Dublin landmark scaffolded with RINGSCAFF

Restoration of Historic Church in Ireland

Modular Scaffolding on the Emerald Isle

As well as its lively pub and music scene, the Guinness Storehouse and Trinity College Dublin with its impressive library, the Irish capital is also known for its many magnificent churches. Without doubt, the historic Abbey Presbyterian Church, built in the Gothic architectural style, is one of them. It has stood in the heart of Dublin since the 19th century and was considered so prominent by James Joyce that he mentioned it in his works.

Needless to say, great care had to be taken when restoring this historic building. The scaffolders from Devine Scaffolding Services Ltd designed the 68-metre-high scaffold so that it would not put too much strain on the historic structure. In addition to 70 tonnes of RINGSCAFF modular scaffolding, they also used aluminium girders, a Kewazo material hoist robot and special overhead protection structures to protect pedestrians on the road below the scaffolding.

A particular challenge was building over existing roof structures and the many cantilever sections, which had to be assembled step by step to adapt to the shape of the church. On two sides, the scaffolding had to be constructed without ground contact, requiring the use of aluminum beams for stable support. An alternative connection method was used, redirecting connecting elements back to the main scaffold to reduce the load around the church tower.

As is typical for listed buildings, special care was also required for material transport. For example, no scaffolding components longer than three meters could be lifted to avoid damage to the building. In close cooperation with Scafom-rux, a logistically optimized just-in-time material delivery system was implemented to handle the limited space in the bustling center of Ireland’s capital city.