Reinforcing the piers that support a major UK rail viaduct spanning a river estuary is no easy task, which is exactly why the specialist marine subcontractor appointed to undertake this project approached Hoist & Winch Ltd for the optimal lifting solution.
The brief provided to Hoist & Winch was for the supply of a turnkey lifting solution comprising two sets of four hoist units suitable for a marine environment. These hoists were to be suspended from temporary scaffold structures fixed to two separate motorised floating pontoons. As part of an innovative approach to a complex challenge, the hoist-mounted pontoons would serve to locate special horseshoe-shaped reinforcing concrete collars either side of one of the bridge piers at high tide, prior to joining the collar halves together above the water with connection pins. Finally, the collar halves would require lowering to the river estuary bed for permanent fixing to the piers with concrete at low tide, thus providing the necessary reinforcement.
To establish the optimal package of hire equipment, as well as site installation, load testing and additional technical support services, Hoist & Winch consulted extensively with both the motorised pontoon designers and installation personnel responsible for lowering the special concrete collars into position.
Hoist & Winch subsequently proposed eight JDN top-hook suspension air-powered hoists. Each of these 3t SWL (safe working load) hoists featured its own heavy-duty steel lubricator coupled with appropriately sized air supply hoses. The two sets of four hoist units would be operated from their own individually connected, heavy-duty (brass) two-button pendant control.
Both the specialist marine subcontractor and end client were extremely pleased with the final outcome, which saw the successful installation of two sets of trial pier-reinforcing concrete collars to the viaduct as part of a safe and controlled process.
Comments are closed.