Cranes and Lifting January 2020

THE DEDICATED RESOURCE FOR THE CRANE INDUSTRY / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

GROVE RTS ROUGHING IT IN ANTARCTICA

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FEATURES Winners of the 2019 CICA Lift of the Year Awards.

The importance of planning multi-crane lifts.

Crane naming recognises indigenous land owners.

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IN THIS ISSUE

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54 12 Up Front Manitowoc delivers new Grove rough terrain to Antarctic research station.

32 Spotlight on used cranes The reasons behind growth in the used crane market.

14 CICA President’s report The importance of small businesses to the industry.

34 Baden builds a borer Baden Services designs and builds a crane for a power giant.

16 CICA Inductee Hall of Fame Second in the series of interviews with CICA Hall of Fame Inductees.

36 Honouring indigenous landowners Boom Logistics names latest crane after indigenous landowners.

19 CICA NSW Awards night CICA NSW celebrated a big year by honouring outstanding achievements.

22 CICA SA Awards night CICA SA celebrated its high achievers at the Adelaide Oval.

24 CICA state chairman report Bart Sutherland highlights some of the challenges facing the Northern Territory.

26 CICA Member Profile Queensland Rigging working between the load, the hook and the crane.

29 Bridging the gap with Singapore Singapore Crane Association’s factfinding mission to Australia. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

38 Franna goes to ConExpo Franna will be exhibiting at ConExpo for the first time.

40 Keeping Pace with service A familiar face returns to Pace Cranes to head up service.

42 New Apps and telematic capabilities for lift planning New Apps and capabilities added to the A1A software package.

44 Importance of the people behind the product KITO PWB understands the importance of the people behind the products.

46 Learning more about cranes The Liebherr training program is going from strength to strength.

49 Dana Sac takes it up a gear Dana Sac introduces new Brevini gear range.

50 Much more to crane trailers these days

Tailor-made trailers from TRT. 54 Importance of planning multicrane lifts Universal Cranes examines the importance of planning multi-crane lifts.

57 Solid start for Tadano Demag Oceania

Tadano Demag delivers on promises.

61 CICA Lift of the Year Awards We take a closer look at the winners of the CICA Lift of the Year Awards.

January 2020 CAL / 3

FROM THE EDITORIAL TEAM Published by:

WELCOME TO THE JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, I READ A number of construction sector forecasts in the hope of preparing a vision for 2020 and what the crane sector can plan for.

It looks like it is going to be a busy year with some putting construction spend at over $200 billion.

This year will see federal and state governments ramping up spend on transport infrastructure projects. The volume of work is anticipated to rise from $94.2b to $102.94b in 2020/21 with construction relating to road, rail, gas and pipelines providing the biggest boost.

There has been strong commercial building activity and it is anticipated that this will continue over the short term partly as a result of exceptionally low financing costs.

The recent upturn in commercial building activity owes its origin to a number of factors. Employment and population growth have both been strong, and this has boosted the need for all kinds of new buildings like shops, hospitals, schools, offices, cafes, bars and restaurants in addition to “back end” work like warehouses, factories and

wholesale distribution facilities.

It appears the downturn in the housing market may be turning around and this is also due to a number of factors.

The federal election produced a clear and conclusive outcome, which was immediately followed with a package of income tax reductions. The RBA’s reduction of the official cash rate brought the cost of borrowing to a new all-time low – forecasts suggest work will begin on around 168,000 new homes in 2020.

Wherever there is construction there will be demand for cranes. No doubt the industry will face many challenges during the year ahead but finding work shouldn’t be one of them.

On behalf of the Cranes and Lifting team, we wish you all the very best for the year ahead.

11-15 Buckhurst St South Melbourne VIC 3205 T: 03 9690 8766 www.primecreativemedia.com.au CEO John Murphy E: john.murphy@primecreative.com.au Chief Operating Officer Zelda Tupicoff E: zelda.tupicoff@primecreative.com.au Publisher Christine Clancy E: christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au Group Managing Editor (Northern) Syed Shah E: syed.shah@primecreative.com.au Editor Simon Gould E: simon.gould@primecreative.com.au Business Development Manager Brad Marshall E: brad.marshall@primecreative.com.au T: 0403 993 443

Simon Gould Editor, Cranes and Lifting

Client Success Manager Justine Nardone E: justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au Design Production Manager Michelle Weston E: michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au Art Director Blake Storey Design Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty, Jo De Bono Subscriptions Frank Rapone T:03 9690 8766 E: frank.rapone@primecreative.com.au The Publisher reserves the right to alter or omit any article or advertisement submitted and requires indemnity from the advertisers and contributors against damages or liabilities that may arise from material published. © Copyright – No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the publisher.

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INDUSTRY NEWS APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR HEAVY VEHICLE SAFETY FUNDING The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is calling for funding applications for programs that improve heavy vehicle safety on Australian roads.

Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Michael McCormack said the Federal Government had provided $5.48 million for safety projects for round five of the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI) program.

“This funding is focused towards groups and projects delivering real safety benefits for the heavy vehicle industry and all road users,” McCormack said.

“Projects or programs, education or awareness campaigns, or materials that increase safety awareness and compliance that are in need of funding and support should consider applying.”

According to McCormack, the HVSI

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is calling for funding applications for programs that improve heavy vehicle safety on Australian roads.

program has delivered $17.3m for 62 grants over the past four years.

Assistant Road Safety and Freight Transport Minister, Scott Buchholz, said this round’s record funding of $5.48m showed the federal government was serious about heavy vehicle safety.

“We’ve seen some great programs across the country benefit from the HVSI funding over the past four years,” Buchholz said.

“I recently saw the benefits of a trial for a livestock unloading system at Kilcoy in Queensland. Elsewhere,

projects such as a virtual reality program for learner drivers developed in Bendigo and information for caravan and RV drivers on how to share the road and rest areas with truck drivers are examples of great safety outcomes.”

NHVR CEO, Sal Petroccitto, said the HVSI program received 42 applications for funding last year and he looked forward to even more in the next round.

“This continues to be a great opportunity for the NHVR to work with safety-focused groups towards delivering a tangible safety outcome,” Petroccitto said.

“I’m always encouraged by the diversity of stakeholder groups that put forward their ideas and their willingness to create solutions to make our roads safer.”

Applications for round five funding are open until 21 February 2020.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Traction Air CTI E Series installation wheel ends and plumbing.

TRT’S NEW TRACTION AIR SYSTEM However, TRT has not focused on CTI LAUNCHES WITH A NEW LOOK solutions for other regions until now.

Traction Air, TRT’s central tyre inflation system has undergone a complete evolution in technology and its look.

Launching 1 October 2019, TRT is set to offer their new multi-channel system to Australian and New Zealand customers.

This new advanced Traction Air CTI system called E Series is based on an extensive two-and-a-half-year research and development project by TRT, based in Scandinavia.

The E Series Traction Air is an ideal solution for cranes that have variable PSI depending on operating and ground temperature, load size, operating surfaces and more.

Traction Air’s tyre pressure control options allow for automatic management from the cab of the crane, operator to monitor in real time and the system to automatically inflate or deflate to maintain a constant PSI. This saves the crane operator precious time in their workday. This is available exclusively on TRT’s new TIDD PC28.

The E Series Traction Air is also ideal for prime movers used for transporting cranes to and from construction sites.

Traction Air was developed more than 22 years ago by TRT, with the first installations on road trains in the Australian Outback. Traction Air is installed on more than 4,000 vehicles throughout NZ, Australia and the Asia Pacific region.

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Gavin Halley, national sales manager, explained, “About four years ago, we looked at CTI in Europe, and in particular Scandinavia. With some of the most extreme operating environments, we wanted to understand how, and if, Traction Air could be adapted for any condition.”

Halley continued, “With a bit of TRT blue sky thinking, an investment in research, development and product testing in NZ and Sweden over the past two and a half years, we have created a brand new CTI system with greater capabilities, that integrates with the vehicle using a common BUS protocol.

This new CTI system is designed for European conditions, which has a direct spinoff for our loyal local customers.”

The new system offers multi-channel options from single axle to drive, steer and trailer axle solutions. To add this variability, TRT have had to develop a complete new CTI system from the ECU and software to the wheel ends and pressure cells. For example, the pressure cell is now made of stainless steel to withstand salt roads of European winters, and thermal switches for operation in -40°,” Halley said.

To celebrate the new Traction Air E Series and all of the new advances in technology, TRT have also designed a new look for Traction Air, which according to Halley, is something they “have always done”.

The new Traction Air, E Series is still autonomous, but allowances have been made in the design for it to be interfaced with the vehicle and other 3rd party applications in the future.

“This new system does not replace the current system the G Series. This is a new option for our customers to consider. While some fleets may choose to migrate to the new E Series, we will be fully supporting both systems for the foreseeable future,” said Halley.

TRT distribute Traction Air CTI - E Series through axle manufacturer Bevola, in Scandinavia and works directly within the UK markets.

There are a number of commercial installations in progress. This new system will be made available to Australian and New Zealand customers in the coming months.

Traction Air CTI E Series installation showing wheel ends.

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INDUSTRY NEWS NOBLES WIN LEEA CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD AT THE ANNUAL LIFTEX DINNER IN THE UK

Rachel Riley, TV presenter; Scott Wilcox, MD of Certex UK, Keith Bishop of Noble & Sons and Ross Moloney LEEA CEO.

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TA. Noble & Son (Nobles) were announced as the winners of the LEEA Customer Service Award for their industry-first “Customer Promise”, presented at the LiftEx dinner in Milton Keynes, UK. Each year the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) hosts an industry dinner during the LiftEx conference where they present eight awards of excellence. It was a not-tobe-missed event as LEEA celebrated its 75th anniversary. Nobles were awarded the Customer Service Award for their “Customer Promise” which is a market-research-based, industryfirst, guaranteed set of customer service standards.

Nobles’ core value of customer satisfaction is deeply embedded in their culture and forms a key element

of their business strategy, manifesting itself externally as their customer promise. The Customer Promise evolved from a three-year business plan and strategy based on qualitative research to drive internal cultural change and targeted customer service improvements.

Nobles promised to provide faster response times to customer enquires and quotes, provide leading products assembled and shipped on demand, and to tailor their technical and engineering products and services to deliver better solutions to customer requirements. An example of the latter was winning a major multi-milliondollar, multi-year defence contract to supply lifting and recovery blocks for the Australian Defence Force Land 121 project. These blocks were also shortlisted for the LEEA Innovative Product of the Year award at this year’s dinner.

