Ryde Pier - Isle of Wight

Ryde Pier on the Isle of Wight was opened in 1814. Since then it has been subject to over 200 years of assault by wind, weather and waves.

Significant restoration work was undertaken to strengthen and replace key structural elements of the framework, making it safe and usable for generations to come.

With a framework comprising tens of thousands of rivets, many of which needed removing and replacing with modern Tension Control Bolts and new steelwork, the project was an extensive and challenging job that would typically have been carried out with the use of pneumatic hammers known as Rivet Busters.

Whilst Rivet Busters can be a very effective solution in the hands of skilled operatives, there are multiple hazards and downsides associated with their use.

Most critically the health & safety concerns associated with high levels of Hand Arm Vibrations (HAVS).

To complete the refurbishment in the safest and most efficient way possible, onsite contractor McNealy Brown supplemented traditional methods with the use of HMT’s rivet drilling process.

In place of pneumatically hammering the head of a rivet until it came away from the body and the body could be punched out, instead 4,000 – 5,000 rivets were drilled out using

Drilling rather than hammering out the rivets reduced vibration levels onsite by over 3 times.

This

• protected the fragile laminations of the existing ironwork
• prevented dangerous delamination and structural failure
• reduced operator HAVS and meant that work could safely continue for over 3 times as long as if rivet busters has been used.