Author: Paramount

JB Rawcliffe & Sons Ltd safely handled and installed the complete combined heat and power (CHP) line at Ridham Power Plant. With numerous constraints including limited room and low ground loading restrictions, extensive planning was completed which included numerous CAD designs for the access to the building for the delivery vehicles and the configuration of the lift system to take into account the difficult structure of the plinth and the orientation of the components.

Due to the limited ground bearing, JB Rawcliffe & Sons Ltd produced ground loading and reaction calculations for the lifting and traveling of the components onto their respective foundation. Along with the necessary platforms and due to the limited ground loadings JB Rawcliffe & Sons Ltd were able to provide steel and timer navy mats to reduce the calculated ground loadings to the allowable levels.

The components were delivered directly from Europe to the site, due to this during the planning stages of the project it was highlighted that the delivery vehicles would not access the site due to site restrictions and the overall size of the delivery vehicles which have to conform with European axle loadings. JB Rawcliffe & Sons Ltd as part of the project package included the transhipment from the delivery vehicles to super short all-wheel steering modular trailers for manoeuvring on site into the offloading position.

With strategic planning, this complex project was a success, completed on time and within project parameters.

JB Rawcliffe & Sons Ltd has successfully completed a two part project for the removal of a fire damaged trommel and installation of a new trommel.

The trommel 14.5m x 3.95m x 4.2m 35,000kg was located 5.4m above the ground with limited headroom and surrounded by associated components making it a very tricky operation. Due to its ability to operate in confined spaces and lift capacity at high level lifting JB Rawcliffe & Sons Ltd utilised the 300Ton capacity lift system to lift the trommel from its support legs which were removed and lowered the trommel down to a super low steerable semi low loader for the removal from site.

The second part of the project was the installation of a new trommel which was delivered in from Europe. Due to the limited access on site JB Rawcliffe & Sons Ltd supplied a steerable semi low loader for the trommel to be transhipped onto. Again the 300Ton capacity lift system was used and the trommel lifted and placed onto its support legs. Both parts of the project were completed within schedule, budget and without incident.

In proving the company’s ability to operate internationally JB Rawcliffe & Sons Ltd have successfully completed a joint venture heavy lift project in Kenya, Africa with Coast Hauliers Ltd of Mombasa.

The project was 12 months in the planning in which a detailed method with associated storyboard had to be produced to prove the solution for the lifting of the generators 10m from ground level, travel of 11m over the plinth and then lowering of 1m to sole plates.

On being awarded the project JB Rawcliffe & Sons Ltd began with the design, calculations and manufacturing drawings of the required 9m high supports that would allow the lift system to travel off the edge of the plinth. One set of support steelwork was designed to allow the steelwork to be used for the four separate generator plinths. The approach was taken to design the support steelwork in modular form from steel sections allowing the support steelwork to be fabricated locally to site, allow the parts of the support to be transported economically and allow the support steelwork to be assembled in the least number of lifts.

JB Rawcliffe & Sons Ltd 500Ton capacity lift system comprising of 18m of runway track, 10m header beams, power packs, and all required lifting equipment was packed into three conventional shipping containers which allowed for the easy shipping of the system to Kenya.

On arrival in Mombasa, the equipment was unpacked from the containers and delivered to site. JB Rawcliffe & Sons Ltd supplied operators to supervise and assist with the build of the support steelwork ensuring its integrity and level due to poor ground makeup. With assistance from local labour the lift system was assembled on the plinth and Cost Hauliers Ltd transported the 141,000kg generators from Mombasa Port to site.

Due to the location of the plinths within the power station building and limited room on site Coast Hauliers Ltd jacked the generators from the delivery trailer, rotated them 90degrees and skidded them beneath the lift system.

The joint venture heavy lift project with Coast Hauliers Ltd was a complete success with all four generators lifted and positioned on their sole plates without incident and within client’s schedule. 

Earlier this year saw JB Rawcliffe & Sons Ltd involved in a challenging lift not only in time but available room. The challenge was to lift a structure 2m within a building with only 2.5m of available headroom. Several ideas were discussed with the client until the ideal solution was decided on which created the least disruption and also by allowing other structures to remain in position accelerated the project. Using our hydraulic gantry lift system a counterbalance rig was engineered to produce a successful millimetre accurate lift.