Wikipedia

Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company

Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company was a British bridge works and structural steel contractor based in Darlington.[1] It was operational for 144 years.

Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company
IndustryConstruction
Founded1877[1]
DefunctSeptember 2021 (September 2021)[2]
HeadquartersDarlington
Products

From the founding of the company in 1877, it had a presence in Darlington. While initially focused on fabrication, the company became one of the major bridgebuilders in the world, having constructed structures across all five inhabited continents. It built numerous landmarks around the world, including the Victoria Falls Bridge in Zimbabwe; the Tees Transporter Bridge; the Forth Road and Humber suspension bridges in the UK; Hong Kong's Tsing Ma Bridge, and London's Wembley Stadium Arch.[3][4] Cleveland Bridge's Dubai subsidiary, which was established in 1978, fabricated and erected steel structures for, amongst other projects, the Burj Al Arab and Emirates Towers.[3]

During 1967, the company was acquired by The Cementation Company, which was itself bought by Trafalgar House soon thereafter. During 1990, it was merged with Redpath Dorman Long, another subsidiary owned by Trafalgar, to create Cleveland Structural Engineering. After a management buyout in 2000, the company operated as an independent concern, with considerable financial backing from Saudi Arabia's Al Rushaid Group. However, the company soon found itself in multiple legal disputes due to alleged quality issues and other concerns on its work on major projects such as The Shard and New Wembley Stadium; these proved to be not only costly in financial terms but also damaging to its reputation. During the early 2020s, the fiscal situation of the company declined considerably and backers proved to be unwilling to expend additional resources. Thus, in July 2021, the Darlington portion of the company went into administration in July 2021, owing £21m. After unsuccessful efforts to attract a buyer, the company was closed in September 2021.[2]

Victoria Falls Bridge

History

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Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company was founded in 1877 in Darlington with a capital of £10,000.[1] Seven years later, the assets were sold to Charles Frederick Dixon, who registered the company on a Stock Exchange in 1893. By 1913, it had 600 employees.[5]

During 1967, the company was acquired by The Cementation Company.[6] Three years later, Trafalgar House purchased Cementation; it also acquired Redpath Dorman Long from Dorman Long Group in 1982, after which the two subsidiaries were merged in 1990 to create Cleveland Structural Engineering.[7] That business was renamed Kvaerner Cleveland Bridge following acquisition of Trafalgar House by Kværner in 1996.[1][8]

During 1999, it was reported that Kværner intended to sell the business amid a wider restructuring away from heavy manufacturing activities; at the time, the company employed roughly 600 staff following a series of job losses.[9][10] Despite appeals for financial assistance being made to the British government, it refused to intervene in the matter.[11] One year later, the company became independent through a management buyout that involved a payment of $12.3 million.[12][3][13] In addition to the UK-based operations, the same management team also acquired the company's Dubai subsidiary that had been established in 1978. Saudi Arabia's Al Rushaid Group provided finance to the firm which rose to an 88.5% stake by September 2002.[14]

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, the company's headcount varied considerably, often rising soon after the awarding of key contracts to the business.[15] During this era, it undertook various activities, including its involvement in various road and railway-based schemes and several major construction projects, such as The Shard and Wembley Stadium.[16]

Final years

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In July 2021, Cleveland Bridge sought further funding from Al Rushaid Group and warned 220 staff of potential redundancies. That same month, the firm was reported to be on the brink of administration as a result of contract delays and negative economic consequences that were partially attributable to COVID-19.[17][18]

Al Rushaid Group did not provide the requested resources; instead, FRP was appointed as the company's administrator and the business was put up for sale.[19][20][21] Consequently, 51 workers were made redundant in August 2021.[22] Around 25 staff continued to assist FRP, and 128 staff were furloughed under the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme pending restart of production.[23][24]

FRP was ultimately unable to secure a buyer for the business. Accordingly, on 10 September 2021, it announced the company would permanently close with the loss of a further 133 jobs.[2][25] They stated £12m would be required to fund the business to the end of 2021. The company assets were sold off in November 2021.[26][27]

