Dynamic Load Monitoring Ltd. (UK) - Hampshire Rigging Services used a DLM load cell to measure tension on a historical suspension bridge wire rope during refurbishment in Thames Ditton last month.

Hampshire Rigging who regularly use DLM Load cells due to their great customer service and rapid response on hire items contacted the firm in need of a 12t telemetry tensile link in order to measure the tension on the steel wire rope of an old bridge in Thames Ditton, Hampshire.

The beautiful 1939 suspension bridge located on the River Thames, leads across to an inhabited island in the middle of the river adjacent to Hampton Court Palace where Henry VIII once lived. The once wooden bridge first opened in 1753 and had a toll collected by a bridge-keeper. It has since been replaced three times to the existing suspension bridge we see today.

Due to general wear of the bridge it was decided that the wire ropes would be replaced and the bridge would be refurbished. One of DLM’s TL-2.0 12t Telemetry Tensile Links will be rigged in line at the base of the bridge and will be used to measure the applied tension during replacement of the wire rope. The load values can be seen on a wireless hand held display up to 200m from the load cell allowing the operator to be mobile while still monitoring tension.

Martin Halford, Managing Director at Dynamic Load Monitoring commented: ‘Using a Tensile Link Load Cell to measure the tension in a wire rope is something our load cells have been used for many times, but it is fantastic to see one of our TL-2.0 Tensile Links in use on such a structure steeped in history. The refurbishment work being undertaken by Hampshire Rigging is very innovative in its approach and has allowed for the bridge to remain open to the public through the work, a testament to their expertise’.