Shrink Wrap Encapsulation – Blast and Paint Wharf 6, Circular Quay, Sydney

This month the Stronghold Hire team were asked to provide containment for a blast and paint project at Wharf 5 Circular Quay. We have carried out 4-5 similar projects for this client over the years including Manly Wharf.

Aesthetically Pleasing Shrink Wrap Encapsulation

On the previous similar projects, we have used the MonarFlex product as this is what their previous suppliers always did. We suggested that on this occasion we install the shrink wrap encapsulation, and the client took onboard the opportunity. We were confident that this would work much better than the Monarflex as it is aesthetically more pleasing and has no gaps with any laps being welded by heat.

Barging In With The Materials

Firstly, we had to get the material to the wharf without causing any disruption to the passengers and pedestrians around this area. Circular Quay is always busy, regardless of what time of day it is. We could have used pedestrian control and trollies to move the material from the truck to the wharf but our client and RMS engaged Polaris Marine to bring in the material on a barge and to attach the barge to the wharf for the duration.

Minimum Disruption, Maximum Safety

This worked very well as we were able to leave the material on the barge throughout meaning that a storage area on the wharf was not required. Also, the barge that was supplied was fitted with an office, toilets and ‘smoko’ shed. These facilities enabled us to control the entire work area for the safety of our employees and, again, causing minimum disruption to the general public and wharf staff.

The Scaffold Frame – Done in A Jiffy

The shelter was made of structural steel over the wharf and handrails around the pylons provided excellent anchor points to base our scaffold tubes and beams. Minimum bracing was required due to this and the scaffold component was completed in just under 5 hours. Check out the time-lapse video below of the shrink wrap encapsulation project.

Experienced Dab Hands With Shrink Wrap

The next part of the project was to install the premium fire-retardant shrink wrap product. There is certainly a knack to installing this product and our installers have over 10 years’ experience in the UK and Australia. Once the product is loosely attached and taped then the product is heated up to become taught, like the skin of a drum. The result is a very smooth, streamlined finish, much better than a tarp or Monarflex product.

No Skirting Around Debris

To finish the job, we installed very thin 12mm skirting with padding to the base, this ensured no small debris was able to escape from the contained area and onto the wharf or worse still, into the water! A strict program was set out that involved our client, Polaris Marine, RMS and Sydney Transport. We knew that inclement weather could not affect this program as the working area was sheltered.

Shrink Wrap Encapsulation – Another Success

This was an enjoyable shrink wrap encapsulation project for the team. We kept within our deadlines and the project finished one day earlier than expected which was very pleasing to all concerned – the Stronghold Hire way we like to call it! To see how you could benefit from our shrink wrap or scaffolding services give us a call now on 02 89852020 or contact us online for more info!