On Sunday, 21st January 2024, Storm Isha hit the North of Scotland with gusts of over 60 miles an hour recorded in Elgin. This storm event caused significant damage to the wider area including one of the floodlight towers at Elgin City Football Ground which collapsed on to an adjacent building. The towers resting position was considered dangerous and posed a significant risk to building users and the wider general public. On Monday 22nd January a Dangerous Building Notice was put in place by the local authority preventing any use of the building until rectified.

As a result of this, the football ground was essentially closed to any scheduled SPFL matches. With Elgin City due to host a League 2 game against Dumbarton on the following Saturday, the clock was ticking to provide a remedial solution to reinstate the tower and full building safety.

Fairhurst Elgin attended site as soon as contacted and began structural assessments of the situation including the lighting tower itself, the condition of the base, the mode of failure and critically the building it fell against. From these assessments, Fairhurst were able to consider the most appropriate design solution to reinstate structural safety and stability which included the design of new baseplates for each of the legs of the lighting tower which could be bolted into the existing base and its fixings. These were fabricated and installed on Thursday morning and on Friday a crane was hired which lifted the tower from its collapsed position on to the original base to be bolted in position on the new baseplates.

In order to meet the Saturday deadline, Fairhurst Elgin were able to meet with the Local Authority and resolve the necessary paperwork for the Dangerous Building notice to be removed that Friday afternoon. All these works were undertaken and completed within 5 working days which allowed the upcoming matches to be confirmed as going ahead with plenty of notice. Elgin City Football club personally thanked Grant and Fairhurst for their tireless work in helping the club keep matches on programme and in reinstating public safety.

Best of luck to Elgin City Football Club for the rest of their season!

Photo credit: Elgin City FC

Stadium after the completed works:

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