Controversies

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2016 death and HSE fine

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In 2022, Cleveland Bridge & Engineering was fined £1.5 million by the Health and Safety Executive, with a further cost judgement of £29,000 against them. An inadequately secured crane access panel gave way in a 2016 fatal fall. The fine related to four breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 leading to the death. FRP Advisory stated it was unlikely the fine or costs could be paid.[28][29]

The Shard

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In 2013, Cleveland Bridge was ordered to pay Severfield-Rowen plc £824,478 compensation for delays to their subcontracted work on The Shard. The judge accepted there was a very high incidence of poor workmanship in the steelwork Cleveland Bridge delivered. Cleveland Bridge's own internal correspondence highlighted an extraordinary work overload in 2010, and Judge Akenhead concluded it had taken on more work than it had capacity.[30][31]

Wembley Stadium

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In 2002, the company won a £60 million steelwork contract for the bowl of New Wembley Stadium.[14] Part way through construction, relationships between main contractor Multiplex and Cleveland Bridge broke down. Multiplex stripped Cleveland Bridge of their erection role, handing it to roof steelwork contractor Hollandia. Two hundred of Cleveland Bridge's on site erection staff and subcontractors transferred to Hollandia and were sacked after going on strike. The situation escalated when Cleveland Bridge unilaterally repudiated its remaining stadium fabrication contract.[32][33][34][35]

Both sides blamed each other for extra costs; delays; poor workmanship; missing or incorrect steelwork; damaged, missing or incorrect paintwork; chaotic record-keeping; and the near site stock yards. Litigation ensued and Cleveland Bridge was ultimately ordered to pay Multiplex £6,154,246.79 in respect of net earlier overpayments; breach of contract, and interest. Cleveland Bridge was also ordered to pay 20% of Multiplex's legal costs.[36][33] It was claimed, in evidence, that some Wembley steelwork had been fabricated in China for Cleveland Bridge and that it had been diverted to the Beijing National Stadium.[33]

Mr Justice Jackson's 2008 judgement in the Technology and Construction Court was highly critical of both parties unwillingness to settle earlier in such an expensive case where the core evidence extended to over 500 lever arch files, and photocopying costs alone were £1 million. He highlighted the large number of items at dispute where the sums involved were substantially exceeded by the legal costs involved in resolving them.[33]

Notable bridges

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Bridge Location Year Total length Image Ref
ft m
Ramsey Harbour Swing Bridge Isle of Man 1892 420 130
 
 [37]
Victoria Falls Bridge Zim­babwe 1905 650 200
 
 [38]
Waibadu / Garden Bridge Shanghai 1906 344 105
 
 [4]
King Edward VII Bridge New­castle 1906 1,151 351
 
 [39]
Blue Nile Road and Railway Bridge Sudan 1909 1,837 560 [40]
Victoria Bridge Hamilton 1910 500 150
 
