What appears like massive goal posts were supplied and erected by Caunton Engineering for the country’s best supported rugby club, Leicester Tigers, last week. This will form the support framework or skeleton for the roof of the new North Stand at Welford Road.

The span was 104 metres and the height 35 metres, enclosing an area equivalent to the area enclosed by over 200 sets of football goal posts. The main span member, a 104 metre long King Truss, was erected last Wednesday the 28th January, to be seated on two 23 metre high support pylons. These pylons were delivered each in one piece and erected earlier in the week. The King Truss, weighing over 250 tonnes and over 12 metres deep, was delivered in separate pieces and then assembled and welded up on site by the Caunton welding team. It then required two enormous 1000te cranes to lift it.

The first lifting shackle was bolted onto the truss at 7.30am and the last one removed after erection was complete at 10.45pm. Quite a day, everything went according to plan and Caunton were grateful the winter wind didn’t blow – for once! Not only did the Caunton team have to erect the truss but had to tie it in and brace it to the main structure, and over forty pieces of steelwork were required on the day.

The whole Caunton team can be pleased with a job well done. Certainly looks like that from the photograph of Mick Benfield (2nd right) welding team leader and his team. Mick has just collected his 30 years Long Service Award with Caunton and says in all those years he had never worked on such a massive structure before.
The Leicester Tigers North Stand is well on its way!