The Welbro Falklands tour 2020-21 is drawing to a successful end. To date, seven buildings reclad, one new roller shutter door installed, and many new kitchens fitted in the MPA complex’s living quarters. One huge aircraft Hangar and a couple of bridges to refurbish, and the job is done. Work began in earnest on this tour in October 2020 following a mandatory quarantine period on the Falkland Islands.
The Welbro Team, lead by Keith Welch, our Chairman, has worked extremely hard to complete the scheduled works for this tour, totalling over £3 million. This programme includes the refurbishment of the principal aircraft Hangar on the complex. The project comprises new roofing, cladding and strengthening work to the steel structure.
The end of this Hangar project is in sight, despite the weather conditions being unusually difficult this year. Although the weather has often been set fair and ideal for cladding works, the Team has lost an unusually high number of days due to strong winds. The scale of the building makes it impossible to work safely in windy conditions, and there are only so many days that the work could switch inside for the strengthening of the steelwork.
“This tour has been a real challenge, as the weather has not been kind”
Keith Welch – Chairman
External work in the Falklands must be undertaken during the austral summer, so it is vital that the management team plan and execute a carefully crafted and considered programme. Working outside during the austral winter in the Falklands is impossible due to the harsh weather conditions.
Throwing windy weather and a worldwide pandemic into the mix has made this a particularly challenging tour. The only relief for the Team came with a brief return to the UK for a couple of weeks at Christmas, but other than that, it has been a full-on tour.
The management team must consider the logistics of bringing all materials, plant, in fact, almost everything required for the complex programme of works 8,000 miles to the Falkland Islands. So added complications like COVID-19 and bad weather are most unwelcome.
Hopefully, the 2021-22 tour will be less challenging.!
Tall-order. Work progressing on the Hangar refurbishment.