WEEK 8 - Day 31 Consolidating Scaffolding and Cleaning

Today was a day of preparation before moving into new areas around the site.
We needed to scaffold up areas around Salt Pans 3 and 4 to provide inspection walkways for the architects.
Next week we move into the earliest stove houses and warehouses for Salt Pans 1 and 2. The ground areas have elements of collapsed roof structures which need clearing to allow the scaffold team access. Later, the build up of salt from the stove areas will be removed as this is holding a reservoir of damp inside the buildings leading to continual decay.
Our perimeter fencing is quickly being installed. Each of the posts is being hand dug because the fence line is either within the scheduled monument area, or is inaccessible to machines, but is should be all in place by the end of next week.


The scaffolding has been repositioned within the loading bay to allow decayed roofing from the Packing Area to be tidied away. To the North (right) of the Packing Area the western end of the Link Bridge between Stove House 5 and Stove House 2 is being photographed and recorded before it too is removed.
The ridge in the centre of the picture is one of the earliest parts of the salt works dating to the 1890's.


Below the Packing Room floor is a passage way that runs beneath Stove House 1 towards the canal. The collapsed staircase used to rise to a landing and door on the north end of Stove House 3. The door was later bricked up. This area is now lit by daylight because both the floor above, which connected Warehouse 2 to Warehouse 4, and the roof has collapsed in this area.

WEEK 8 - Day 30 Dismantling of Eastern Gable of Stove House 5

With the complete removal of the roofing structures we started to dismantle and remove the roof trusses today, starting at the eastern gable. This was removed by lunch time and work moved on to the next roof truss. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8jx_JVf4VQ.

The asbestos team started to remove sheeting from the collapsed areas around Salt Pan 2 and the former Packing Area around the central chimney.
The scaffold team started to install an access platform around Salt Pan 3.

In the evening there was a short presentation to our immediate neighbours in Marston village. Site Manager, David Marsh of William Anelay Ltd (centre with hard hat) gave an outline of the work being carried out by his team and was enthusiastic about the challenge they faced to carry out work programme to his companies high standards. It was opportunity for local people who have endured living next to a derelict site for many years to see how the HLF grant would transform their local environment. They could also see what all the banging and hammering was achieving and for us to get feedback about any of their concerns and try to address any problems.
Steve Woolfall (right) Heritage, Museums and Tourism Manager, Cheshire West and Chester Council explained the challenges being tackled by the council to move the project forward to Phase 2. The presentation was made in our temporary timber store. The Pump House and chimney can be seen through the open doorway.

WEEK 8 - Day 29 Roof Boarding Removed

Having removed the asbestos sheeting we were able to completely removed the roof boarding today. Some 600 boards were removed. Look back to yesterday to see the uploaded video of the asbestos removal completed yesterday. Video of boarding removal can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mDh_R_gAPk. A time lapse sequence was shot of the work to remove the asbestos sheeting and the boarding. This is now uploaded at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIMyJrvP4EM
Perparations were made to begin dismantling the roof trusses tomorrow.

There was also a project team meeting today with team members from project managers Turner and Townsend; contractors, William Anelays Ltd; architects, Donald Insall Associates; structural engineers, The Moreton Partnership and owners Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Left to Right: Emma Burkit, T&T; David Marsh, Anelay; Gemma Haigh,T&T; Rik Fox, Moreton Partnership; Steve Woolfall,CW&C; Charles Anelay, Anelay; Simon Mallom,Insalls.

WEEK 8 - Day 28 Stove House 5 Roof Dismantling Completed

The last sheets of asbestos cladding were removed from the south side of the roof today. A video record of the work can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziddLksSh2U



Whilst the south side asbestos was being completed, work could start on removing the tarred paper and then the roofing boards. These are in excellent condition and are being stored for replacement within the re-built stove House in Phase 2 of the works next year.

The fixing bolts for the asbestos sheets were cut by an electric saw and each of these has to be removed. Smaller nails held the boards in place and these were prised clean of the timber and the boards removed.

Work could be carried out from the internal scaffold platforms, or from standing on the outer face of the boards themselves. A boardwalk around the perimeter of the building and a safety rail provided access from the outside and the necessary safety for those removing the boards.

The external cladding from the end gables is much thinner timber and will be replaced with new wood during the rebuilding. In the east gable a glazed window will look out along the canal side from the salt works. Samples of the cladding timbers will be retained as sample materials.

Some of the boards however will have a different future life a part of an art installation being prepared by student Carolyn Shepherd. She came today to select some pieces which were most suited to her proposed concept. Visit her web site to see her work http://www.carolynshepherd.co.uk/