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Ainscough Crane Hire’s Heavy Cranes Division have successfully completed a contract lift for building and civil engineering company McLaughlin & Harvey, installing a new footbridge over the Water of Leith in the shadow of Murrayfield stadium in Edinburgh.
The Baird footbridge forms part of the £13 million, one km long flood defence programme, at the Water of Leith in the Scottish capital. The defences include new structural walls, embankments, flood gates, pumping stations and drainage systems.
Other works include upgrades to landscaping and reinstatement of footpaths along the waterway that stretches from the town of Balerno, eight miles south-west of the city, to Leith on the Firth of Forth.
The bridge was constructed from a series of 17 meter long, pre-cast concrete beams and form a six meter wide footbridge across the river. The beams reach from each bank to a central pier to form the continuous walkway.
Access to the site for the Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 was restricted and meant that the crane had to be reversed along a narrow 300 meter long residential street to reach the lift pad. Further slewing restrictions were also in operation due to the proximity of local houses.
Contract lift manager, Russell Staward said: “The real challenge here was contending with where to position the crane. Reversing the crane along the residential street was a challenge but the skill of our operators came to the fore and we were able to position the crane exactly where it was required.
“Thanks to the skill and commitment of the team on the ground, we were able to deliver once again for our customer.”
Jason Wylie, site engineer at McLaughlin & Harvey added: “From the very first stages of planning through to the lifts being delivered, the Ainscough team have been very professional and have provided first class service to us.”
