Bridge abutment construction on a forest site
The images are courtesy of Michael Lawrence of Bankfoot whose grandfather, Sandy Rose, was Forester and Head Forester at Ledmore Forest Nursery from Nov 1949 (when land was acquired) until his retirement in 1969. In 1966 the nearby Strathord Forest was brought under his charge.
An action shot of cement pouring into the shuttered form for the second bridge abutment. One of the trades commonly employed by the Forestry Commission was the shuttering joiner. Once the ground and rubble of the crossing point had been cleared down to clean bed rock and the bridge drawings completed the joiners started their work. Using the timber boards as seen on the site they erected a form and stabilised it with various props and supports. If the abutments were very deep the forms would be taken down once the first pours had hardened and moved up to the next height. The aim was to get a smooth neat finish. Fillets of wood were fitted in for chamfered edges, pipes for drainage, reinforcing metal for joint strength and so on.
There is no sign of a vibrating poker to solidify the poured cement and possibly the waders with cement marks up to the ankles are being used instead! Again can anyone identify the site and the man?
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