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ECR are proud to announce the acquisition of Heavy Duty Modular/Self-Propelled Trailers. These Trailers are supplied by the German Manufacturer, Goldhofer and are available for hire.

 

Feb 2009, ECR were contracted by Leighton Contractors to undertake the Heavy Lift and Shift package on the $92 million upgrade of the Mt Stuart Power Station, Townsville, which involved the task of transporting and installation of a 210 tonne Gas Turbine and 190 tonne Generator.

All components were transhipped from the heavy lift ship berth at  Townsville wharves to the Mt Stuart site, were ECR utilised their 450 tonne Lift N Lock system to off load the components.

ECR commitment to offering a Total Heavy Lift package had identified and provided solutions to all the on-site restrictions that were to prevent this from being a “normal lifting operation”.  Some of these restrictions were, limited work area, low ground compaction, and the orientation of receiving components to their hold down plinths.

ECR ingenious intervention was to receive the components and then mechanically turn them 90 degrees so they could  be lifted and skated into position.  To be able to do this, ECR has designed what seems to be the first mechanical turntable available in Australia, rated for 300 tonne.

Called the “HOT D” (Hydraulically Operated Turning Device), weighs 11tonne when fully complete, can be easily transported and assembled. The “HOT D” is mounted on a base plate of 14 sq metres which displaces a low bearing pressure and providing a stable platform.

The Gas Turbine and Generator were off loaded, placed on the turntable, rotated 90 degrees, then lifted and skated into their final position. Once installed, commissioned and online, this will increase the Power Station generating  output from  288 megawatts up to 414 megawatts.

ECR thanks Leighton contractors and Origin for their valuable assistance and partnership during this project.

The equipment utilised on this project comprised of...

Transport 16 axle Trailer 13 axle Trailer 6 axle Trailer Shifting 300 tonne Skate System

Lifting 450 tonne Lift N Lock system 4 x 200 tonne jacks 220 tonne Tadano All-terrain crane 20 tonne Franna Turning 300 tonne hydraulic turntable

 

In February 2008 Gladstone-based Eagle Cranes & Rigging (ECR) took delivery of a 450t capacity Lift-N-Lock gantry lifting system. This, along with ECR’s skid skate system, provides an alternative to conventional all terrain and crawler cranes in situations where space is limited, or the lift would be overly complex and expensive using cranes.

A feature of the Lift-N-Lock gantry system is its cam locking system which immediately locks the load in place in the event of a loss of hydraulic pressure in the lift rams.

This system was put to work in September when ECR installed a 150t mill shell (17m long x 5.3m diameter) at Queensland Cement’s Gladstone plant. The lift system was chosen in preference to a crane because there was limited space available, and steelwork was being erected around the foundation plinths that the mill would rest on. By using the gantry system, other contractors were able to continue with their steel erection.

The scope of the project was to lift the mill shell from a 9-axle self propelled modular transport (SPMT), move it 24m and place it on trunnions. Accurate placement was required, and ECR used Lift N Lock’s Responsive Optical Line Enhancer (R.O.L.E) in conjunction with the hydraulics of the gantry. The move was complicated by the need to support the tracks along which the gantry moved on different levels of concrete.

The project required 2 months of planning, while the lift itself required 6 hours for set-up; 4 hours to lift, move and place the mill shell; and 4 hours to disassemble the system and load it for transport. The system is transported on 4 standard semi trailers, and required only a Franna to put it together.
ECR’s scope of work also required it to use the gantry to handle the mill shell when it was offloaded from a ship and stored in the stevedores’s yard; load it onto a 14-axle modular transport for transport by road to site 6 weeks later; and tranship it to the SPMT on site, as restricted access would not allow the road trailer to be used on site.

The combination of careful planning, engineered lift studies and experienced operators allowed the project to proceed without a hitch.

ECR is quickly establishing a reputation with its lifting system and plans to take it anywhere in the country, if the application is right. ECR thanks Downer Engineering and Cement Australia for their valuable assistance and partnership during this project.

The equipment utilised on this project comprised of...

Transport 14 axle Trailer 9 axle Self Propelled Trailer

Lifting 450 tonne Lift N Lock System 90 tonne Liebherr All-terrain Crane 20 tonne Franna

 

ECR now have a competitive edge with the acquisition of a 450t lift and lock system.