Keith Bishop, general manager, marketing and strategic development said, “Nobles’ Customer Promise was well received by customers. On the back of this promise, during the last financial year, Nobles won back a substantial number of previously lost customers and experienced a significant reduction in general customer complaints made to our Customer Service team.”

LiftEx is the peak annual global event for the lifting industry, featuring over 100 exhibitors and attended by over 1,000 industry professionals. The event inspires, educates and unites the industry through educational and technical sessions and presentations on innovation. New to the LiftEx event this year was the Innovation Award Showcase. This showcase was home to demonstrations and presentations from the Innovation Award finalists pitching their solutions for votes from

visitors and was the place to see cutting edge innovations for the industry.

Nobles managing director, Guy Roberts, presented “Australian Defence Force Light-Weight Recovery & Lifting Blocks by Nobles Engineering” at the Innovation Award Showcase. “It was great to see so many innovative lifting products on display at the showcase.

Even though we did not win the award, being able to present an innovative product Nobles’ designed, manufactured and tested in-house, alongside other significant lifting industry innovations was a real honour,” Roberts said.

Nobles continues to build positive relationships with their customers through their Smarter Lifting alerts and guaranteed customer service standards through their Customer Promise.

To subscribe to Nobles Smarter Lifting alerts head to www.nobles.com.au or to see their Customer Promise, head to www. nobles.com.au/promise.

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UP FRONT / MANITOWOC It’s a major logistical operation getting a Grove Rough Terrain to Antarctica.

WHERE THE ROUGH GETS TOUGH Grove rough terrain cranes face extreme conditions at Australia’s Davis research station in Antarctica.

A NEW RT540E GROVE ROUGH TERRAIN crane was recently transported to Antarctica for use in loading and unloading cargo and containers for resupply at Davis station, one of the research stations in the Australian Antarctic Program.

The Australian Antarctic Program conducts world-class science of critical national importance and global significance that delivers on Australian Antarctic policy and operational priorities. The Program is led, coordinated and delivered by the Australian Antarctic Division.

The Grove RT540E, manufactured out of Manitowoc Cranes’ Niella Tanaro facility in Italy, joined another Grove RT530E-2 rough terrain crane, at Davis.

These cranes were installed with the “Arctic Package” which includes low viscosity synthetic oils and 240 volt heaters on the engine, batteries and hydraulic tanks. This installation was carried out locally in Australia.

The cranes are normally operated 12 / CAL January 2020

over summer when the conditions are more favourable. The cranes are typically operated down to minus -20°C. The main issue is the cranes are stored outside so snow ingress into the boom and cabins can be a problem. If not melted out properly, there can be issues with boom extensions and retraction ropes being frozen in an ice block, so melting the snow out of them, after winter, is important. Damage from the wind can also be an issue.

The cranes are maintained in station workshops and returned to Australia every 10 years for replacement or a major inspection. They are maintained on site by diesel mechanics as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

The Australian Antarctic Division maintains four permanent research stations. Mawson, Davis and Casey on the Antarctic continent, and Macquarie Island is in the sub-Antarctic. All four stations are occupied year-round by scientists and support staff.

The Division also manages other

significant areas in the Australian Antarctic Territory, such as Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Commonwealth Bay and a weather station at Dome A, the highest point in Antarctica.

Australian Antarctic Program climate research investigates the role of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean in the global climate system, building on more than 50 years of climate research in the region.

The main focus of the research is to address uncertainties identified in the Fourth Assessment Report (2007) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This report highlighted the lack of climate data from the Southern Ocean, the sea ice zone and Antarctica in general. It also noted a need for greater understanding of the role the region may have in slowing the rate of climate change and of the future behaviour of the ice sheet and its contribution to sea level rise.

Davis is the most southerly Australian Antarctic station and is situated 2250 www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The 36t RT540E provides optimal lifting capacity in a compact package.

nautical miles south-south-west of Perth, on the Ingrid Christensen Coast of Princess Elizabeth Land.

Davis research station supports a range of scientific research on climate, weather, ecosystems ice and animals.

Wildlife is abundant around Davis station providing many opportunities for scientists to study the Antarctic ecology and environment. Various types of seals can be found near the station including Elephant and Leopard as well a number of types of penguins. One of the most popular and easily identifiable are Emperor penguins.

Emperor penguins are unique birds, not only do they survive the Antarctic winter, but they breed during the worst weather conditions on Earth.

The emperor is the largest of the 18 penguin species. Adults can weigh up to 40kg at the start of the breeding season.

Historically, there were some penguin species even larger than emperors, weighing perhaps 100kg! These megapenguins became extinct several tens of thousands of years ago.

Emperors have excellent insulation in the form of several layers of scale-like feathers; it takes very strong winds (over 60 knots or about 110km/h) to get them ruffled. In proportion to their overall size, they have small bills and flippers to conserve heat. They are also very social creatures, and one of their survival mechanisms is to huddle together to

Emperor penguins are unique birds, not only do they survive the Antarctic winter, but they breed during the worst weather conditions on Earth. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

keep warm. This huddling instinct means that they do not defend any territory.

Emperor penguins have to face freezing conditions including katabatic winds that blow off the polar plateau and intensify the cold. Emperor colonies also face blizzards of up to 200km/h.

To keep warm, the males close ranks to share their warmth. When carrying their incubation fat, emperors are about as large around the chest as an average man.

On a functional level, huddling cuts the heat loss by as much as 50 per cent, and enables males to survive the long incubation fast. The warmer they are, the longer their fat lasts. The temperature inside a huddle can be as high as +24°C. In the summer, about 100 expeditioners call Davis station home, while in the winter that number drops to about 20. Australian Antarctica expeditioners spend 6 to 18 months on the ice, depending on their role. There are also other fly-in fly-out roles where scientists may only spend a few weeks on the ice undertaking their work.

The average annual temperature ranges from about −10°C on the Antarctic coast to −60°C at the highest parts of the interior. Near the coast the temperature can exceed +10°C at times in summer and fall to below −40°C in winter.

Over the elevated inland, it can rise to about −30°C in summer but fall below −80°C in winter. The lowest temperature yet recorded on the Earth’s surface was −89.2°C at Vostok station on 21 July 1983.

On Antarctica’s coast, where the stations are located, there are usually a couple of weeks in mid-winter (around 21 June) when the sun does not rise, and a couple of weeks in summer around Christmas when there is 24-hour sunlight.

The polar circles (both the Antarctic Circle at 66°34° S and Arctic Circle at 66°34° N) mark the latitude beyond which the sun remains completely below the horizon throughout the day on Midwinter’s Day and completely above the horizon on Midsummer’s Day. As you move closer to the poles, the periods of winter darkness and summer daylight increase.

ABOUT GROVE ROUGH TERRAIN CRANES Grove rough terrain cranes, manufactured in Manitowoc facilities in Shady Grove (Pennsylvania, US) and Niella Tanaro (Italy), feature rugged deep box section frames designed to handle tough conditions.

Four steering modes allow easy manoeuvring in tight quarters with pick and carry applications typical for rough terrains.

The RT540E is equipped with a 9.8m - 31m four-section full power boom. The boom incorporates a rectangular boom shape made from 100 k.s.i. steel which eliminates weight and maximises structural capacities.

The Full Vision cab with tilttelescoping steering wheel, dual-axis controllers, hot water heat and air conditioning provide all day comfort for the operator. The RT540E offers a 7.9m – 13.7m, off-settable telescopic swing-away providing a maximum tip height of 47m.

The RT540E now comes with the new Crane Control System, which offers a user-friendly interface, two full graphic displays mounted vertically for better visibility and a jog dial for easier data input. The 40-ton RT540E provides optimal lifting capacity in a compact package.

Manitowoc’s Grove range of Rough Terrain cranes start with the RT530E (30t) and goes up to the all new three axle GRT9165 (150t). The new generation of cranes are designated GRT’s and feature new levels of design, performance and reliability. The latest of these cranes entering the local market is the GRT8100 (100t) and we will have a story in a later edition.

January 2020 CAL / 13

CICA PRESIDENT’S REPORT INDUSTRY NEWS / PRESIDENT’S REPORT

THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF SMALL BUSINESS Although the “majors” dominate the headlines, it’s small business underpinning the fundamentals of the crane sector.

I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT AT SOME STAGE we have all assumed that larger marketing corporations and crane hire companies who tend to headline our industry, hold a greater level of influence than others. As a collective though, small business members, that is, crane hirer/ owner companies with between one and five cranes (referred to hereafter as ‘1-5’s’) play an essential role in creating job growth, industry innovation and service provision ingenuity. It’s these small businesses who, as a collective, hold the greatest volume, with just over 45% of our crane hirer/owner membership falling in the ‘1-5’ category. Couple that with our ‘6-10’ crane members and it accounts for a staggering 72%.

This is what drives “Industry Passion”, one of the core values held at CICA. Attend any state branch meeting, and you will see that the main demographic in attendance are constituted from these categories. It is these businesses, whose very livelihood can be compromised by any number of government or statute trade restrictions. All those in this sector suffer the greatest financial burden when government authorities add another level of unforeseen red tape. Every time we witness our industry develop greater trade barriers, there is a disincentive for these businesses to grow; to employ, to innovate and to develop, plus we stifle the confidence small business feeds and relies upon to succeed. CICA continues to place a major focus on lobbying and representation, to increase understanding and eliminate trade restriction across many government departments, including road management authorities and health and safety departments.

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Our ‘1-5’s’ are generally family run businesses who find a market niche in a small geographic location. It’s usually “all hands-on deck”, with management and the workforce performing whatever task needs doing, to get the job done.

This often makes them lean and flexible enterprises, able to offer that “personal touch” to their client base making them exceptionally successful and enjoyable to be a part of. There are plenty of circumstances where I speak with crane hirers who compare their larger crane business with their business from years prior; the common complaint being, that they gained more satisfaction and often made more money during those development years compared with the larger; less flexible organisation they have become.

CICA places a large emphasis on improving access to services to help all members. We have placed a heavy focus over the past year on strengthening our communication to members though our events calendar. We have held industry days, taken branch meetings to regional areas and expanded our business and technical workshop forums at our national conference. This is to benefit all, but gives a particularly opportunity for our ‘1-5’s’ to gain valuable information and network with the right industry people who are able to help and offer advice if required. For example, we have marketing members offering finance services and brokerage who are always keen to connect and plan with crane hire members. Developing a business relationship in these ways enables the hirer to better understand how to structure their business so they can more effectively access lending

CICA president Tom Smith

support in the future. Increasingly, the way you present your businesses historical performance during a finance approval stage, holds greater stead than the actual performance itself.