 [41]
Tees Trans­porter Bridge Middle­sbrough 1911 851 259
 
 [42]
Goz Abu Goma Bridge Sudan 1911 1,759 536
 
 [43]
Trent Bridge widening Nott­ingham 1926 300 91
 
 [44]
Chiswick Bridge London 1933 606 185
 
 [45]
Verrugas Bridge Peru 1936 574 175
 
 [46]
Howrah Bridge India 1942 2,313 705
 
 [47]
Spit Bridge Sydney 1958 745 227
 
 [48]
Auckland Harbour Bridge Auckland 1959 3,350 1,020
 
 [49]
Tamar Bridge Saltash – Plymouth 1959 1,099 335
 
 [50]
Forth Road Bridge
(ACD) 		Scotland 1964 8,241 2,512
 
 [51]
Severn Bridge
(ABB) 		UK 1966 5,249 1,600
 
 [52]
Wye Bridge UK 1968 1,340 410
 
 [52]
Bos­phorus Bridge Turkey 1973 1,560 480
 
 [53]
Rio–Niterói Bridge Brazil 1974 43,602 13,290
 
 [54]
Balla­chulish Bridge Scotland 1974 964 294
 
 [55]
Humber Bridge Hessle 1981 7,300 2,200
 
 [56]
Kessock Bridge Inver­ness 1982 3,465 1,056
 
 [57]
Queen Elizabeth II Bridge London 1991 9,423 2,872
 
 [58]
Tsing Ma Bridge Hong Kong 1997 4,518 1,377
 
 [59]
Jiangyin Yangtze River Bridge Jiangsu 1999 4,544 1,385
 
 [60]
New Carquinez Bridge San Fran­cisco 2003 3,465 1,056
 
 [61]
Rio–Antirrio Bridge Gulf of Corinth 2004 9,450 2,880
 
 [62]
Wembley Stadium Arch London 2005 1,033 315
 
 [63]
Infinity Bridge Stockton on Tees 2009 787 240
 
 [64]
Twin Sails Bridge Poole 2012 456 139
 
 [65]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d History, Cleveland Bridge Ltd, archived from the original on 31 January 2009
  2. ^ a b c Morby, Aaron (10 September 2021). "Cleveland Bridge to close as hunt for buyer fails". Construction Enquirer. Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "CBEME Profile" (PDF). Cleveland Bridge CBEME. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b Ellison, M.H. (27 May 2003). "Wayback Machine – Newcastle University – A to Z Cleveland Bridge Structures". Archived from the original on 27 May 2003. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Co – Graces Guide". Graces Guide. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  6. ^ O'Driscoll, Dick. 100 Years of Cementation (PDF). Skanska. p. 45. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  7. ^ Leatherdale, Duncan (3 October 2015). "Dorman Long: The Teesside firm that bridged the world". BBC News.
  8. ^ Harrison, Michael (14 October 1998). "Kvaerner ousts chief as debt pile grows". The Independent.
  9. ^ Macalister, Terry (14 April 1999). "Kvaerner to sell off top British bridge-builder". The Guardian.
  10. ^ Mylius, Andrew (15 April 1999). "Kvaerner sells Cleveland Bridge". New Civil Engineer.
  11. ^ Hayward, David (22 April 1999). "Sale looms for Cleveland Bridge as Government refuses aid". New Civil Engineer.
  12. ^ Cleveland Group Receives Substantial Investment from Al Rushaid, clevelandbridge.com, 21 September 2000, archived from the original on 27 September 2001
  13. ^ "Cleveland Bridge buy-out". bridgeweb.com. 5 July 2000.
  14. ^ a b Buying into Success – Al Rushaid Investment Group Increases Stake in Cleveland Bridge Group, clevelandbridge.com, September 2002, archived from the original on 21 November 2003
  15. ^ "Cleveland Bridge wins Forth Bridge contract". BBC News. 17 December 2012.
  16. ^ Rogers, Dave (9 September 2021). "Cleveland Bridge set to end nearly 150 years of business and close later this month". building.co.uk.
  17. ^ Morby, Aaron (22 July 2021). "Cleveland Bridge heads for administration". Construction Enquirer. Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  18. ^ "Cleveland Bridge on brink of collapse". The Construction Index. 22 July 2021. Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  19. ^ Morby, Aaron (22 July 2021). "Administrator puts Cleveland Bridge up for sale". Construction Enquirer. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  20. ^ "'Flagbearer' Cleveland Bridge put up for sale". The Construction Index. 23 July 2021. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  21. ^ "Saudi-owned Cleveland Bridge up for sale as Covid crisis bites". tradearabia.com. 25 July 2021.
  22. ^ Thomas-Alexander, Tiya. "Cleveland Bridge staff angry as a quarter are made redundant". Construction News. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  23. ^ Morby, Aaron (4 August 2021). "53 jobs axed at Cleveland Bridge". Construction Enquirer. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  24. ^ Clark, Tim (22 July 2021). "Cleveland Bridge: Six iconic projects the steel specialist has worked on". New Civil Engineer.
  25. ^ "Cleveland Bridge: Covid and political coup caused firm's failure". BBC News. 15 September 2021.
  26. ^ Kennedy, Poppy (4 October 2021). "Cleveland Bridge equipment and assets to be auctioned off as iconic company disappears into history". Teesside Live. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  27. ^ "New owner reveals future of huge Darlington Cleveland Bridge factory". The Northern Echo. 9 September 2022.
  28. ^ STEIN, JOSHUA (1 March 2022). "Defunct Cleveland Bridge fined £1.5m for electrician death". constructionnews.co.uk.