As of February 2008, Eagle Cranes & Rigging are introducing for hire, a ‘lift and shift package’. Imported from the United States, this cost effective alternative to standard heavy lift cranes will afford safety and the ease of mobility in constricted areas where other traditional methods of mobile and crawler cranes would encounter a more substantial risk and cost. 

Transportation of the ‘lift n lock’ system requires a maximum of 3 semi trailers. Comprising of four telescopic posts, each with its own travel capabilities, the lift and lock system allows for mobilisation around any existing structures and requires only a firm/level foundation base and a pick and carry crane for assembly. Attaching the load is accomplished by utilising the slings, suspended from the overhead lifting beams and by employing the telescopic jack; the load is raised and locked in for movement. ECR’s lift and lock system can safely navigate loads of up to 450t, to their preferred destinations.

With their increased height capabilities and ultimate safety features, this ‘project-friendly’ system involves considerably less effort than mobile or overhead cranes and can perform many of the same tasks. Gantries can also work in confined spaces and low overhead areas while remaining mobile and are easily transportable. The main safety feature is an exclusive LIFT-N-LOCK® cam locking system, that provides true continual load protection throughout the duration of the lift. In the unlikely event a lift cylinder would lose pressure or otherwise fail, our system will immediately engage to hold the load in place.

Designed particularly for admission within constrictive work environments where large cranes are restricted, the ‘lift n lock’ system along with Eagle Cranes Rigging’s skid skate system provides an ideal alternative concept to all situations.

Complimenting Eagle Cranes & Rigging’s extensive range of lifting solutions, it provides an easier, safer and more cost efficient option to any industrial or commercial requirements.

For more information on the ‘Lift-N-Lock’ system, visit: http://www.jrengco.com

 

(Extract from ConstructionIndustryNews.net)

EAGLE Cranes and Rigging was recently awarded the Major Lift of the Year honour at the 2006 Crane Industry Council of Australia conference for its project to replace a 110-tonne kiln tyre at Cement Australia's plant at Fishermans Landing in Gladstone for ThyssenKrupp Engineering (Australia).

The company was required to install the 3.5m long and 4.5m in diameter kiln tyre directly under a duct that could not be removed; however, the project was further complicated by a shutdown happening at the plant at the same time.

The shutdown restricted the space available to set up cranes as an access way had to be kept open at all times.

The lift was also complicated because there was only 6m of headroom in the area to install the kiln tyre.

A self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT) was used to carry the new kiln tyre to the lift site in the vertical position, because of the head height restrictions.

The kiln tyre was initially lifted off the SPMT and onto a stand using a 100t Liebherr LTM1100 mobile crane and a 280t Liebherr LR1280 crawler crane, and then rotated into the horizontal position and placed in a stand the day before being installed, to reduce the number of operations required for the main lift.

A turning beam was fabricated for the turning operation. This had lifting lugs at either end and fitted to the inside of the tyre, parallel to its axis.

The LR1280 initially hooked onto the lifting lug at the top of the turning beam while the LTM1100 hooked onto a lifting lug welded on the opposite side of the tyre. The LR1280 jibbed up until it held the weight of the tyre, and then the slings from the LTM1100 were unhooked and reattached to the lugs at the bottom end of the turning beam. The LTM1100 then jibbed up until the tyre was level, and then the tyre was placed on stands.

Lifting lugs were welded onto the old kiln tyre, along with a deflection bar on one side. The LR1280 hooked onto the main lugs while a 220t LTM1220 mobile crane hooked on under the deflection bar. There was only 100mm clearance at one end of the tyre and 20mm at the other end, so precise control was required.

The LR1280 jibbed up while the LTM1220 jibbed down. This rolled the tyre and the deflection bar pushed the slings away from the body of the tyre as it rotated, allowing the tyre to rotate to a point where the LR1280 took up the full weight, and the LTM1220 unhooked. A lateral movement of 800mm was required to allow the LR1280 to take up the full weight.

The larger crane travelled backwards 12m with the tyre, until it had sufficient clearance to slew and place the tyre on a stand. There was only a metre of clearance between the load and the building during the slew.

The installation of the new kiln tyre was a reverse of the removal of the old unit. The lugs on the new unit were welded at an angle to facilitate the 300mm fall in the kiln tyre's installed position.

The lifting on the second day took 5.5 hours, commencing at 5am, and all work was carried out without incident well within the allowed time.