Regardless of what market sector we are referring to, “confidence” is the key derivative in small business growth. This reigns true with our ‘1-5’ members and as most of us have experienced being in this category at some stage, we are aware of what it takes to survive and grow in this space. If nurtured well, the business takes a life of its own, consolidates its niche and develops market prominence.

If managed poorly, the business can very quickly begin to implode as inferior cash flow management becomes a burden and stifles growth.

In the latest Sensis Business Index, which surveyed a broad range of small businesses in both metropolitan and regional areas, it was found that almost 60% are unconcerned with broader economic conditions. That is, they are more confident in their own ability to succeed in their region without relying on any type of external government aid.

We see this regularly throughout our membership where decision making to upgrade a crane fleet or to expand a workforce is much more related to very local opportunities and conditions rather than the broader macro-economic outlook. It was also revealed that only one third in this sector took up the $30,000 immediate tax write off www.cranesandlifting.com.au

opportunity. What these surveys tend to overlook is to take up this tax write off, you first need to have generated enough revenue, then have enough confidence to spend it before you can reap a benefit from the tax system. In simple terms, you need to spend $30,000 from your cash reserves to then save $8,250 off your subsequent years tax liability (given you qualify for 27.5% small business company tax rates). Alternatively, the hirer may choose to access finance to make the acquisition possible but then may confront difficulty in gaining support from financial institutions under current lending criteria, particularly if the acquisition is speculative or unproven.

Interestingly, in our space, where capital expenditure is high on equipment acquisitions, the greatest burden restricting small business growth continues to be access to finance. The Sensis Business Index revealed that 30% of small businesses reported greater difficulties accessing finance in the last six months than prior. This was even more exaggerated in regional areas where the full force of tighter lending criteria has been applied. This reaffirms the importance of taking advantage of the CICA membership networking opportunities on offer, and to form strong long-term business relationships from our broader membership directory to ease these types of difficulties.

Collaboration, Industry Passion, Communication and Accountability are the values we hold firm in our association. For all members, but with particular emphasis on our ‘1-5’s’, there are valuable development opportunities for your business by taking advantage of the CICA services on offer, along with participating in the CICA events calendar.

I hope you have all returned from your New Year break fully refreshed and ready to take on year 2020 with our shared vision for a safe and progressive industry.

Tom Smith CICA President Managing Director – McKay United 0439 130 567

CICA BOARD Tom Smith – President Geoff Bevan – Vice President Andrew Esquilant – Director Danny Black – Director John Gillespie – Director Bart Sutherland – Director Marcus Ferrari – Director Ben Pieyre – Director

Patrick Cran Plant & Operator Assessment Officer 0488 004 274 pat@cranesafe.com.au

Damien Hense Road Safety Liaison Officer 03 8320 0460 0488 007 575 damien@cica.com.au

CICA OFFICE Brandon Hitch Chief Executive Officer 03 8320 0444 0428 228 048 ceo@cica.com.au

Andy Chambers Crane Traineeship Coordinator 03 8320 0420 0477 577 667 andy@cica.com.au

Heidi Hervay CICA Administration Officer (NSW, QLD, NT, VIC & TAS Secretariat) 0403 717 626 heidi@cica.com.au

Taylah Allan CICA Administration Officer 03 8320 0455 taylah@cranesafe.com.au

John Humphries VIC/TAS Liaison Officer 03 8320 0433 0439 556 867 john@cica.com.au

Alice Edwards, Project Engineer 03 8320 0440 alice@cica.com.au

Michelle Verkerk Marketing and Media Communications Officer 0410 003 759 michelle@cica.com.au

Unit 10, 18-22 Lexia Place, Mulgrave Vic 3170 (PO Box 136 Mount Waverley Vic 3149) Phone: 03 9501 0078 Fax: 03 9501 0083 Email: admin@cica.com.au Website: www.cica.com.au

For information, please visit our website or call the CICA office.

January 2020 CAL / 15

CICA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

Andrew Esquilant, general manager, Liebherr Mobile Cranes, and CICA Hall of Fame inductee.

16 / CAL January 2020

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

CICA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

Andrew Esquilant discusses the difficulties of attracting youth to the crane sector and how the challenges can be overcome.

ANDREW ESQUILANT, GENERAL MANAGER of Liebherr’s mobile crane division is the second inductee into the CICA Hall of Fame. Esquilant recently spoke to Cranes and Lifting magazine about his career and the crane industry.

“I was only ever meant to be in the industry for three months and that was 25 years ago. I’m a carpenter and joiner by trade and I was the leading hand on job involving a Liebherr tower crane from Morrow Equipment. The dogman for the crane was unreliable and frequently didn’t turn up and the project manager asked me to cover for him and that’s where my crane journey started,” he said Esquilant worked with Morrow Equipment and worked on a three-month contract to build concrete foundations for tower cranes. By the mid 90s he was part of the rigging team erecting and dismantling tower cranes and then in 1997 Morrow Equipment offered him a position in sales.

“I started in sales rentals with some purchase rentals for Liebherr tower cranes and this suited me, and it was around this time I was introduced to CICA. I probably got into CICA with the best interests of Morrow Equipment and the tower crane business, but over time I met wonderful people and made great personal friendships in the association. Next year with be my 10th year as a board director.

Induction into the CICA Hall of Fame is a privilege. There’s a lot of good people on the CICA honours list, and to be amongst them is a true honour,” he said.

With his roles with both Liebherr and CICA, Esquilant is focussed on the issues relating to the ageing demographic in the crane industry.

“I’ve got a passion for helping young people. This reflects in a lot of things I’ve done with my kids like coaching and managing their sports teams as a lot of fathers do. In today’s society, children www.cranesandlifting.com.au

are told that to get anywhere in life, they’ve got to finish school and obtain a university degree to succeed. I’m fortunate to have a fairly senior job with Liebherr – I’m on the board of Liebherr Australia and what I believe to be the world’s best crane manufacturer and the only qualifications I’ve got are a dogman/drivers and carpentry and joiners tickets,” he said.

Traineeships and apprentice programs

The crane industry can provide great opportunities in life be that as a crane driver or sales manager and or a technical expert. There are a number of industries with limited numbers of young people coming through and we’re one of them. are key initiatives to bring new blood into the industry, but there are also challenges, says Esquilant.

“We have six apprentices in our program at Liebherr, yes it’s a big investment but we work through that accordingly. The crane industry can provide great opportunities in life be that as a crane driver, sales manager or a technical expert. There are a number of industries with limited numbers of young people coming through and we’re one of them. It’s a great industry to get involved in and the work is so varied.

“At Liebherr, we have to think deeply about apprenticeships and ask the questions about having the right resources and the right people in positions to make an apprenticeship a rewarding experience,” he said.

“As for the crane industry itself, there are also challenges involved in managing a young person who is potentially under

the age of 18 in such a high-risk industry.

Legally, you can’t get your licences until you are 18 but there are kids coming out of school at 16 and 17. What can they do in a crane yard for a year or two?

Anything in the crane industry comes with a high element of risk. Also, many small businesses are working week to week and in that week a crane might only be hired for eight hours, so companies will find it hard to justify having apprentices and trainees. There isn’t intent to not employ, but it is a challenging industry to employ fresh from school,” said Esquilant.

With continued growth and the successful launch of new initiatives, Liebherr faces its own challenges, says Esquilant.

“We face our own challenges at Liebherr. Ensuring we have the right level of resources and infrastructure to manage the level of sales and the number of machines arriving is a constant battle.

It’s a big area of focus for our business.

Our apprenticeship program is setting a good platform, but it takes years for them to mature to be able to work on these machines,” he said.

“Two things I am passionate about; young people and training. It’s like everything, you are always trying to make your business better than the competition and sometimes selling cranes is just not good enough. I’m proud of how our training department and program is developing.

“Our used cranes department is another success story. I had a profile of the person I wanted, it had to be someone with a high level of mechanical knowledge.

Tom Grady came from a very senior role with our Nenzing product. Tom manages the processes involved with our workshops to deliver our used Liebherr machines.

Looking at some of the equipment you’d swear it was a new machine,” said Esquilant.

January 2020 CAL / 17

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CICA NSW

CICA NEW SOUTH WALES CELEBRATES During the CICA NSW Excellence Awards night, individuals were recognised for their outstanding contributions to the crane industry.

IN LATE NOVEMBER, OVER 50 MEMBERS from CICA New South Wales gathered at the Park Royal, Parramatta to celebrate the NSW Excellence Awards. The evening was hosted by Jeff Wilson, NSW chairman with CICA CEO, Brandon Hitch, presenting the awards.

On that evening there were three recipients of the NSW Excellence Award.

“The NSW Excellence Award is presented to an individual or individuals who have contributed to, and made a significant impact on, branch projects throughout the year. This year the NSW/ ACT Branch would like to recognise

three individuals,” said Jeff Wilson, CICA NSW chairman.

“On the 20th of June, CICA hosted a Local Government Demonstration day. The day was designed to assist local government engineers in their understanding of the road going capabilities of SPV’s and support the NHVR and RMS in the rollout of the new four, five and six axle notices.

“Live vehicle demonstrations were part of the demonstration day. I’m delighted to present Ari Debner from Debner Cranes with this award for his participation on this day, for supplying Emma Makinson, from Coff City Cranes was recognised for her contribution to the Regional Demonstration Day

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

and driving the cranes and talking with delegates afterwards. Ari’s contribution was significant and helped to make the day a great success,” Wilson said.

“On the 24th of October, CICA hosted a Local Government Regional Demonstration day. This day contained the same content as an event held in June but was hosted in Coffs Harbour instead.

“The Regional Demonstration Day was also recorded for future sessions and proved invaluable for local/regional access with live vehicle demonstrations being an important part of the day.

We are presenting Emma Makinson, from Coff City Cranes with the NSW Excellence Award for her contribution.

Emma supplied cranes, drivers and also spent time talking with delegates afterwards. Emma’s contribution not only on the day, but in the lead up also, helped to make it another successful event,” said Wilson.

“While our next recipient needs no introduction, this award is being given for his continued support of the industry, both at a state level and nationally. Most recently, Danny Adair’s contribution to the bridge testing last year, helped the RMS to obtain data which supported the release of the 60t network.

“I acknowledge that this project still requires some work around opening up access, but it would not have been possible without Danny Adair giving up his time and crane for this project. I’m delighted to present Danny with this NSW Excellence Award,” he said.

