WORK to save Egypt’s oldest pyramid with a view to open it up to the public is now under way thanks to a Newport engineering company.

Four engineers who work for Cintec, based at Goldtops, are on site in Cairo preparing to reinforce the central burial chamber of the Pyramid of Djoser, which was damaged by an earthquake in 1992.

Working in 35 degree heat the men will spend around three months making the structure, which is at threat of collapse, safe by strengthening it from the inside using steel anchors.

The team will drill into the delicate limestone bricks, using water and air filled bags to support the ceiling making it safe for them to work.

They will then insert the anchors, which are surrounded by a fabric stock and filled with grout to bond it to inside of the chamber walls.

Once completed it is hoped the 27th century BC Step Pyramid, as it is also known, which was built for Pharaoh Djoser by the architect Inhoptep, will be opened up for public viewing.

Despite the complexity of the project and the dangers involved in working in the unstable structure, Cintec’s managing director Peter James is confident his team are the right men for the job, having already worked on Giza’s Red Pyramid as well as hundreds of other high profile sites cross the world including Windsor Castle and The White House complex in Washington DC.

He said: “It’s very delicate work, it’s always a white knuckle ride when you work abroad. But we eat, sleep and drink it.”

Starting work on the project comes after four years of talks with the Egyptians, who came up with various plans to do the work themselves before asking Cintec to come up with a solution.

Mr James, who will be back and forth to the country to oversee the work, was last week joined by Dr Zahi Hawass Egypt’s minister for antiquities to stopped by to check on the progress of the £1.8 million project.

BLOB Visit southwalesargus.co.uk to see a video of similar work completed by Cintec's at the Red Pyramid in Giza.