Birling Gap is part of the world famous Seven Sisters chalk cliffs, one of the largest stretches of undeveloped coastline on the south coast of England. The steps provide a point of entry to the beach and seaside walks along the Seven Sisters, and as such have played a very important part in maintaining public accessibility.
Because of erosion of the chalk cliffs, the steps have had to be repositioned multiple times.
Monson Engineering was involved in the relocation of the Birling Gap Steps in 2017, and have taken part in annual condition survey inspections in recent years.
The erosion along the chalk cliff had increased steadily since 2009, accelerating sharply up to 2017, when a decision was made to relocate the structure. By then, the corrosion of the steelwork structure was also significant, and considerations had to be given as to the removal, repairs, galvanizing and re-installation of the structure. Monson was involved in the liaison with the relevant local Authorities throughout the entire process.
The Figure below shows the cliff face retreat, recorded during our annual inspections:
The pictures below show the dismantling and craneage of the steel frame offsite, the installation of a new piled base and the re-erection of the steel steps directly against the cliff face:
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