PLS Leads Major Crane Lift in Sheffield

Professional Lifting Services Ltd (PLS) is carrying out a major lifting operation at Sheffield’s tallest single-storey building, the 40-metre-high West Heat Treatment facility at Sheffield Forgemasters’ Hawke Street site.

The complex project involves removing a rare Sir William Arroll water-powered crane, installed in 1913, by lifting it through the building’s roof before installing a new GH Cranes unit. To access the crane, contractors must dismantle a significant section of the roof and deploy a 650-tonne Liebherr L1600 crawler crane equipped with a 90-metre boom.

The operation follows more than 12 months of logistical planning to address the challenges of height, radius, and extremely confined working spaces.

Steve Marshall, Head of Engineering at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “We have worked with PLS for a number of years and they have a great deal of expertise in managing highly complex lifting operations, which few businesses could attempt. This project is by far the most complicated lifting operation we have undertaken, but essential to reinstating this dedicated facility.”

The crane replacement is a key step in re-establishing the West Heat Treatment building as a specialised workshop for vertical heat treatment of long, cylindrical forgings—critical for maintaining shape and achieving required material hardness.

Kevan Greasley, Operations Director at PLS, described the lift as “monumental,” noting the precision required to decommission the century-old crane and install a modern, high-efficiency 130-tonne capacity beam crane capable of hoisting at 34 metres per minute.

PLS is acting as principal contractor, supported by specialist partners including DWLS, Weldex, AB Roofing Solutions, Don Valley Steel Fabricators & Engineers, and Houzzlife Scaffolding. The full project is expected to take 14 weeks to complete.