The presentations then moved on to the Traineeship of the Year Awards.

“The Traineeship 2019 has been our most successful yet, with 22 Trainees enrolled. The NSW/ACT Branch acknowledges those trainees who have been studying, learning and striving to January 2020 CAL / 19

CICA NSW

Ari Debner receiving his award from Brandon Hatch, CICA CEO.

Danny Adair was recognised for his overall contribution to the industry, both at a state and national level.

make a difference,” Wilson said.

“Our winner is gaining the fundamentals and understanding of how a crane operates and how reallife work sites function to ensure he is maintaining the best possible safety for himself and others around him.

“He now visually identifies all rigging components and superstructure components of our cranes. He demonstrates dogging duties including

Trainee of the year Christopher Hull, Fuller Cranes with Larry Fuller.

20 / CAL January 2020

hand signals, whistles and two-way radio communications and has an understanding of procedures in setting up and packing up the cranes on site.

“He goes above and beyond on a daily basis and is always working with the team and our congratulations go to Christopher Hull from Fuller Cranes,” said Wilson.

“Our runner up is across a wide range of roles. He helps out in the yard,

assists the diesel mechanic and loads and unloads gear. He has started to go out onsite and learn from the ticketed dogman. He is committed to safety on site and works consistently in a team environment. Our congratulations go to Damian Day. “There is one more person I would like to acknowledge. While he did not receive an award this year, I would like to congratulate Kaiden Rainer for his efforts in the Traineeship Program and wish him well in his studies and training for 2020,” he said.

Wilson then reflected on the branch’s achievements throughout 2019.

“Our branch has had a monster year. Our record-breaking fund raising in Newcastle was followed by our successful conference in the Hunter Valley. The success of this years’ events would not have been possible without the work behind the scenes by our Steering Committee. I would like to thank John March, Jo Conti, Anthony Davis, Ari Debner, John Farrier, Jay Gower, Anthony Heeks, Neil Hollingshead and newly appointed Emma Makinson for their support and time in making the NSW/ACT Branch stronger than ever. I look forward to 2020 with eagerness and will strive to do better than this year, to support the industry and to continue to make a difference,” said Wilson. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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CICA SA EXCELLENCE AWARDS

RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE IN THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CRANE INDUSTRY

Industry stalwarts and new beginners were equally recognised during the CICA South Australian Excellence Awards night.

CICA SOUTH AUSTRALIA HOSTED THE 2019 Annual Excellence Awards at the beautiful Adelaide Oval late November.

The Adelaide Oval was a fitting location considering that many of the CICA SA members attending, had played a part in the engineering and building the Oval redevelopment.

CICA Life Member, Robert Way, and his wife, were guests of honour and the event was well attended. Guest presenter Chris Dittmar, a local media personality, entertained guests with humorous interviews with the award winners and CICA CEO, Brandon Hitch.

There was very good response to the awards this year, due to a revised format of submitting nominations that made the process easier and quicker.

With the increased number and calibre of nominations, however, the task of choosing winners was much harder for the judging panel. CICA SA Chairman, Marcus Rigney highlighted that just being nominated was a win in itself - that nominees should feel proud of the recognition given them by their employer and the industry.

THE WINNERS Crane Operator of the year - Brendan Cameron of Max Cranes Crane Operator of the year runner up - Damien Spadavechia of Morgan’s Cranes Rigger of the Year - Zachary Kenyon of Crane Services Rigger of the Year runner-up - Paul Glaetzer of Morgan’s Cranes Trainee of the Year - Jackson Arbuckle of Max Cranes Outstanding Achievement Award – Two winners - Mark Gilbert of WGA 22 / CAL January 2020

and Mark Kuhn of Max Cranes Mark Kuhn gave a short speech recognising the investment Robert Way has made to the industry and emphasised the importance and need for a good trainee program to be in place for the South Australian crane industry.

The success of the evening was due to a lot of hard work by the CICA SA steering committee and judging panel. CICA SA would like to thank the support given by sponsors - Franna Cranes by Terex, Grove Cranes by Manitowoc, Liebherr Cranes, Sennebogen Cranes courtesy of Pace Cranes and Tadano Cranes who kindly donated model cranes that were presented to all winners.

THROUGH THE EYES OF CICA SA CHAIRMAN, MARCUS RIGNEY What a fantastic evening it was, celebrating Christmas with our members

and combining it with a platform to celebrate the efforts of their nominated people on this award night. The evening was a great success, and it was heartwarming to see people celebrate and have a good time.

This was a very special night for our association, as not only did we celebrate the great work our association has done over the past year, but we also celebrated the nominees to these awards, and the companies that took their time to endorse, foster and support these nominees.

It dawned on us that our industry is working hard to develop traineeships and acknowledge our lifelong members, however we also wanted to recognise the hard work of our everyday operators and riggers; who are actively in the field representing our companies and industry.

CICA SA believes these awards play an

Rigger of the Year Winner, Zachary Kenyon, Crane Services.

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Winner Trainee of the Year award, Jackson Arbuckle, Max Cranes.

important role, evidenced on the evening where we presented 15 nominations to these awards; to some of our leading operators, riggers, trainees and achievers in the industry.

When the judging panel reviewed the nominations and discussed the interviews, I remember thinking ‘wow, how exceptionally good are these nominations.’ So, to all our nominees, I would like to reiterate; you are doing exceptionally well in the field and on

Outstanding Achievement Award winners, Mark Gilbert, WGA and Mark Kuhn, Max Cranes.

behalf of CICA; I wish to congratulate you on your efforts within the industry.

We also hope that another spin-off of the awards evening is for our association to engage more with our operators and riggers. Part of my address to the nominees during the evening, was that our association is the industry body for the crane industry, that offers tools and professional people that can help equip you with further knowledge, to foster your growth within the industry.

Crane Operator of the Year Brendan Cameron, Max Cranes (left). Nominee Crane Operator of the Year, Shayne Bacskai, Load 28 (right). www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Our nominees were encouraged to engage on a deeper level with CICA, to attend some of our meetings; network with fellow industry professionals and seek any training or professional advice on offer, to carry out best practice work in the industry.

It was a nice touch to see the presentation to our winners of the Outstanding Achievement Award done

by CICA life member Robert Way. Both Mark Gilbert and Mark Kuhn spoke openly about their contribution and passion to the industry and this was very inspiring to listen to.

I would like to say a big thankyou to the CICA SA steering committee for putting all this together. These people are volunteers to the industry, that took time out of their personal and work time to make this a success.

To the companies of these nominees, thank you so very much for your support and investment into this awards night.

Thank you to our marketers that also supported the night.

We have a great association that came together on this evening to celebrate our industry.

I am looking forward to our next awards evening and am excited about the growth and potential we will see in the future.

January 2020 CAL / 23

CICA CHAIRMAN, NT

MANAGING A DOWNTURN In this series of reports, Cranes and Lifting speaks to each of the CICA state chairmen to discuss the challenges they face over the next 12 months. Bart Sutherland, CICA chairman NT, speaks about some of the challenges facing CICA Members in the Northern Territory.

SUTHERLAND RUNS COMPLETE CRANE Hire, a company he started 20 years ago.

Most of the time you will find him either out driving the crane or dogging the crane, he’s hands on with his business.

His association with cranes began with powerline companies putting up power poles in Queensland, he then went to Darwin for a weeks’ holiday and he’s still there 30 years later.

Sutherland explains the background to his involvement with CICA. “For some time, we had been talking about getting a Northern Territory crane association up and running. It’s always hard trying to get something new started and just as we started to get some momentum CICA came along with the plan to form one association and bring all the state association into line with one national body.

“I thought this was a good idea and I ended up on a committee to figure out how we could make it all happen. Essentially, this committee came up with some great ideas on how we thought it could all work and how it could be structured. Cheryl Woodhardt was on the committee and she took the recommendations back to the board. The One Association Project was a reason I nominated for the board and was elected; that was six years ago,” he said. “Like so many things in life, it’s no good complaining about things on the sideline. Sometimes, personal involvement is required.

“Today, we have 10 or 12 CICA members in the association and these include major players like Tutts Heavy Lifting and Freo Cranes both of which have branches in Darwin. We have members in Alice Springs but being 1500 kms away we don’t see a lot of them,” said Sutherland.

24 / CAL January 2020

Sutherland explains the challenges facing Northern Territory economy.

“We had one major project, a gas plant which was supposed to be a $34billion project. They tell me the final figure was $64 billion, but everyone was very excited about how much the project was going to bring to Darwin. It brought in a lot of people ‘looking for gold’ but it really didn’t do anything for the local economy.

“Today, we have 10 or 12 CICA members in the association and these include major players like Tutts Heavy Lifting and Freo Cranes both of which have branches in Darwin.

“The government spent a lot of money on infrastructure thinking they were going to get it back because of the volume of people the project would attract, but it just didn’t happen. Lots of companies went to work on the project but didn’t do well. They hadn’t factored in the costs of Greenfields Agreements and they didn’t forecast or budget for the delays in work due to paperwork. We’ve had half a dozen large companies go broke over the gas plant and since then the government has had very little money to spend on infrastructure. Tourism has tapered right off because the price for accommodation went through the roof whilst the gas plant was being built, that filters through the system and people just don’t come,” said Sutherland.

According to Sutherland mining and oil explorations have been mainstay

Bart Sutherland, CICA Chairman NT says the Northern Territory faces a number of challenges. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The downsize of Complete Crane Hire’s fleet to one semitrailer one 55t crane and three Frannas reflects the market.

industries for the Darwin economy but sectors have seen downturns also.

“The mining industry has been tapering off for the last couple of years, but nobody really noticed due to the work on the gas plant. Oil exploration was a big thing, but that’s tapered off too and there’s very little of that happening out of Darwin at the moment. A number of industries and activities that people have relied on have died during the gas plant’s construction and now it’s finished there’s not much left,” said Sutherland.

“Five years ago, my business was operating four Frannas , three 55s, a 100t machine and a couple of low loaders.

Today, we’re down to one semi-trailer, one 55t crane and three Frannas. This downsize reflects the market, we had to do it because we were bleeding money.

There is a bit of defence work in town which is keeping a few people afloat.

We’ve got a situation where small government contracts and tenders are being released and painters are tendering on lawnmowing contracts and vice versa because they have no other work to do.

