2016 has seen the completion of a number of high profile projects here at Eadon.

The year began with us signing off on a piece of bespoke handling equipment (MULE) which was used to transport and lay units used as part of a coastal defence project in Sandsend, North Yorkshire. Working alongside Balfour Beatty, Eadon were the mechanical and structural designers on the project and also developed the concept and carried out the detailed design. The project saw engineers continue through to the detailed design and 3D model and manufacturing drawings. As with many of our bespoke design projects the team encountered several challenges which required them to look at the mechanism and structure as a whole to ensure the MULE functioned correctly.

The summer saw us complete our work for the new Queensferry Crossing near Edinburgh. The bridge, which forms the centrepiece of a major upgrade to the cross-Forth transport corridor in the east of Scotland, is the longest 3-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world. Eadon’s involvement began with the design of two types of access gantry each weighing around 10 tonnes. Their construction is made up of 3 dimensional steel space frames spanning the full width of the main bridge deck, in two half sections. The leading gantry is about 5m wide and has a cantilevered deck which allows access to work on the deck joint when a new section of the deck needs to be lifted in to place. The following gantry is 2m wide and is used to carryout follow on works to the underside of the bridge such as painting. In addition to the gantry project we are also involved with the ongoing maintenance schedule for the bridge.

2016 has also seen us complete a HDD (Horizontal Directional Drilling) job in Galway. One of a number of drilling jobs to be finalised by Eadon this year, work began on the 390m long project earlier in the year and was completed in early autumn. We were tasked with providing the HDD profile design, site layout and as-built drawings. This challenging project presented a number of unusual considerations due to its proximity to protected castle remains and the fact it was to run underneath a river bed. To add to these challenges our engineers had to also design a mud return line alongside the main drill.

These are just 3 of an unprecedented list of Eadon jobs in 2016 and we are pleased to put another successful project period down to our strong team work and our ability to work successfully with our clients and industry peers. The addition of 4 new members of staff together with our continuing staff training has once again allowed us to increase our capability and knowledge pool over the past 12 months. More information here.

With many interesting projects already in the pipeline for the New Year we look forward to a varied, prosperous and vibrant 2017.