Expertise

The tunnelling machine was being used to construct a 760M underground sewage tunnel in South Devon.
The sewage tunnel however was in a coastal bay inaccessible by road, therefore to move the machine involved the use of a barge. The Megalift system was first delivered via a barge and erected in the coastal bay.

The operation began once the first section of the tunnelling machine pushed through the cliff face. The short length of me receiving pit dug in the beach meant that the 30f tunnelling machine had to be split in two. Lifting lugs from the Megalift were attached to the top of the machine and hoists connected. Hoisting the front pair of rams of the Megalift broke the seal between the two sections of the tunnelling machine, and the separated front section was manoeuvred into the lifting position.

Having fully lifted the front section of the tunnelling machine, the whole Megalift system was tracked along its own rails. It was then able to lower the first part of its load onto machinery skates. The skates were sitting on their own steel track, and with the use of Tirfors the tunnelling machine was pulled directly onto the barge.

Working against the clock to beat the retreating tide, the operation was repeated with the second tunnelling section, and the job was completed ahead of time.

Megalift Manager, Bob Hamilton commented "Megalift helped where cranes couldn't. It demonstrated its advantage of being both powerful, yet portable.

Expertise

Problem Solving