There was a rumour that the US were going to build a big port but there’s been nothing go through the Senate for Appropriations. The ABC thought they had a big scoop on the project , but both the federal and Northern Territory governments have said they don’t know anything about it,” said Sutherland.

Sutherland also provides an update on the NHVR project.

“As far as I’m concerned, part of the issue is a crane company can’t be held responsible for people overloading their trucks. If we put something on someone’s www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“We’re not the ‘loaders’ of trucks, the operator or the driver of the truck stipulates where the load goes. It’s not just about something being too heavy, the load could be in the wrong location on the trailer which makes one axle group too heavy. It’s very difficult for us as crane operators to know if the loads are compliant, the operator should be taking the truck to a weigh bridge to ensure it’s loaded correctly before they travel.” truck and they tell us ‘it’s fine’ we’re not really in a position to argue with them.

“We’re not the ‘loaders’ of trucks, the operator or the driver of the truck stipulates where the load goes. It’s not just about something being too heavy, the load could be in the wrong location on the trailer which makes one axle group too heavy. It’s very difficult for us as crane operators to know if the loads are compliant, the operator should be taking the truck to a weigh bridge to ensure it’s loaded correctly before they travel,” he said.

The NHVR are in the process of reviewing the code of practice and Sutherland will provide advice on how it will work.

“I’m basically going to be a subject matter expert on this topic mainly because I’ve operated heavy haulage, as well as understanding a bit more about the road issues as well as the crane lifting issues. We’re different to other states, we don’t have the same roadability issues and we don’t have the NHVR in the Northern Territory. We deal directly with the NT Government’s inspectors and they give us

three-year blanket permits for our cranes for 12t an axle.

“We’ve got a few places where there are bridge slow-downs and at the end of the wet season, there are over mass restrictions on certain roads. They communicate this to us fairly well, anyone with a permit gets a notice and we don’t have much problem with them at all. It’s an easy process and inspectors are very accessible to us; you can even ring the head of the heavy vehicle registry and talk to him about a permit. You can’t do that in New South Wales,” he said.

The CrewSafe program will be a focus over the coming 12 months says Sutherland.

“We’re trying to arrange a half day presentation on the CrewSafe program which we’re hoping to roll out a bit more in the Northern Territory over the next 12 months. A number of the major construction companies think it’s a good idea so we’re working to get the crane operators on board. The idea will be to have some presentations and demonstrations which will make it more hands on,” he said.

January 2020 CAL / 25

CICA MEMBER PROFILE

WORKING BETWEEN THE LOAD, THE HOOK AND THE CRANE Queensland Rigging Hire offers an extensive range of lifting and rigging equipment to customers operating in the construction, mining, offshore and crane industries. They stock the highest quality lifting and rigging equipment, which is fully tested and certified to ensure it meets industry requirements and the relevant Australian Standards.

Queensland Rigging and Hire is the QLD agent for Unique Seaflex, manufacturer of a range of water test weights.

26 / CAL January 2020

PRIOR TO LAUNCHING THE BUSINESS IN 2017, Ben Fitzgerald was the national sales manager for a lifting equipment wholesale company, and he had been in that role for three years.

“I had people ringing me and asking me for help and advice about various products and I kept referring them to other companies. But they turned out to be unresponsive or couldn’t help and after a while my wife and I decided we should give it a go for ourselves,” he said.

“As the name of the business suggests, we specialise in lifting and rigging equipment particularly equipment like spreader bars, slings, load testing equipment. We’re also the Queensland agent for Unique Seaflex who manufacture a range of water test weights. This is a fairly big feather in our cap, because they are a high-profile corporation and they’ve put their faith in us, so it’s a fantastic achievement,” said Fitzgerald.

Queensland Rigging Hire covers every bit of rigging gear a client will need between the load, the hook and the crane. As far as the rest of the hire fleet is concerned, Fitzgerald says the company will invest in products to meet industry needs, as well as new technology and dry hire it to customers so they can conduct lifts of all types and sizes safely.

“We started in a small industrial unit and I have to say it was a hard slog to get things off the ground and build www.cranesandlifting.com.au

momentum, but we stuck to it and the business has grown and we’re travelling well.

We’ve focused on substantially building our hire fleet so we can cater to a wider range of projects,” he said.

“We have a close working relationship with all our customers, but this doesn’t involve providing independent advice on lifts. Our customers are heavy lift specialists and almost all of them are engineers.

They detail what they want and specify what is required for a lift and we in turn offer what they specify, or similar, and let them decide. We don’t get involved in the lift plans or lift studies, that’s not our role, we supply the equipment they require,” said Fitzgerald.

Ben Fitzgerald and his wife Jess receiving CICA’s The People’s Fitzgerald reminds himself Choice Best Booth Award at the CICA Conference and Exhibition. and his staff about the importance of safety.

“We work in a high-risk industry as most things associated with cranes and “CICA has been terrific in lifting have an element of risk and I have providing us with opportunities to to remind my staff and myself what these are. We take the required steps and meet our industry, to understand measures to ensure everything we supply how the industry is changing complies to Australian Standards as well and what the big construction as adhering to specific site standards.

This has probably been the biggest companies are looking to do. reason for our growth, because a lot of There’s no substitute for having other suppliers are unable to provide the same level of documentation as us,” everyone together, talking about he said. projects and equipment and “That’s where we come into our spending time with the people at own. We are able to deal with the major contractors like Lend Lease and CPB the forefront.” because our certifications meet the levels they require. Relevant areas of equipment in the hire fleet are certified

by NATA. We supply equipment that we’ll send it to the appropriate repairer,” is compliant to the standards and it’s Fitzgerald said. regularly maintained, through our Queensland Rigging services clients internal maintenance program and all over Queensland and northern New testing procedures. Our equipment South Wales. can be supplied for a one-off lift or for “We’ve done a significant amount an extended period and everything is of work on the Ballina to Woolgoolga inspected before it goes out and also on Pacific Highway upgrade, a lot of work return. If something needs repairing, on bridges and we had equipment www.cranesandlifting.com.au

on the recent Grafton Bridge project which was a runner up in CICA’s Lift of the Year. It’s our job to know and understand what the industry needs. We deal with Project Managers and Engineers and crane hire companies - they give us feedback on what they need, and we purchase our equipment based on that information,” said Fitzgerald.

Commitment to service and going the extra mile for the customer are keys to the success of the business, says Fitzgerald.

“We’re a family business and passionate about what we do. I’ve realised that customers use us, not only for our products, but because we are service driven. We create value by providing excellent service. When you are told by a customer, ‘we need your help’, we step up immediately.

I’ve driven over night to Moranbah in Central Queensland and Muswellbrook in New South Wales because I said we would be there with the gear the customer urgently required. When we arrive, the customer is happy and knows we’ve made the effort to get there and they can continue with the project without any costly delays. That’s what it’s all about,” he said.

According to Fitzgerald, CICA has been great for Queensland Rigging Hire, with the various forums providing opportunities to meet with the industry.

“CICA has been terrific in providing us with opportunities to meet our industry, to understand how the industry is changing and what the big construction companies are looking to do. There’s no substitute for having everyone together, talking about projects and equipment and spending time with the people at the forefront.

They are making decisions that will impact on the future of our industry.

The big builders set the agendas which impact on the crane hire companies and rigging businesses like us,” he said.

January 2020 CAL / 27

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IN FOCUS / SINGAPORE CRANE INDUSTRY

UAA BRIDGES GAP WITH SINGAPORE Underwriting Agencies Australia (UAA) invited the chairman of the Singapore Cranes Association (SCA), Jimmy Chua and his colleague, Akbar Kader, to attend the CICA Conference and Exhibition. It was a fact-finding trip providing both with a better understanding of how the crane sector works in Australia.

THE TRIP WAS INSTIGATED BY KEY personnel from Underwriting Agencies of Singapore (UAS), a business unit of UAA, which specialises in mobile plant and machinery insurance. Marc Crossman, regional manager agencies, Asia, and Vernice Pang, business development manager, have been developing relationships with the crane industry in Singapore, and thought Jimmy Chua and Akbar Kader would benefit with insights into the Australian sector. The initiative was expressively supported by UAA CEO, Michael “Murf” Murphy, and chief services officer, George Grasso and the management team.

According to Grasso, the crane industry works differently in Singapore.

“We thought they would benefit from learning a bit more about how the Australian crane industry works.

Akbar Kader is a director of Nan Guan Constructions and has been involved with the crane industry for a number of years.

In Singapore, regular crane inspections are compulsory and there is also a requirement for a crane to be inspected before it moves onto a major project or construction site, but the inspections are always conducted by professional engineers,” he said.

Chua and Kader were able to meet with CICA CEO, Brandon Hitch, who presented the CraneSafe and CrewSafe programs and explained how they work.

“They were impressed, especially

with the CraneSafe program and the point that all inspections are conducted by certified crane assessors. They are studying some of the practices of CraneSafe that may be beneficial in enhancing safety related issues. The CrewSafe program, or an equivalent, is also a program that is of interest to them,” said Grasso.

According to Grasso, repairing cranes in Singapore is not a straightforward process. If there is an incident, the Ministry of Manpower, which is similar in its role to WorkCover, will get heavily involved. It can take control of the construction site and dictate how the machine needs to be recovered and how it needs to be repaired. Repairs are mainly conducted by the manufacturer

Vernice Pang, Underwriting Agencies of Singapore (UAS) Michael “Murf” Murphy UAA, Akbar Kader, Nan Guan Constructions, Jimmy Chua, chairman of the Singapore Cranes Association (SCA), George Grasso, UAA and Marc Crossman, UAS regional manager.

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

January 2020 CAL / 29

IN FOCUS / SINGAPORE CRANE INDUSTRY

or its appointed agent.

Inevitably, owners may be at a disadvantage as there may not be an alternative to get the damaged machine repaired. This may have serious time and cost implications.

“It is also becoming increasingly difficult to do business and Jimmy Chua, who operates a crane company, Huationg (Asia) Pte Ltd, is watching margins compress quite considerably.

He has over 500 staff in his business so it’s a very large operation. He’s looking into the future and questioning how sustainable the business and industry is.

It’s becoming more and more difficult to do business and he’s looking at the Australian industry practices and CICA as the benchmark to take back to Singapore and hopefully find a way to implement these Australian practices in order to keep the construction and crane industries sustainable in Singapore,” Grasso said.

Jimmy Chua spoke about his reasons for attending the CICA Conference and Exhibition and what he hoped to achieve from his visit to Australia.

