CAN Structures Ltd

CAN launches Confined Spaces Division – Making the Inaccessible Accessible – Safely!

Structural engineering specialist, CAN, has launched a specialist ‘Confined Spaces Division’, with a dedicated team of confined space technicians, estimators and project management staff. This will open the company’s 20+ years of confined space experience, predominantly requiring the use of complicated rigging and rope access techniques, to a much larger market.

The launch follows growing interest in CAN’s specialist confined spaces services, which has included a diverse range of projects, including – inspection and testing of the heat recovery steam generator chimneys at SSE’s 735-megawatt gas-fired power station on the Isle of Grain; the deployment of a confined space entry and rescue team at Hammersmith Bridge and the provision of a concrete repair team to undertake repair works to the Beckton Connection shaft (28m diameter and 80m deep) and the Lee Tunnel, as part of the Thames Tideway Project.

Speaking about the launch of the new Confined Spaces Division, Mark Richardson, Managing Director at CAN said: “CAN has provided confined space services for the last 20 years, but it has now enhanced its provision through a dedicated team of City & Guilds-certified confined space operatives, estimators and project managers, that have extensive experience of undertaking complex rigging and access work in confined spaces.”

CAN’s new Confined Spaces Division offers a wide range of services including:
* Third Party Access Supervision – supervision and management of confined space access for suitably trained third party contractors.
* Rescue Cover – establishing safe systems of work, pre-rigging rescue systems and providing rescue cover for suitably qualified third-party contractors.
* High Risk Working – for when specified risks cannot be controlled or works are a substantial distance from the point of entry or when complicated rigging and access techniques are required to facilitate access within a confined space.

For details about CAN’s Confined Spaces Division call: +44 (0) 1474538100

AN Structures Ltd and CAN Geotechnical Ltd, UK specialist access and geotechnical contractors and part of the RSK group, opened an office in Dublin, Ireland, on Monday, 17 June.

The Irish office is the fifth permanent CAN base and supplements its offices in Chesterfield, Northfleet, Portishead and Glasgow (opened in May). Jona Crabtree is CAN’s new regional manager for Ireland. The company will share the premises with other RSK companies.

About 70% of CAN’s business is geotechnical projects for slope and retaining wall stabilisation and installing rockfall protection measures. The remainder involves structural repairs, construction, inspection, testing and maintenance – often including bespoke access solutions. Two major recent projects are the installation of the roof at Tottenham Hotspur’s new football stadium in North London and a highways project at the Heads of the Valleys in Wales.

Ireland has proved to be successful for CAN over the last 20 years. It has implemented rock netting for Donegal County Council, cliff stabilisation for its counterpart in Wicklow and stabilisation at the Lakeside Housing Development in Coleraine. The Dublin office enables CAN to provide direct and immediate services to operators and contractors based in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

CAN’s expansion into Ireland comes after its acquisition by RSK last October: one of 12 companies bought by the leading environmental and engineering services company in the 2018/19 financial year.

“Following the recent appointment of Colin Smith as the Scottish regional manager, we are very pleased to be able to announce that from Monday, 17 June Jona Crabtree will be the regional manager for Ireland,” commented Mark Richardson, CAN managing director.

“Jona has worked for CAN for the last 12 years. We have no doubt that he will apply his vast experience to the new role. I am confident that his energy, enthusiasm and professionalism will appeal to our clients, new and old, and that he will be instrumental in helping CAN to tap into the huge potential of the Irish market.”

UK geotechnical and engineering contractor CAN has added a permanent office in Glasgow to the ones it already has in Chesterfield, Northfleet and Portishead.

The expansion comes after CAN was acquired by environmental and engineering services company RSK Group in October last year. CAN Structures and CAN Geotechnical will share the Glasgow office with other RSK group companies.

About 70% of CAN’s business is geotechnical projects for slope and retaining wall stabilisation, and installing rock fall protection measures. The remainder involve structural repairs, construction, inspection, testing and maintenance.

CAN has been working in Scotland for over 20 years. Its portfolio there includes rock face stabilising at Dunoon Sewerage Treatment Works in Argyll & Bute, structural inspection and testing at Burdiehouse Burn nature reserve in Lothian and slope works at Loch Katrine in the Highlands.

CAN managing director Mark Richardson said: “We are delighted to expand our footprint in Scotland with the opening of our new office. We believe that this move will provide our clients with the level of support and collaborative working that is so important to the CAN business model. We are very excited by the move and look forward to the new challenges and opportunities this will undoubtedly bring.

Colin Smith will be the new regional manager for Scotland. Richardson added: “Colin has 25 years’ experience in the construction industry and has worked for CAN for the last seven years. His wealth of experience and depth of knowledge is a huge asset to the business and we know that our clients will enjoy working closely with him over the coming years.”

