Grand Hotel Restoration

The Grand Hotel has had many past redevelopments but none on the scale of the current restoration and remodelling plans.  Innovative scaffold design was called for at the complex works on the grade 2 listed building in Birmingham's city centre. 

Building on the already successful relationship between SES and the hotel’s owner and developer, Hortons Estates, principal contractor Greswolde Construction called upon SES to engineer scaffold solutions that would overcome various access challenges.  

An access solution guided by experience

One of these challenges was to provide a scaffold system for the first phase of courtyard roof and facade works, whilst maintaining the integrity of the lower roofs to the many courtyard building extensions.  SES determined that a suspended scaffold anchored to the walls above the lower roofs was the safest solution.

Engineered scaffold design

Using bespoke wall shear anchors, SES designed, developed and constructed a 9-lift high scaffold, which was supported entirely by a gallows bracket scaffold fixed onto the wall to half of the elevation where suspended scaffold had to be constructed.  Where ground-based scaffold could be constructed on the courtyard floor, the remainder of the elevation scaffold was supported by prefabricated beam spans anchored to the wall.  To complete the functionality, SES designed and erected 30 metre high loading platforms and access stairs that were supported in part by prefabricated beam spans.

Complex access challenges

Greswolde’s Project Manager has many years’ experience with specialist restoration companies.  He commented, “This multi-faceted remodelling project has had complex access challenges to overcome.  However, I have worked with SES in the past and value their extensive experience and dedication to quality and safety.”