“I am very fortunate to have been invited by UAA. Before we came, we had a conversation with George about the state of the crane rental and hire market in Singapore and we were discussing the gap I see between the OEM and the end user. Much of this is leading to ill health in our industry, we don’t have the proper facilities and processes to look into crane maintenance or how to manage the repairs and refurbishment of equipment.

Chua mentioned that the cost of running a crane rental business in Singapore is going up and this is not reflected in the crane hire rates that are chargeable. Rental businesses there are finding that the business is becoming “unattractive” and indeed they could be losing money on jobs.

“As the chairman of the Singapore Crane Association, my intention is to examine this gap and understand how we are going to breach it. We have been speaking to George and others about their experience in Australia,” said Chua.

30 / CAL January 2020

In Singapore, regular crane inspections are compulsory and there is also a requirement for a crane to be inspected before it moves onto a major project

Chua went on to explain the lack of options the Singapore crane industry has when it comes to maintenance and repairs.

“As far as repair is concerned, we understand Australian crane companies don’t have to put repairs, including structural repairs through the OEM. We have identified this as an area that can really bring the costs down.

Unfortunately, we don’t have access to maintenance or repair facilities capable of repairing or reconditioning this type of equipment. Singapore has a number of small dealers for the OEM’s and these simply don’t have the resources to genuinely support the product at this level,” he said.

MAINTENANCE AND REFURBISHMENT Part of the SCA’s visit to Australia was to see how service and support works from the OEMs and other independent repairers, and also how the refurbishment of cranes works. Chua mentioned that crane hire businesses in Singapore don’t have the equivalent of

a business like, Ben Baden Services and that’s why they need to fill in the gaps.

“We need the right people with the right know how. We need to learn from the best and establish the right processes and controls in the right environment and facility to have the desirable end result of reinstating the machines into prime condition,” said Chua.

According to Chua, the SCA has 60 members varying in size with many smaller members offering basic services.

He mentioned that some members don’t have their own workshops and because rates are low, it’s become a competitive market. The maintenance of machines is a real issue and the regulatory bodies and departments are not completely organised to manage this area. He also mentioned that the smaller members are a concern because they conduct makeshift repairs to save on costs and there are questions around about the machines being maintained to their original quality and capabilities – another issue facing the industry there (in Singapore).

“There are other issues beyond www.cranesandlifting.com.au

these, and I have already kick-started conversations with the authorities in Singapore. This trip is to gather more knowledge and justification as to how the industry should be operating in Singapore. I want to alleviate any fear, because people become fearful of change and we have to ensure any changes are for the better. As the chairman of the crane industry I see this as a key part of my job. I have to provide the authorities with the right information to ensure they are confident with what has to be done. I am pleased that my colleague Akbar was able to make the trip as he will provide other valuable insights,” said Chua.

Akbar Kader has worked in the Singapore construction sector for many years and he is approaching the issue with a slightly different perspective.

Kader agrees that the SCA’s visit provides an ideal opportunity to learn from fellow practitioners and experts in one’s own field, which he believes is the most useful way to learn. To Kader, his priority has always been safety. Maintenance of machinery is a priority for manufacturers, and this has been the case in the car and truck industries through appointed agents and workshops.

“I draw this parallel with cranes.

Why can’t we have the same processes available for a multi-million-dollar piece of machinery. We’re not saying the manufacturers can’t manage the refurbishment process, of course they can. We are examining how to bring refurbishment and repairs to a level where the safety of the repairs is assured, but also the turn-around time and the costs are acceptable,” Kader said.

“Today’s economy is all about cost and ensuring the whole process is being underwritten. It’s critical that that the integrity of the repair process is intact, and I don’t see why this can only be done in the traditional way. It needs a lot of the relevant partners to come to the party and the automobile industry has done this.”

Kader’s opinion is that the Australian www.cranesandlifting.com.au

model is a step in the right direction – something that’s very important in this process is the integrity of documentation. Each step of a maintenance or refurbishment process has to be properly documented and then the authorities provide certification on

“The Ministry of Manpower is a strong government body and I can see the need for strong regulatory requirements around these issues being very important. The trip is about knowledge sharing and providing our Singaporean friends with the information required to go back and lobby the relevant authorities.” the strength of the process.

“Even in Australia different states have different requirements. We have to get the authorities in Singapore comfortable and the way to do this is to present the Australian systems as an example of having the correct expertise within industry groups authorities and various levels of governments. There isn’t a reason why we can’t embark on this journey in Singapore. It will take time but ultimately it will benefit the industry,” he said.

Murphy can see genuine opportunities for the Australian and Singaporean crane sectors to work together.

“The Ministry of Manpower is a strong government body and I can see the need for strong regulatory requirements around these issues being very important. The trip is about knowledge sharing and providing our Singaporean friends with the information required to go back and lobby the relevant authorities,” said Murphy

Murphy says the aim is to demonstrate how CICA has been managing these processes in Australia, and for a long time. He said that at the moment, the Singaporean market is very heavily reliant on the OEMs and up until now, it has been working. But the market is getting tighter, the costs of having repairs done by the OEMs, in many instances, are no longer sustainable and the crane business is unable to pass on the costs to the customer.“Things need to happen in Singapore to make the industry more sustainable and there are a number of initiatives we will show the group. There is total confidence in our market that cranes can be competently repaired by third parties and in many cases at a fraction of the costs quoted by OEMs,” said Murphy.

The crane sector in Singapore can fast track it’s repair industry by taking examples from Australia.

“Singapore will need a number of crane repair businesses capable of managing repairs back to the manufacturers’ specifications and guidelines. Ensuring the right processes are adopted, including welding techniques, the right quality of materials used, and including appropriate grades of steel, will be critical.

“Overarching all of this is having the appropriate engineers that sign off on the scope of repairs prior to the repair process commencing. Once the repairs are underway, they will have the ability to examine the repair process to ensure the repairs adhere to the appropriate guidelines before signing off on the job, post repair,” he said.

“That way they own every aspect of the repair. Ultimately, it’s their engineering ability that’s signing off on the job and therefore it’s their liability. In our experience, this process reduces time and loss of revenue, two key issues for the industry. Every machine that we insure is generating revenue of some description so it’s critical to minimise the cost and time so you can get the machine back out and earning revenue as soon as possible,” said Murphy.

January 2020 CAL / 31

IN FOCUS / USED CRANES

MEETING THE DEMAND FOR USED CRANES Although the Liebherr used crane business is a little over two years old, demand from the market has been above expectations and cranes are being sourced from right around the globe.

SINCE THE AGE OF 14, TOM GRADY, Liebherr’s national used crane manager, has been working on and with Liebherr products. He explains a bit more about his role with Liebherr used cranes and how the business is fairing.

“In the mid 90s, I started an apprenticeship at the age of 14 with the Liebherr agent. We sold and serviced Liebherr mobile and crawler cranes, mining, concrete foundation and construction equipment. In 2005, we took on the LWN crawler crane and foundation products and then carried these over to Liebherr Australia in 2008.

“Being the national service manager/ head of customer service, I was carrying out field servicing nationally, technically advising, managing spare parts, overseeing daily operations and supporting the sales team. In the early days, as with the Ehingen cranes, there were only a few units from the Nenzing factory, but in the following decades the business grew into the hundreds,” he said.

Grady provides background on the Liebherr used crane business.

“I spoke to Andrew Esquilant about the role and understood what he was after and he could see I had the relevant skills and experience. I manage the whole process from the pre-purchase crane inspection, management of the import process, overseeing of required works through our workshops and final delivery ensuring the mechanical side and presentation is up to scratch. I also facilitate local used crane sales, trades and various other functions the job requires,” he said.

The Used Crane Department suits Grady’s skills set.

“I really enjoy the pre-owned cranes side of the business including all the technical aspects. The most enjoyable part of the job is dealing with customers during the sales process and seeing the end result. I feel my 25 years of experience, across Liebherr products, was perfect 32 / CAL January 2020

Tom Grady, Liebherr’s national used crane manager.

training for me to step up and into this role,” he said.

According to Grady, there are various sources for used cranes and his role isn’t just selling them.

“I have to be across available products and be in a position to sell and deliver them into the market. I also help manage the trade requests from the five new crane sales managers. They have trades to go in on new cranes and it’s my job to ensure we get the customer the best price on the trade,” he said.

“This may mean facilitating a deal between two customers. Instead of putting the trade ‘on the books’ and having to hold or re-sell it, we put customer A who is trading the crane, in touch with customer B who is looking for that used model of crane. With this scenario, the crane will generally end up going through the workshop where we might make a tyre change, carry out a major inspection, provide a service and Crane Safe inspection, along with weighing them and carrying out the registration process.

“Our factory in Ehingen Germany trades around 250 cranes a year in terms of mobile and crawler cranes so there’s nearly always the correct sized crane available

somewhere in the world. Last year we delivered the 10,000th used crane from our facility in Germany. Like the majority of the cranes we trade, we knew the history and background to the crane as Liebherr initially sold it, serviced it, traded it back against a new Liebherr, and then put it through our inspection process before delivering and commissioning it into Melbourne,” said Grady.

According to Grady, a lot of cranes in Europe are not fully equipped for the Australian market and explains why customers consider pre-owned cranes.

“Many of the cranes we see from Europe are ‘under-specced’ for the Australian market and being the manufacturer, we have the opportunity to ‘spec them up’ with different fly’s, winches, dolly preparation etc. and then deliver the crane into Australia exactly how the customer wants it,” he said.

“There are many reasons why our customers choose a used Liebherr. We have a premium product and customers see the value in owning a Liebherr whether it’s new or pre-owned. Customers can buy a two-year-old crane, fully serviced and delivered on road with warranty, for a similar cost to a new crane from another manufacturer.

“We also have customers purchasing a new crane and then find they can’t get the finance for a second, so they look for a pre-owned Liebherr crane as an option.

We also have customers with an urgent requirement for a particular size and the lead time for a new crane might be too long and we have had a used crane on stock,” said Grady.

Grady works closely with the new crane sales managers ensuring the best outcome for customers.

“Most days, I work with the new crane managers across Australia and New Zealand and we understand what the customer wants. Together, we’ll put forward a new or a used option, it’s not www.cranesandlifting.com.au

about pushing them in one direction, we leave the decision to the customer. We’re offering a full package,” Grady said.

“We know what cranes are coming and if we are short of a stock unit, I will source a used unit which will generally be fresh on stock in one of our overseas facilities. I can source used cranes from my counterparts in Germany, UK and the US. All the cranes have been sold new and serviced by Liebherr. The cranes are put through the workshop and tested so we know what we’re up for and what work needs to be done.

