News: Eadon awarded work at Bristol's historic floating harbour

Rotherham-based Eadon Consulting is carrying out further design work in Bristol as part of the £11m City Docks Capital Project.

Following their work on Junction Lock Swing Bridge at Bristol Docks, Eadon have designed new Ekki timber lock gates to replace those at Netham Lock on the Feeder Canal. The Feeder Canal is the inland link between the River Avon and Bristol's famous floating harbour which dates back to 1809.


Netham Lock and the weir also form an important part of Bristol's flood defence mechanisms. It marks the end of the Feeder Canal and the lock gates ensure that extreme high spring tides that come over Netham weir do not enter the city and that flood water from the River Avon are diverted over the weir.

The gates have been designed for main contractors, BAM Nuttall and due to the more onerous rules on the use of timber, the new gates have had to be strengthened compared to the old gates.

A lack of drawings for the existing lock gates necessitated a diver survey to try and establish the correct dimensions for the new gates as accurately as possible however final sizing of the gates will take place once the old gates have been removed.

Eadon also carried out a feasibility study on the gates to establish the most economical and practical way of future mechanisation.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park, Eadon Consulting has experience of designing waterway control structures, lock gates, moving bridges and other bespoke mechanical, electrical and hydraulic equipment for canal and river networks in the UK and abroad.

Eadon has recently appointed a new mechanical engineer as they look to secure further contracts in the nuclear sector. William Birdsall joins Eadon from Babcock International Group, where he was responsible for the design and supply of remotely operated equipment for inspecting nuclear reactor channel bores for the advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) fleet.

Will was also the Lead Engineer on a design study for dismantling the magnox nuclear reactor at Tokai Nuclear Power Station in Japan. Other major projects Will has worked on include the concept design of nuclear fuel handling machines and remote intervention machines.

Eadon Consulting website
BAM Nuttall website

Images: BAM Nuttall