The ravages of time wreak their damage upon a wide variety of structures, ranging from those that might be centuries old to some that might be only a few decades old. In some cases, craftsmen with the skills who made the original structures are no longer available in today’s society while in other cases, modern materials will not do the job.
One company that has been extremely successful in manufacturing both brand new structures in GRP as well as in the replication of old and/or existing structures, not just in the UK but also overseas, is IJF Developments of Rishton in Lancashire.
The company was set up over 21 years ago to manufacture a wide range of GRP fibreglass mouldings from one-off specials to production runs. The company also offers 3D drawings package, in-house pattern and mould making facilities, thereby offering its customers a complete high quality package at a competitive price.
IJF Developments’ pursuit of excellence drives itself to impose rigorous quality standards throughout the Company and they operate a Quality Management System which complies with the requirements of BS EN ISO 9001:2000 Certificate No: FM45154. IJF Developments pride themselves to provide safe working conditions, equipment and systems of work for all its employees. They offer comprehensive training and supervision to maintain high standards with responsibility set out in their Health & Safety Company Policy.
Managing Director and Owner, Ian Ferrier says, “I believe the best way to illustrate some of our skills and expertise is to look at one or two jobs we have done.”
One of the more interesting challenges was for a roof feature for the Holiday Inn Hotel in Salford. Because of its size, it had to be transported in the early hours of the morning to avoid numerous traffic problems. However, at one junction the lorry took a wrong turn at a roundabout and this resulted in a call to the police to enable the lorry to back up! The lorry eventually made its careful way through the traffic lights with only millimetres to spare. Once at site, it was craned off the lorry but the wind played havoc with the lift, which was eventually completed safely with the new structure some 35 m above the ground. A smaller one was erected over the entrance.
At a preserved railway station in Lancashire, a clock tower had to be exactly replicated, as the station was a listed building. The wooden structure erected 8 years earlier when the station was restored had rotted and could not be readily replaced.
On the A14 at Huntingdon, 200 cladding panels, each 1500mm by 2m long, had to be affixed to 10 columns. These had to be manufactured to Highways Agency specifications. They were made from foam retardant materials with a special resin supplied by Scott Bader, after fire testing at Warrington. In addition, no panel could weigh more than 30kg in order that it could be lifted by one man. IJF had to design its own bracket system to fix them to the overbridge.
Finally in Gibraltar, IJF was called to replace a dome on a major mosque. The original, built 10 years earlier in ferrocrete and tiling, had corroded due to the severe weather conditions on the Rock. IJF obtained copies of the original design and then carefully measured the structure. The dimensions were fed into a 3D design system and 36 panels were then manufactured, shipped to Gibraltar and fitted by IJF’s fitting team. The designs on each panel had to be exact and had to line up from one to the next.
GRP is an immensely versatile material which combines lightweight with its inherent strength to provide a durable weather resistant finish, with a variety of surface texture and an unlimited colour range available.
- • Established over 21 years manufacture of bespoke GRP for Construction 3
- • Full in house design service using Premium Solidworks 3D package with structural analysis 3
- • In house pattern & moulds – manufacturing components engineered to suit 3
- • Design, Manufacture, Supply & Install – Complete Package 3
- • BSI EN 9001:2000 Certificate Number: FM 45154 3
- Insurances: Professional Indemnity, Products Liability, Employees Liability, Public Liability & • Contractors All Risk 3
- • Constructionline 3
- • Health & Safety Policy/Environment Policy 3
For further information please telephone 01254 876505 or visit www.grp.co.uk
