Capita Symonds rallies bridge engineers for flood checks
Capita Symonds rallies bridge engineers for flood checks
27 November 2009
Consultant issues ‘national call’ for staff to carry out safety checks on 1,800 bridges in Cumbria
Capita Symonds has issued a national call to draft in up to 100 employees this week to inspect flood-damaged bridges in Cumbria. The consultant, which has a partnership with Cumbria council, is managing a programme to inspect the county’s 1,800 bridges in the wake of last week’s floods, which washed away six crossings and damaged 1,300 homes.
Robin McCartney, associate director of Capita Symonds, said the firm would need 30-50 bridge engineers, and an equal number of other staff to ensure the process was managed safely, and had called all its offices to ask them to put people on standby.
He said: “At the moment we have some bridges closed because of structural damage, others because we don’t have sufficient information. We are planning to do the initial investigation before the end of the week and each bridge will open when we feel it’s safe.” He said the firm had received a “huge number” of offers of help from other businesses.
Experts say the cost of repairing Cumbria’s bridges could reach hundreds of millions of pounds. Some have called for the inspections to be extended to other parts of the country.
Ian Firth, chief operating officer at bridge specialist Flint Neill, said: “This has taught us a lesson. With old bridges built on soft ground, river scour is an issue. It would be sensible to have a rigorous inspection programme in areas prone to flooding.”
Meanwhile, the National Federation of Builders urged insurance firms to appoint local building firms for the clear-up. Marie Hill, regional director, said: “Many small firms are already struggling in the recession and in some parts of Cumbria, the floods have created major disruption. The clean up could provide a much needed shot in the arm for the local construction industry.”
Businesses around Cockermouth said they were concerned insurance providers would give work to national firms, as they did during the Carlisle floods of 2005. Lee Wilson, owner of Copeland & Allerdale Roofing Services, said: “The insurance providers tend to come in with the big boys who have reduced rates and it can be some time before local firms are allowed a piece of the work.”