Falling Sands Viaduct was built in the 1870s and forms part of the Bridgnorth to Bewdley section of the Severn Valley Railway (SVR) Line. The railway bridge is 120 meters in length, made up of seven red-brick arches spanning the River Stour and the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.

The works were commissioned because water penetrating through the deck was causing degradation to the masonry arches and piers. CAN started brickwork repairs in early May 2020. All repairs were carried out by Industrial rope access, and bespoke access platforms (CAN-Span) were used to access the arches. So that the canal, river and minor road below the bridge could remain open, CAN designed and made unique catchment systems for the work to take place.

The bulk of the repairs consisted of pinning and grouting of the brickwork, brickwork re-casing, spot brick replacement, crack stitching and repointing, all of which were carried out in accordance with Network Rail Standards. Materials used for brickwork repairs were sourced to match the original aesthetics of the bridge.

Due to separation, the west pilasters were taken down to a sound level, then rebuilt by tying into the existing brickwork, and stabilised at the toe with Cintec anchors. The pilasters were finished with new hand-carved sandstone copings.

The project saw 135m of missing brick corbelling reinstated to the North and South spandrels with replica glass reinforced plastic (GRP) corbeling units. The GRP units were fixed to the brickwork with stainless steel brackets and studs.

Throughout the project CAN worked closely with several stakeholders and adhered to a River & Canal Trust permit, Natural England bat licence and SVR track safety procedures to deliver the project. The COVID pandemic added a further challenge to the

Duration:       14 Weeks

Client:            Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) plc

Location:       Kidderminster