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30th May 2017

AINSCOUGH’S 500-TONNE MULTI-CRANE LIFT AT TILBURY DOCK

crane lift

A team from Ainscough’s Heavy Cranes Division has completed a complex multi-crane lift of a gantry crane for leading metal recycling company EMR at its Tilbury Dock site on the Thames estuary.

Working for specialist German engineering company Kocks Ardelt, the Ainscough team first offloaded the gantry crane components from a delivery coaster using a 750-tonne and a 500-tonne crane. They were then assembled on site using other, smaller cranes from the Ainscough fleet before the final lift of the main 285-tonne gantry boom was undertaken, raising it to some 32 metres above the quayside.

Using four 500-tonne Liebherr LTM1500-8.1 cranes, each fitted with full 165-tonne ballast and guyed main booms, and a 100-tonne crane positioning the supporting columns, the cranes installed the gantry crane as part of a series of lifts over a four week period.

The new gantry crane becomes the third operating at the site which is a key part of EMR’s logistics network through which it recycles around 10 million tonnes of scrap metal and other materials every year.

Working on an operational site, the four cranes were required as access and space constraints meant that the load needed to be divided between the four machines rather than using fewer, larger cranes. The four crane configuration was also a more economical approach for the customer.

Mario Martins, Project Engineer, who oversaw the lift on site, said: “It was a very complex situation to have four cranes lifting in unison in this way. The weeks of planning and work on site came down to the final lift and it went like clockwork.

“The overall project was a great example of how detailed planning, professional operators and the right range of machinery are combined to deliver for our customers. It was a great project to be involved with.”

Mark Reardon, MD of Kranunion UK, the parent company of Kocks Krane, added: “We chose Ainscough for this lift due to their experience and professionalism, this was a complex four point lift that needed to be completed as smoothly as possible. The lift went without a hitch and we would not hesitate to use Ainscough Crane Hire again.”

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