CRANES IN ACTION / UNIVERSAL CRANES
CHILLER LIFT WITH THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY How Universal Cranes removed and replaced a chiller unit from the 28th floor of a Brisbane hotel using innovative suspended load management technology, a custom-built half container and a Liebherr LTM1350. AT THE 2018 CICA Lift of the Year Awards, a Universal Cranes project was announced as the winner of the People’s Choice Award in the Innovation of the Year category. The challenging project involved removing and replacing a chiller unit on the 28th floor of a large CBD hotel in Brisbane. The solution included custom rigging, a purpose-built half container and the latest smart spreader bar technology for a precise, safe and efficient lift delivered alongside precision rigging and logistics. “Universal Cranes provided a total project solution from engineering a custom rigging and lift plan, to planning and permitting coordination, through to supply of the crane and ancillary equipment and the qualified operators to conduct the lift,” Mick Messer, Sales and Crane Supervisor at Universal Cranes, said. The replacement was to be carried out via a main window on level 28, which was also to be removed and replaced on the day of the lift. The chiller unit was 3.2m long, 1.3m wide, 1.3m high and weighed in at 5t. “There were major challenges presented by this project,” Messer said. “Narrow access through the façade of the hotel required precise maneuvering of the load. The unit weighed approximately 5t and was 28 floors above ground level at a height of 90m above a busy CBD intersection, requiring the lift to be conducted within a strict timeframe, minimising traffic disruption.” This meant the lifts needed to be scheduled on a weekend, requiring the part closure of Adelaide Street. With a 56 / CAL January 2019
limited closure time, thorough planning and execution of the lifts was critical. “The existing chiller unit was skated into a purpose-built half container that was lifted into position using our Liebherr LTM1350,” Messer said. “After securing the chiller unit inside the container, it was then lifted down onto Adelaide Street and unloaded. The new units were then lifted up and skated into position. The load was lifted in through the window with the help of the Verton R-Series spreader – the world’s first remote-controlled electromechanical load-management system.” Universal Cranes engineered the rigging and lift solution incorporating the R-Series spreader developed by the Verton Group, which uses ROVER (Remotely Operated Variable Effort Rotator) to overcome the need for human held taglines to control free-swinging or suspended loads. Verton Group’s R-series is designed to dramatically boost productivity, efficiency and safety in industries that use cranes and hoists. This world-first technology is designed to revolutionise suspended load-management for many industries including mining, oil and gas, transport and construction. The R-series can dramatically reduce accidents by ensuring no human contact is required for managing suspended loads. In its simplest form, the R-series is a single pair of gyroscopic modules and one handheld remote controller. The unit is attached to the load and its orientation is controlled using the remote. Being www.cranesandlifting.com.au