  29. ^ "Cleveland Bridge death: £1.5m Keith Poppleton fine unlikely to be paid". BBC News. 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  30. ^ "Thirsk firm wins £800,000 from rival". Darlington and Stockton Times. 9 January 2013. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  31. ^ "FOR A SUCCESSFUL DELAY CLAIM – ACTUAL PROOF OF DELAY IS NEEDED – NOT MERELY INFERENCE". bdasweb.com. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  32. ^ "Multiplex Constructions (UK) Limited versus Cleveland Bridge UK Limited and Anor". Case Mine. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  33. ^ a b c d "Multiplex Constructions (UK) Ltd v Cleveland Bridge UK Ltd & Anor [2008] EWHC 2220 (TCC)", bailii.org, British and Irish Legal Information Institute, 29 September 2008, archived from the original on 24 November 2021, retrieved 16 April 2012
  34. ^ Sacked workers in Wembley protest, BBC News, 1 September 2004, archived from the original on 2 June 2022, retrieved 16 April 2012
  35. ^ Picket over sacked Wembley staff, BBC News, 23 August 2004
  36. ^ "Multiplex wins up to £8M in Wembley case". New Civil Engineer. 29 September 2008. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  37. ^ "Ramsey Harbour Swing Bridge". Engineering Timelines. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  38. ^ Victoria Falls Bridge at Structurae
  39. ^ Morton, David (7 July 2016). "The Tyne's King Edward VII railway bridge at 110: A brief history in 14 historic facts". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle upon Tyne. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  40. ^ "Blue Nile Road and Railway Bridge". Structurae database. Archived from the original on 1 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  41. ^ "Victoria Bridge". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  42. ^ "Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge". Engineering Timelines. Archived from the original on 16 October 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  43. ^ The Development of the Sudan. The Engineer. 19 March 2015. p. 271. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  44. ^ Labrum, E. A. (1993). Civil engineering heritage, eastern and central England. Thomas Telford. ISBN 978-0727719706.
  45. ^ Cookson, Brian (2006), Crossing the River, Edinburgh: Mainstream, p. 66, ISBN 1-84018-976-2, OCLC 63400905
  46. ^ "Centenary of the Opening of Desamparados Station" (PDF). Travel Centre. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  47. ^ Ghoshal, Amitabha (1 August 2020). "Howrah Bridge: icon of a 330-year-old city in India – part I: history, planning and design". Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Engineering History and Heritage. 173 (3). Engineering History and Heritage: 117–128. doi:10.1680/jenhh.19.00017. S2CID 203540649. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  48. ^ "Model of Spit Bridge in Sydney". Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  49. ^ Engineering to 1990. Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand, Engineering Publications Co. p. 11.
  50. ^ Brown, A. J. (2007). The Tamar Bridge (PDF) (Report). University of Bath. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  51. ^ "Forth Road Bridge". The Three Bridges. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  52. ^ a b "M4 River Severn Crossings". The Motorway Archive. Archived from the original on 8 October 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2007.
  53. ^ "The First Necklace of the Bosphorus '15 July Martyrs Bridge'". Railly News. 9 November 2020. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  54. ^ "Heritage project reveals unique Rio bridge pics". Teesside University. 13 June 2014. Archived from the original on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  55. ^ "Ballachulish Bridge". Canmore. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  56. ^ "Cleveland Bridge wins major contract to refurbish Humber Bridge". Gazette Live. 12 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  57. ^ "Kessock Bridge opens in 1982". Inverness Courier. 30 October 2017. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  58. ^ "Queen Elizabeth II Bridge". Engineering Timelines. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  59. ^ Wallis, Keith (25 October 1994). "Tsing Ma milestone reached". South China Morning Post. p. 4.
  60. ^ "Jiangyin Yangtze River Bridge". Structurae. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  61. ^ "Cleveland Bridge nets US suspension bridge". New Civil Engineer. 20 January 2000. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  62. ^ "Rion-Antirion Bridge". Structurae. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  63. ^ McAteer, Owen (30 September 2008). "Both sides claim victory as judge rules on Wembley row". The Northern Echo. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  64. ^ "Cleveland Bridge: The British bridges built by innovation". Scottish Construction Now. 16 April 2021. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  65. ^ "Echo visits North East workers making our bridge". Bournemouth Echo. 19 January 2011. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
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