Latest announcement takes the number of acquisitions by the group to 11 in recent months.


Leading environmental and engineering services company RSK Group Ltd today announced that it has acquired CAN, a UK geotechnical and engineering contractor that undertakes large-scale, specialist access projects.

About 70% of CAN’s business is geotechnical projects for slope and retaining wall stabilisation, and installing rock fall protection measures. The remainder involve structural repairs, construction, inspection, testing and maintenance, often including bespoke access solutions. Two of its major recent projects are the installation of the roof at the new Tottenham Hotspur football stadium in North London and a highways project at the Heads of the Valleys in Wales.

CAN operates from three offices, Chesterfield, which oversees most of its operations, Northfleet and Portishead, and employs 250 staff. The company was owned by Neil Foster and Andy Wingfield, who will both continue to lead the business as it joins the geosciences and engineering division of RSK.

The announcement marks the latest in a major series of acquisitions by RSK, which is based in Helsby, UK, the fifth largest environmental consultancy in the UK RSK has 55 UK and 36 international offices and a turnover of £175 million.

“I am delighted to announce this acquisition, which will further enhance the RSK stable,” said Dr Alan Ryder, chief executive officer, RSK. “CAN’s client base of principal contractors, specifically rail sector contractors, will complement other specialisms within RSK.

“Operationally, CAN has a large fleet of plant and facilities for modification and repair. These capabilities will directly benefit our ground investigation businesses for modifying, servicing and repairing rigs, and NDT Services for its pile test rig fabrication and hydraulic engineering.”

Andy Wingfield, managing director of CAN, added, “In RSK, we believe we have found a like-minded group of people that share the values and ethos within the CAN family. CAN’s acquisition by RSK is a fantastic springboard for growth that brings together RSK’s strengths in the early investigation and design stages of projects with CAN’s track record in construction delivery across a wide range of sectors.”

“When we started to look for a buyer, finding a company that really valued its people was a prerequisite, said Neil Foster, commercial director of CAN. “We are delighted that in RSK we have found a business where our fantastic staff will have not only security but also great new opportunities as the company expands. Being part of a larger group with such a diverse range of complementary services will provide the perfect launchpad for the next phase in CAN’s development. We look forward to taking full advantage of that opportunity.”
Since the 2017/18 financial year, RSK has brought 10 new businesses under its umbrella, including Acies, KMGP, Cole Jarman, CJ Associates, Ian Farmer Associates, Up and Under Group, RSKW, Central Alliance, Non Destructive Testing Services and Copeland Wedge Associates.

After starting on site in May 2016, CAN Structures completed the lifting and installation of the architectural Brise Soleil to the façade of the New US Embassy in Vauxhall, London.

The installation project which spanned 14 months comprised of Aluminium components which were lifted into place with tower cranes. 

Waiting on the sides of the building, CAN’s access technicians then maneuvered the sections into place onto the façade of the building. 

Once fixed in place, they were then wrapped in ETFE fabric, creating the sail appearance.
With all the installation taking place to CAN’s lift plans, the work was completed exactly to plan.

Well done to all those involved!

Following CAN Structure’s initial inspection and site survey of the roof trusses in the Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum back in 2014, CAN was asked to undertake the installation of the skeleton of a Blue Whale.

The whale skeleton and armature weighed 4.5 tonnes.  This had to be lifted up to suspension cables anchored to the roof trusses and orientated such that the whale skeleton had the appearance of commencing a ‘dive’.

The roof truss rigging and access work required to facilitate the lifting operation, whilst in an historic location, was relatively straightforward.  Major risks had been identified during the project planning phase.  This included the potential risk of overloading the roof trusses during the actual lifting operation.

The lift

To mitigate this risk, CAN technicians used hand operated tirfor winches that would allow minute adjustment on each of the 10, individually manned lifting locations.  The armature anchor points were designed to swivel which enabled the orientation of the skeleton to be adjusted without creating a spike in the loading of an individual roof truss.  In addition, load cells were incorporated into each of the lifting systems all linked to a central monitoring station.  This enabled the lift controller (appointed person) to continuously monitor loads during the operation.

Once the skeleton had been lifted and the desired orientation achieved, permanent cables could be installed and the lifting equipment removed and derigged.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/blue-whale-three-year-labour-of-love.html

The Imperial War Museum wanted to be able to ‘dress’ HMS Belfast on important occasions and asked CAN Structures to carry out the replacement of the halliards to the cruiser’s masts and Fore, Centre and Aft uphauls.

The opportunity to capitalise on the spectacular views available from this much loved and iconic visitor attraction were not lost on the Imperial War Museum; as such CAN was asked to set up access to allow Lindsey Russell from the BBC’s Blue Peter presenter to come along and help out.

The halliard replacement project was completed with minimum inconvenience to staff and visitors and the filming was complimented by a beautiful summer afternoon.