Amrose Associates was appointed as Temporary Works Designer to develop a bespoke ladder beam support arrangement for lifting and access operations at height at the Saudi Aramco Al-Jubayl Refinery.

The challenge

The permanent structure didn’t provide suitable attachment points or safe access for the planned lifting works. A temporary solution was needed that could support rigging loads, manage working-at-height risks and remain stable in a harsh industrial environment exposed to wind and dynamic forces.

This meant designing a system that could operate safely while:

  • Supporting lifting operations without overstressing the existing structure, ensuring controlled load paths and defined limits for safe use.
  • Managing significant environmental loads including coastal wind exposure and dynamic forces from mechanical lifting equipment.
  • Reducing risk during installation, use and dismantling, particularly where operatives were working at height adjacent to a chimney.

Our approach

Amrose Associates developed a scaffold-based ladder beam support frame braced against the existing chimney structure, creating a stable and controlled support system for lifting and rigging activities.

The design focused on delivering a solution that was structurally robust and buildable on site. This included:

  • A fully detailed support frame designed around the existing chimney geometry, with defined bracing and stability requirements.
  • Clear load limits, inspection procedures and permit-to-load controls to ensure safe operation.
  • Consideration of wind loading and dynamic lifting effects, alongside clearly defined residual risk management measures.

By addressing working-at-height risks through engineered design solutions the system helped improve safety and operational confidence.

The outcome

The result was a safe, robust and fully auditable temporary works solution that allowed lifting and access operations to be carried out with confidence in a complex refinery environment.

The standards we were working to included BS EN 12811-1, TG20:21, BS EN 1991-1-4, BS 5975-2:2024

Projects like this highlight the importance of well-integrated temporary works design where structural performance, construction practicality and safety management must work together from the outset.

If you’re planning complex lifting operations or working-at-height activities, early temporary works input can make a significant difference to safety, programme certainty and risk management.

For an expert approach to quality temporary works design and delivery contact Amrose Associates on 0113 418 0694