Ductile access covers manufacturer Eccles, and infrastructure services partner, FM Conway, have used UltraCrete Instagrip anti-skid patch repair to install 660 bespoke ductile iron covers on Tower Bridge in London.
The existing access covers weighed over 200kg each making them extremely difficult to lift and to carry out maintenance. What’s more, the new and improved access covers needed to be kept within the same size parameters meaning a tailored solution was the only way forward.
The City of London Engineers approached Eccles engineering division to design a bespoke ductile iron access cover that would be strong, lightweight and simple to install. As an alternative to a heavy, concrete and asphalt infill, the new covers were designed with a shallow recess in the top which would then be filled with Instagrip anti-skid material.
A total of 660 new ductile iron access covers have now been installed on Tower Bridge by principal contractor, FM Conway. The first stage of the project took place in November 2023, with the second phase beginning in January 2024, and the whole scheme completed in February.
On the project so far, Chris Rothery, Sales & Project Director at Eccles (UK Foundries FE) Ltd, commented: “The whole project has run like clockwork. With a neat anti-slip surface finish and a galvanised edge, the covers look great in-situ, creating a safe and pleasing aesthetic solution for this iconic structure.”
