Lloyds Bank Bristol

Commercial

 

Lloyds Bank  Bristol, Harbourside  

Key Information:

Project Name: Lloyds Bank  Bristol, Harbourside 
Location: Harbourside, Bristol

Sector: Commercial
Scope of Work: Suspended internal scaffold, rolling temporary roofs, high-level access towers

Challenges: Accommodation of Fragile Elements of the Buildings interior

Project Overview

In 2022, Lloyds Banking Group began consolidating its Bristol operations by relocating 2,350 staff from the iconic Canons House to its adjacent Harbourside office at 10 Canons Way—a striking triangular glass-fronted building overlooking the city’s Floating Harbour. The move marked the beginning of a major refurbishment, transforming the 200,000 sq ft site into a modern workplace suitable for hybrid working. The refurbishment was led by Wates Construction, with architectural input from HLN Group.

Chris Sedgeman Scaffolding was appointed to design and deliver the complex access and temporary roofing systems required to enable safe replacement of the building’s dramatic glass ceiling and atrium—without disrupting the day-to-day operation of the Lloyds head office.

 

Challenges and Solutions

External Scaffold: Four Rolling Temporary Roofs for Glass Replacement

Externally, the unique shape of the glass atrium posed further challenges. Rather than using a large gantry system, Sedgeman Scaffolding collaborated with design engineers to create four rolling temporary roofs, enabling staged removal and installation of the glass sections. To ensure safety and minimise roof load: Debris netting was fixed across the glass atrium before scaffold assembly. Counterbalance was achieved using the building’s own roof pebbles, relocated into place using 4,000 buckets—a manual solution that avoided wheelbarrows and excessive point loads. A crane lifted all scaffolding materials onto the roof in a single day, coordinating multiple lorry loads.

Each roof varied in size:

·        Roof 1: 10 x 2.57m bays

·        Roof 2: 6 x 2.57m bays

·        Roof 3: 4 x 2.57m bays

·        Roof 4: 7 x 2.57m bays

The rolling design proved so effective that just two operatives were needed to reposition the roofs as work progressed. A job that was originally expected to take three weeks for glass removal was completed in just one.

Innovative protection measures included:

  • Counterbalance: Fixed scaffold to the concrete floor after removing floor and ceiling tiles.
  • Steel Decking: Fully decked with steel battens to keep weight down.
  • Insulation: Used 70mm insulation boards to reduce heat loss.
  • Rolling Roof: Designed and installed multiple rolling roofs to replace the diamond-shaped glass atrium roof
  • Innovative Components: Used new tie fittings, wheel track components, and buckets for counterbalance.
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Internal Scaffold: Suspended Access Over Porcelain and Car Parks

The internal works demanded access 24 metres above floor level—across delicate porcelain tiles covering underfloor heating, with a car park beneath. To eliminate any risk to these features, Sedgeman proposed a suspended scaffold system—an approach that would also avoid using the lower ground car park for support. Work was completed on night shifts to allow normal business to resume each morning, with the internal scaffold fully decked using steel battens to reduce weight and improve safety.

The scaffold was suspended from the top floor slab using 22m counterbalance beams, with ceiling and floor tiles temporarily removed to allow secure fixing into concrete. Fall-arrest netting was installed to ensure 100% protection from falling materials.

Innovative protection measures included:

·        Custom-padded Monarflex sheeting to shield the tiles.

  • Soundproofing: Used a new product by ICOPAL for soundproofing scaffolds to protect the flooring.
  • Debris Management: Prefabricated a conventional trolley to ensure no debris falls out, reducing manual handling.

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·        Scaffold designed with no diagonal bracing to maintain unobstructed access throughout office hours.

Operating within Lloyds' head office required a delicate balance of efficiency, safety, and discretion. From suspended scaffolds to rooftop innovation, Chris Sedgeman Scaffolding demonstrated its expertise in delivering creative access solutions in sensitive, high-profile environments.

Health and Safety

  • Zero Accidents: No RIDDOR accidents throughout the project.
  • Weekly Inspections: Carried out weekly scaffold inspections.
  • Fatigue Assessments: Ensured policy compliance and appointed first aid training.
  • High Scores: Achieved high scores in health and safety audits.

Sustainability and Innovation

  • ISO Compliance: Followed ISO 9001 Quality and ISO 14001 Environmental procedures.
  • Sustainable Practices: Used boards from sustainable forests and certified plant equipment.