Month: September 2022

C. Jackson & Sons Attend to Structural Damage Following Explosion and Fire at Redwood Grove, Bedford

Emergency services were called out to an explosion and fire on Redwood Grove in Bedford at around 9.10am on Monday 4 July.

A three-storey block of flats was significantly damaged in the fire, which also caused a large section of the roof to collapse.

C. Jackson & Sons were approached by Bedfordshire Police to work alongside structural engineers, and forensic investigators.

Initially our work involved making the building safe to facilitate access for the Police & Fire forensic teams, whilst preserving the scene:

• Loose hanging fire damaged debris was removed from external elevations using MEWP access
• Temporary propping was installed to specified ground and first floor flats
• Independent scaffold was erected on the second floor to remove unsafe free standing internal corridor walls
• The blast damaged external wall was demolished by hand from the outside using MEWP access
• Walls  were demolished into controlled drop zones
• The blast caused the 2nd floor beam and block floor to collapse, resulting in the inner leaf of the cavity wall to be unsupported. We carefully removed the beams using our telehandler, and infilled “gaps” with brickwork to support the inner leaf of the cavity wall

Once the building was deemed safe by the structural engineer, Police & Fire forensic teams could continue their detailed examination of the scene.

Using our 5 tonne excavator fitted with bucket and grapple attachment, we assisted the Police & Fire services to methodically  “sift through” debris at the site of the blast.

C. Jackson & Sons worked in close conjunction with the Police Force & Fire Service throughout the two month investigation.