ENGINEERING CASE FILE • RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE
GRP access shaped to a demanding embankment
A 34-metre staircase, landings and connecting walkway configured around steep, uneven terrain at Glendouglas.
Project overview
This case study draws on established group project experience at Glendouglas in Scotland, where QTS Group required a dependable route across a difficult rail-side embankment. The existing timber access, split by a gravel path, had become dangerously slippery and no longer provided the confidence needed for routine use.
- Location: Glendouglas, Scotland
- Project: QTS Group rail infrastructure works
- System: GRP stairs, mesh landings, structural profiles, handrail, safety gates and connecting walkway
- Route: approximately 34 metres with a 9.6-metre descent
The access challenge
The upper section followed a gentler gradient before the route changed direction by 45 degrees. The steeper lower section then required four further changes of direction. Every landing and flight had to respond to the actual ground profile while creating a clear, continuous route. A grating walkway also replaced the gravel link between the two stair sections.
The installed solution
- GRP stair flights arranged to follow the changing gradient and direction of the embankment.
- Mesh-grating landings providing drainage and dependable underfoot grip.
- GRP handrail and guarding configured around every change of level.
- Safety gates positioned at controlled access points.
- A connecting GRP walkway replacing the loose gravel section.
Project outcome
The finished route provided a coherent, corrosion-resistant access system across terrain that could not be addressed with a simple standard staircase. The project shows why accurate survey information, modular detailing and installation-aware design matter when GRP access must follow the site rather than force the site to fit the product.
Technical assurance
Project-specific dimensions, loads, foundations, interfaces and compliance requirements should always be confirmed before ordering. Use the GRP Express guidance routes below to develop an appropriate specification for your own site.