SS Great Britain

The SS Great Britain was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and was launched in Bristol on July 19th 1843. She was the world’s first purpose built steam passenger liner and was propeller driven with an iron hull. Scuttled in 1937, she has now been fully restored to her original features and is on display at Bristol’s Great Western Dockyard.

The SS Great Britain

Falcon Works On Restoration Programme

Load test applied to anchors

The restoration programme included installing a new glass deck to surround the ship’s hull, covered by a shallow depth of water to simulate a floating vessel. Falcon was appointed to install specialist anchors to secure the new glass deck.

Cementitious Anchors Secure New Glass Deck

The deck is supported on a steelwork grid, which is in turn supported by the dry dock walls. Engineers Ove Arup & Partners based in Cardiff specified Cintec anchors to secure the steelwork, and as specialist Cintec installers, Falcon was appointed to carry out the work by Bluestone plc, the main contractor.

Cintec anchors are a stainless steel bar enclosed in a woven polyester tubular sock, which expands when grout is pumped into the sock under pressure.

The installation work was successfully completed within the scheduled 3 month period, which allowed the restoration to be completed on programme.

Anchors installed to support steelwork

Left: Steelwork fixed into postion by anchors Right: Decking in position

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