over water at heights of up to 370 feet.

“Working over water brings its own difficulties, with movement of materials reliant on barge and or rail. Unlike most other contracts there is very little mechanical assistance with set-up, access and movement making it very labour intensive.

“These factors, together with the need to liaise closely with rail operators and other contractors, make the work extremely challenging logistically.”

Pyeroy's painting operations were recently expanded with the acquisition of the Scotland-based Industrial Painting Division of Palmers. In doing so the company became the UK's largest independent specialist painting contractor – with the total Group workforce rising to 850.

Hugh Pelham, Managing Director, said: “I am delighted to have been awarded such a prestigious contract and to continue to build on our excellent relationship with Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering and Network Rail.”

As well as the industrial painting division the Pyeroy Group operates specialist divisions providing marine coatings, scaffolding, construction, insulation and specialist asbestos removal services. The company operates a network of regional offices around the UK and Ireland from its Gateshead head office.