Bridge Maintenance Pontoon Hire

Floating pontoons provide direct working access beneath and alongside bridges where conventional bankside or deck-level access is restricted.

The platform can be configured around the bridge geometry and work area for concrete, masonry, steelwork and general repair activities.

Platforms can support repair teams carrying out concrete patch repairs, brick and masonry works, steelwork maintenance and associated structural refurbishment.

Deck area can be increased to provide suitable space for operatives, tools, materials and agreed equipment close to the workface.

A floating platform can provide close access to bearings, soffits, beams, girders, joints, piers and abutments for inspection and maintenance.

The layout is planned around the specific structural components that need to be reached and the required working height.

Where additional height is required, the pontoon can be configured to support an appropriate scaffold access arrangement.

Scaffold footprint, working height, loads, restraint and pontoon stability are considered together. See our Floating Pontoon Scaffold Tower Hire page for more detail.

Bridge maintenance programmes often include cleaning, pressure washing, surface preparation, painting and protective coating works.

The pontoon can provide a working platform for these activities and can be configured with appropriate deck protection and access arrangements. See our Bridge Painting Pontoon Access page for specialist coating projects.

Proposed operatives, tools, materials and equipment are reviewed during planning so the pontoon is configured around the intended working loads.

Where heavier or more complex loads are involved, load distribution, freeboard and stability can be considered as part of temporary works design.

Not every bridge has suitable access directly beside the structure.

Where an upstream or downstream launch point is available, components can be assembled at a suitable location and the completed platform moved into position, subject to the waterway and project requirements.

Ropes, work boats, suitable outboard propulsion, spud arrangements or other project-specific restraint methods can be used depending on the waterway and platform configuration.

The positioning method is planned around water depth, flow, changing levels, navigation and the work being undertaken.

Working from the water can reduce reliance on access from the carriageway, bridge deck or trackside.

Depending on the project, this may help reduce road closures, lane restrictions, traffic management, trackside working and complex bankside scaffolding. Any required highway or rail controls remain subject to the principal contractor and asset owner.

Platform dimensions, working loads, scaffold arrangements, water conditions, restraint and wind exposure can all affect stability.

More complex installations can be supported by temporary works design and stability calculations where required.

Edge protection, access gates and water-safety controls are planned around the platform layout and work activity.

FPS can also provide work boats, safety boats and additional water-safety equipment as part of the agreed project scope.

Every bridge maintenance site is different. We consider the bridge geometry, required working area, water depth and flow, access points, loads, scaffold requirements, positioning, restraint and installation programme before agreeing the pontoon arrangement.

For inspection-only projects, see our Bridge Inspection Pontoon Hire page.

FPS can provide UK-wide delivery, installation, hire and removal of the modular pontoon system.

The agreed service can also include bespoke platform configurations, scaffold access, edge protection, work and safety boats, positioning support and temporary works input where required.