Collett Heavy Lift Team relied on Enerpac JS125 jacking system to extract a 20 tonne gantry crane from its Halifax Mile Thorn warehouse. With the decision to upgrade to a higher capacity gantry, the old school Butler 15 Tonne capacity gantry crane needed to be removed from the facility. But, with limited clearance space above the crane, and with a central gas pipeline running across the length of the warehouse, mobile cranes didn’t provide a feasible option.
This multi-point lifting system features a 125 Tonne capacity per tower, synchronously lifting loads by utilising the sliding and stacking barrels to form the lifting towers. Featuring self-contained hydraulics in each jack-up unit, the JS125 is ideal for more restricted environments where operating space is at a premium. By stacking the lifting barrels together to mechanically hold the load, each unit’s lifting and lowering operations occur simultaneously maintaining the balance of the load.
Fitted with a bespoke turntable to allow the team to shift the orientation of the crane 180 degrees, Collett began the task of erecting the JS125 to a height of 6 metres in order to access the vintage crane. Once at the optimum height, the antique Butler was then raised 100mm from its position. Not a simple task of lifting and turning, the crane then had to be shunted in 150mm steps in order to avoid the central gas pipeline and the surrounding roof structure. Once clear of obstructions, the Heavy Lift Team slowly turned the structure 180 degrees allowing for the 20 Tonne Butler gantry to be gradually lowered from its position and completing the extraction operation.