“The cranes are thoroughly washed, serviced, inspected, tested, repaired and sometimes factory painted. They’re shipped and arrive on the wharf where we move them through quarantine.

This process is working really well now.

Inspectors have seen the quality and the cleanliness of the equipment to the point they have asked if the cranes are definitely used,” said Grady.

“Once the crane arrives at our facility and depending on the build, our work can vary immensely. The build could involve a boom removal kit, major inspection, dolly preparation and pretty much everything in between. We carry out the roadability items, Crane Safe inspection, and registration process. Generally speaking,

I’m the last person to touch the crane just after the detailer,” he said The used crane business has led to an increase in new customers experiencing the Liebherr brand, says Grady.

“The used cranes are attracting a lot of new customers, quite a few of our used crane customers are new to Liebherr.

We’re working with a customer now who started his business a few months ago and this is his first crane. Customers are understanding our value proposition,” he said.

According to Grady, all local Liebherr facilities are capable of refurbishing a used crane.

“I don’t have to specifically bring a used crane into Sydney. Depending on which state we sell the crane into, our local facility can handle it. We’re not just focused on mobiles, we also bring in crawler cranes. There are two LTR’s coming which are tele boom crawlers and both are going to the one customer in the outback,” he said.

Knowing the history of the crane provides Liebherr with a number of advantages says Grady.

“As the manufacturer, we have a number of advantages when it comes to used cranes. There’s generally nothing we can’t find out about a particular crane.

We built the crane, we commissioned the crane new and, on most occasions, we’ve serviced and maintained the crane whereever it is or has been in the world.

“From the technical and service side, we have the best team in the business.

Another key advantage is we have access to the paperwork trail including the various warranties and parts; everything is there. If we bring in a crane it’s basically starting a fresh life and the savings versus a new crane can be quite sizeable depending on the crane size,” he said.

“Since January 2018, we’ve purchased and sold 18 cranes from our overseas facilities and we’ve managed numerous local trades. We have seen around 350 used crane trades or purchase requests and have moved between 50 and 60 cranes, so the demand is there. We’ve got customers that keep coming back with some moving onto their second and third crane.

“There’s great job satisfaction seeing new family businesses start out and existing customers expand. You can see the drive and enthusiasm and understand where they want to be one day. Being a family business, Liebherr understands these ambitions and with each and every instance, and with every step on the journey, Liebherr is right in there and with them,” said Grady.

Cranes from Europe can be “under-specced” for the Australian market. Liebherr can fit them with different fly’s, winches and dolly preparation, and more.

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

January 2020 CAL / 33

IN FOCUS / CRANE BORER

NOTHING BORING ABOUT THE BADEN CRANE BORER

The Baden Borer lifts eight tonne at eight meters and is mounted on an 8x8 MAN truck.

Ben Baden Services recently designed, engineered and manufactured the Baden Crane Borer for TransGrid to assist in the placement process of concrete power poles.

BEN BADEN SERVICES HAS A HISTORY in designing and fabricating one off or small volume type projects for various companies.

These projects first started with QANTAS and its requirements for specific ground support equipment, says Ben Baden.

“We’ve engineered and prefabricated various types of equipment for QANTAS in the past. When they initially purchased their Airbus A380, they required a specific type of scissor lift to change out the Auxiliary Power Units. It needed to be a scissor lift mounted on a road going truck capable of lifting one tonne to 12 metre, with a platform could traverse three meters forwards. Not surprisingly, one didn’t exist on the market, so we designed one for them and ended up building four. So yes, there’s a history of low volume project work,” he said.

Ben Baden Services was approached 34 / CAL January 2020

by TransGrid, the main electricity transmission providers for Sydney.

TransGrid had an issue, particularly with the increased use of concrete telegraph poles which are naturally much heavier than timber poles.

“There wasn’t much readily available on the market that could handle the increased weight of the concrete poles, so we sat down with them and we worked out the maximum weight they wanted to lift, at a certain radius, and work backwards from there. Obviously, TransGrid don’t do general hire, so they weren’t coming to me asking for various sizes of crane, they wanted a machine that could lift eight tonne at eight metres but also have an auger or boring attachment to it. That’s how we started the process of designing and building a 20 tonne crane borer for TransGrid,” said Baden.

The lifting capacities of the other products on the market were not

adequate for the applications and for TransGrid’s needs, says Baden.

“There is a product out of the US which, off the brochure would meet their requirements, but there are no agents for the product in Australia and there was a degree of risk for TransGrid to go down that path. One of the risks was a blow out in costs due to the fluctuating exchange rate. When a company like TransGrid goes to tender, they want to issue a purchase order on a fixed cost. They don’t want it to be subject to an exchange rate that’s quite volatile,” he said.

“Also, one of these products hadn’t been brought to Australia before, so there were concerns around road regulations, particularly in New South Wales. There was an uncertainty around what level of permit they would be able to run on. TransGrid is obviously operating in remote areas where there are lots of bridges which haven’t had their www.cranesandlifting.com.au

engineering checked recently, so they are on a low roadability tolerance. All in all, the US product would have come with a degree of risk involved,” said Baden.

Baden says the whole process, from design through to the manufacture of the finished product, took between 18 months to two years.

“That was from the very start of the process, sitting down with TransGrid and really understanding what they wanted to actually have a built product.

Certainly, the design challenges were the physical size of the crane. What you can actually mount on a road going truck whilst keeping the weight down and also being able to achieve the lifting capacities that TransGrid wanted with the concrete telegraph poles. That’s obviously the fundamental requirement of the machine.

“Also, a company like TransGrid has other needs and requirements for their operators. They wanted a fully enclosed cabin that can be heated in the winter and air conditioned in the summer and good access and egress built into the machines. They obviously have working with height compliance and general Work Health and Safety requirements, which is completely understandable for a company of TransGrid’s nature. Trying to incorporate all of that into the design was a challenging process,” said Baden.

Being a first of its kind, Baden needed to ensure it met the Australian Design regulations and that it Australia Design approved.

“Of course, we made sure it met all design requirements as well as WorkCover Plant Registration and all of the things that everyone has to do.

Anyone with any plant and machinery needs to go through these regulatory processes. Meeting all the appropriate standards is a challenge in itself.

“Eight tonnes at eight metres was the requirement, but we didn’t want the machine to be 100 per cent on its limit, so we built buffers into the design just in case. TransGrid work on telegraph transmission lines and they are generally located in quite rugged areas. The crane has to mounted on an 8x8 truck in this case it’s a MAN truck. It’s an 8x8 drive www.cranesandlifting.com.au

because the surface roads they drive on are rugged, it’s not like driving on bitumen,” said Baden.

In the design and manufacture processes, particular attention was paid to the slew, says Baden.

“A crane will generally operate very smoothly when you may have a dynamic load, or you have the load suspended from the hook. With a crane borer, you have an auger attachment fixed on to the boom and while they are drilling the hole, the crane is undergoing a lot of shock and stress. It’s not uncommon for them to spend an entire day drilling one hole through rock and shale.

“While they are doing that, the crane is under stress, it’s bouncing, shifting and shaking quite severely. Obviously, that has to be incorporated into the design, you have to use a heavier and more robust design than if you were designing a lifting crane. This robustness has to run through the boom, to the slewing ring and the slewing drive gear.

All of that equipment has to be robust and ‘beefed up’ quite a lot to ensure it doesn’t wear before it’s time,” said Baden.

Baden explains the borer’s functionality in more detail.

“At the end of the boom you have hydraulically operated pole grabs.

Ideally, they like to grab the pole from the top so when they stand it up it up it hangs perfectly straight and it can then be dropped perfectly level into the hole. With our 27 metre boom,

with a maximum tip height of round 30 metres you can do that with quite a high telegraph pole. You can grab a 25m telegraph pole from the end and stand it.

“However, there are situations when they can’t extend the whole boom.

This can be due to height of the pole, the weight of the pole or due to height restrictions because they are working underneath transmission lines. Then you have pole grabs at the end of the boom that can grip onto the pole to assist in standing it vertically, when it’s being installed,” said Baden.

“Typically, when the crane borer is on site, the poles will be unloaded horizontally from the truck and set down next to the crane. Then they drill the hole. The reason for the eight tonnes at eight meters is because that’s the minimum distance the crane borer can drill the hole. The auger attachment can’t be closer to the crane than when the boom is fully retracted. This governs the minimum distance that the hole will be from the crane. It avoids having to the pack up the crane up and reset it again.

That’s why we worked out the minimum hole distance from the crane, the crane doesn’t move, that has to be where the crane can plant the pole,” said Baden.

Ben Baden Services offers 12 months mechanical warranty and five years structural warranty. The crane has daily, weekly and quarterly check lists and services. The MAN truck is an OEM standard truck and comes with its own service regime.

Ben Baden is no stranger to designing and fabricating one off or small volume type projects.

January 2020 CAL / 35

IN FOCUS / BOOM LOGISTICS

BOOM Logistics (CQ) hosted a traditional welcome and smoking ceremony for the naming of the newest addition to its crane fleet.

BOOM LOGISTICS ACKNOWLEDGES TRADITIONAL LANDOWNERS Boom Logistics names its latest crane after the Ghungalou Nation in traditional welcome and smoking ceremony.

RECENTLY, THE BOOM TEAM FROM the Blackwater operation in Central Queensland (CQ) hosted a traditional welcome and smoking ceremony for the naming of the newest addition to its crane fleet.

The area of Central Queensland, traditionally owned by Ghungalou people is bound by the Dawson River in the east, the Comet River in the west, the Mackenzie River in the north and Bigge 36 / CAL January 2020

Range in the south. This land includes the Blackwater depot, and this is a major reason Boom wanted to honour and pay tribute to the Ghungalou people.

Rod Welfare, BOOM Logistics’ CQ regional manager, explains a bit more.

“Boom CQ management and the Ghungalou crew here in the Blackwater depot worked closely with local indigenous leaders and the Ghungalou Aboriginal Corporation to come up with

a fitting tribute to the people. We were granted permission to name the new crane ‘Ghungalou’ and to decorate it with the totem of a rock wallaby, which represents the men of the tribe.

“We have a significant operation here at Blackwater with over 70 crew and we run a fleet of 43 cranes. The fleet ranges from a 15t Franna through to the new 300t Grove all terrain we’ve named Ghungalou. We pretty much operate www.cranesandlifting.com.au

in the same country of the Ghungalou nation which made the recent ceremony all the more relevant,” he said.

