Back on track – climate control at Calton Road Rail Bridge

Polygon UK provides a climate control solution to support the renovation of the Calton Road Rail Bridge and ensure it can withstand the elements.

Making improvements

Constructed in 1896, the Calton Road Rail Bridge carries trains to and from Edinburgh’s Waverly station, one of Scotland’s major transport centres. A project to repair and repaint the bridge started in 2022, contributing to efforts to protect the bridge’s structure against Scottish weather conditions.

Atmospheric conditions were crucial to the project’s success, with the risk of temperature potentially jeopardising the job’s completion. If the final paint finish failed a quality inspection, it would require starting the project over, causing vast disruptions in traffic and at great expense.

An intelligent climate control solution

Polygon was tasked with providing a climate control solution that would maintain the correct temperature while also having a limited impact on the local area and environment.

For Polygon, this meant using climate control equipment with minimal energy and reducing the carbon impact, together with being mindful of the road still being utilised by vehicles and pedestrians. Thorough planning resulted in Polygon delivering the solution on time, providing the ambient conditions for the renovation work to be carried out in an ideal environment.

Thorough planning led to success

Polygon conducted a detailed analysis of the various factors affecting the painting process, collating the data points and insight into a project plan. to the findings indicated the specific heating required to maintain stable conditions during the painting process and keeping the steel temperatures above dew point.

The solution consisted of mobile heaters to allow for flexibility and manoeuvrability on site without compromising performance. The location of the job prevented the team from using three-phase power, but Polygon ensured the required heat using a 110V supply.