Pierre-Laporte Bridge

Provide access to the work areas of the Pierre-Laporte Bridge, at heights and in wind conditions that leave no margin. The scaffold had to clear 60 ft in a single span and resist 135 km/h winds.

The real challenge was repetition. The same system was redeployed sector by sector throughout the summer of 2020, on the east and north faces of the structure: one design had to remain valid across dozens of configurations, with every assembly re-verified and certified before being put into service.

Long-span access scaffold — Design of a modular system clearing 60 ft in a single span and sized for 135 km/h winds.

Support method — Development of a support method specific to the structure, which is what made the span possible.

Modularity and reuse — A fully modular system, designed to be redeployed from one sector to the next and reused beyond this mandate.

Work platforms — Design of the platforms serving each successive sector, span by span.

Safety devices — Design and separate certification of the safety devices accompanying every assembly.

Site supervision and certification — Site visits and certificates of conformity for each configuration before it was put into service, from the first assembly to the end of the season.

A scaffold is judged by its span. A modular system is judged by what it becomes after the first assembly.

This one served all summer, sector after sector, and stayed valid through every reconfiguration. Designing for reuse changes the nature of the mandate: it is no longer a structure you deliver, it is a system the client keeps.

Thanks to Stellaire Construction.