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Ainscough Crane Hire’s Leeds depot recently worked with SH Structures as part of the leading steel construction firm’s work lifting a new footbridge into place on the M20 in Kent.
In August 2016 the East Street footbridge over the M20 near Addington was struck by a lorry causing it to collapse.
Main contractor Osborne secured the contract to provide a new footbridge and access ramps. In order to lift the new structures into place, SH Structures enlisted two of Ainscough’s 500t cranes. The footbridge comprised two separate components, one 33.6m in length and the other 35m.
Both cranes were on maximum 165t ballast with a main boom of 47.3m working on a maximum installation of 18 metres and maximum load of 34.3t.
The operation involved the full closure of the M20. The bridge platform weighed over 53t in total and was transported to the site in two pieces and joined together in the air before being lifted into place together by the two cranes. The work was completed efficiently, with the motorway able to open nine hours ahead of schedule.
Laura Thompson, area sales manager for Ainscough’s Leeds depot said: “It’s always a pleasure to work with SH Structures and to assist their brilliant work installing new infrastructure across the country. It was great to see our cranes play an important role in allowing the operation to be completed and the M20 to reopen early.”
Robert Binks, project manager, SH Structures said: “This was a complex lift to complete but when hiring from Ainscough you know you will be using reliable and safe cranes. The two 500t cranes were just that and were important in enabling us to complete the operation safely.”