According to Welfare, Boom’s CQ operations have a strong connection with local indigenous communities.

“Across the Blackwater and Mackay operations we have a fair amount of indigenous representation in our work force. We have two Ghungalou men working on the team here in Blackwater, which made the process of obtaining artwork and the story behind it a little easier.

“The totem of a rock wallaby was selected here, and it represents the men of the tribe, who traditionally travelled to “do the work” including hunting and gathering food. According to indigenous culture the wallaby is one of the animals that has an innate knowledge of the land and its mythos. It teaches indigenous wisdom, and communion or journeying with a wallaby if you hold in your heart respect and humbleness, can yield much,” he said.

Welfare goes on to explain the significance of the naming and smoking ceremony to the Ghungalou Nation and its people.

“We had elders and other Ghungalou nation members travel from as far as north of Cairns and south from Brisbane. It meant a lot to them to be here and to see this happen. A couple of the elders were quite vocal in getting a rock wallaby totem on the crane to remind younger members of the Ghungalou nation what they are capable of achieving,” he said.

Boom Logistics, CEO, Tony Spassopoulos, also attended the ceremony and had this to say.

“Boom acknowledges the Ghungalou Nation people, who are the traditional owners of the land which we work in.

We are pleased to announce, out of respect of their elders past, present and emerging, we name our 300 tonne crane in their honour, Ghungalou.

“This undertaking is an important symbol that reaffirms our commitment to the Ghungalou Nation people. Thank you very much to the Blackwater team www.cranesandlifting.com.au

BOOM Central Queensland management and the Ghungalou crew in the Blackwater depot worked closely with local indigenous leaders and the Ghungalou Aboriginal Corporation.

“We have a significant operation here at Blackwater with over 70 crew and we run a fleet of 43 cranes. The fleet ranges from a 15t Franna through to the new 300t Grove all terrain we’ve named Ghungalou.

We pretty much operate in the same country of the Ghungalou nation which made the recent ceremony all the more relevant.” and a special mention to Rodney Jarro, Jason Kuhn, Joel Little, Reg Little, Reg Ambum and Rodney Welfare who helped bring our values to life,” he said.

The Boom CQ operations are firmly focused on the mining sector, says Welfare.

“Working in and around the mining sector is a major component of our business. We work closely with the main miners and their subcontractors throughout the region,” he said.

The new 300 tonne Grove all-terrain is the largest crane permanently based in Central Queensland.

The GMK6300L-1 features a maximum tip height of 120m when working with its full 80m main boom and 37m of jib. When lifting with the main boom, it can lift up to 14t at full

height and can handle this within a 1428m working radius, offering a flexible range of applications. Overall capacities on the long boom set a new benchmark for the industry.

The GMK6300L-1 is powered by a 430 kW (580 HP) Mercedes Benz (Euromot 4/EPA Tier 4 final) engine in the carrier that features improved fuel economy over its predecessor.

This is paired with a reliable Allison torque converter transmission. A 210 kW (280 HP) Mercedes Benz (Euromot 4/EPA Tier 4 final) engine powers the superstructure.

“It’s the largest crane in Central Queensland and it will be deployed on major projects. It provides that extra level of capacity in our fleet,” said Welfare.

January 2020 CAL / 37

IN FOCUS / FRANNA

FIRST TIME FRANNA AT CONEXPO 2020 The Franna AT 22 arrived in the US at the end of 2018 and had generated a lot of interest in the North American crane market. This interest has prompted the company to exhibit the articulated pick and carry crane at Conexpo 2020.

FRANNA – A TEREX BRAND AND major manufacturer in Australia of mobile pick and carry cranes—will make their debut at CONEXPOCON/AGG 2020, North America’s largest construction tradeshow under the concept: Lift It. Shift It. Own It!. The Franna team will be located at Terex booth #F7376 in the Festival Grounds at the exhibition, which will take place on 10-14 March 2020 at

the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Commenting on the upcoming show, Danny Black, general manager at Franna said, “CONEXPO-CON/ AGG 2020 is the perfect platform to showcase our unique product offering to a truly global audience.

Our team is looking forward to meeting with customers to discuss the features and benefits of our cranes.”

LIFT IT. SHIFT IT. OWN IT! Explaining the Franna concept for Conexpo 2020, Dermot McCracken, marketing manager at Franna said, “Frannas are the most utilised mobile cranes in Australia due to their strong lifting ability and unrivalled versatility.

As well as supporting core applications like mining and construction, these machines are used to lift almost anything that is too heavy to be lifted by

The first AT 22 export arrived in the US towards the end of 2018 and has generated a lot of interest in the North American crane market.

38 / CAL January 2020

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

US towards the end of 2018 and has generated a lot of interest in the North American crane market, so we are very excited to showcase it to visitors at Conexpo 2020.”

Thomas Coulter, Franna International sales manager.

hand – hence the term ‘lift it and shift it’.

Having one crane with the ability to cater for many different applications opens up a lot of doors for our customers, and we are very excited to share this with the rest of the world.”

AT 22 On display at the Terex booth #F7376 will be Franna’s popular AT 22 model—a mid-sized, mobile pick and carry crane with a maximum lifting capacity 24 US tons. Boasting maximum safety features and superior capabilities than that of other pick and carry cranes in the field, the AT 22 is a logical choice for customers who cover a wide range of applications. Key features and benefits of the machine include: • 24 tons (22t) at 4’ 7” radius (1.43m) • 1.8 tons (1.6t) at 51’ 10” (15.6m) • 55’ 9” maximum hook height (17m) • 18.5 tons (16.8t) capacity on 4 part hook block • Single line pull 4.6 tons (4.17t) • Dynamic LMI (patent protected) • Unique boom head design allows for maximum clearance • Easy access to all key maintenance points • Modern cabin design ensures maximum comfort for the operator • Dermot McCracken continues, “The first AT 22 export arrived in the www.cranesandlifting.com.au

DYNAMIC LMI As with all Terex brands, safety is the number one priority at Franna. First released in 2013, Franna’s patented Dynamic LMI remains as a pillar of safety, underpinning the electronic control and user experience offered today. The system is designed to offer ‘real-time’ calculation of rated capacity taking into account boom configuration, as well as chassis articulation, pitch and roll, enabling continual assessment of structural limitations, forward stability and side stability.

Increased resolution of rated capacity is made possible by finer measurement of articulation pitch and roll angles, allowing for improved machine capability compared to previous generation LMI systems. When operated on a jobsite over undulating terrain, the rated capacity will be updated continually, providing instantaneous information on the percentage utilisation of the machine (0-100 per cent of available capacity). When operating on a side slope or undulating terrain, operators are no longer required to manually calculate a reduction of

rated capacity; the Franna Dynamic LMI does that—making every lift safer.

Other operational aids include: • automatic counterweight detection; • operator settable maximum working height; • maximum working radius; • maximum front axle weight; • rigging limits; • percentage of rated capacity.

INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR OPPORTUNITIES Franna has opportunities for ambitious dealers who would like to grow their businesses by adding the iconic pick and carry brand to their portfolio.

Thomas Coulter, Franna International sales manager states, “We believe the best way to sell and support the Franna product internationally is through a global dealer network. The dealership model has proven to be very successful within the Terex Materials Processing division, providing local parts and service support to customers. I am keen to talk to potential dealers at Conexpo and educate them on the benefits of adding Franna pick and carry cranes to their existing equipment portfolio.”

To arrange a meeting with Coulter, email franna@terex.com or drop by booth #F7376 during the show.

For more information on Franna pick and carry cranes, visit www.terex.com/franna

Franna’s patented Dynamic LMI underpins the electronic control and user experience.

January 2020 CAL / 39

IN FOCUS / PACE CRANES

KEEPING PACE WITH SERVICE DEMANDS Pace Cranes recently announced the return of Patrick Mardaymootoo as service manager.

PATRICK MARDAYMOOTOO IS NO stranger to the crane sector. In the early 80s, his start in the industry began with Australian Crane and Excavator (ACE) which, back then, was the Manitowoc, Grove and Coles crane dealer.

“Paul Heeks was the state manager for ACE at the time and I was the Service Supervisor when we merged with the Tutt Bryant Group as one company into the facility at South Street, Rydalmere,” said Mardaymootoo.

“In 1987, Paul started Pace Cranes and we kept in touch and I joined Pace Patrick Mardaymootoo returns to Pace Cranes as service manager.

40 / CAL January 2020

the following year. We started with crane repairs, buying and selling second-hand cranes. We were doing P&H, Groves Franna and Linmacs, anything would come up, we were working on repairs and maintenance. I started as the field service technician and, as the business grew, I moved on to become the Service Supervisor,” he said.

In 1989 Mardaymootoo became the service manager.

“Back then mini crawler cranes were a new concept and there wasn’t a lot of demand so we started a rental business,

Pace Cranes Hire. This helped get units out into the market which increased the awareness of mini cranes and their benefits.

“We had a service dealership with P&H and also the army contract for maintenance on its cranes which included Tadano’s and P&H cranes.

We then added the Senebogen dealership, and later the Shuttlelift and Valla products.,” he said.

“Back then, we had a major focus on service because new crane sales were not as they are now, the focus was on the service and hire departments and whatever new cranes sales we made, were viewed as a bonus. We had a lot of major overhauls on Hitachi and Manitowoc lattice boom crawler cranes.

I also took a number of trips to PNG to conduct crane inspections for customers including Newcrest and the Electricity Commission of PNG,” said Patrick.

After 25 years, Mardaymootoo left Pace Cranes in 2013 to become a full time CraneSafe assessor.

“Back in 2002, Anthony Heeks and I became the first crane assessors in NSW when the program started. When I left Pace Cranes, I felt the timing was right for me to widen my horizons and broaden my experience by working for myself for a while. Although I was working for Allcranes and Equipment Inspections, inspecting all makes and models of cranes, telehandlers, drilling and piling equipment,” he said.

During his career in the crane sector, Mardaymootoo has seen terrific changes in crane technology.

“The lifting capacity compared to the weight factor of cranes has seen tremendous advancements and the development of LMI systems has brought in a lot of new technologies in terms of safety of equipment.

There is no comparing the intelligent electronic systems that now feature in www.cranesandlifting.com.au

cranes, including the hydraulic systems, compared to the old technology. The lattice boom crawlers we used to work on had a large engine room with big clutches and now they’re all hydraulically operated,” he said.

Mardaymootoo looks at how cranes are manufactured and the importance of maintenance programs.

“Nowadays, it’s so easy with a crane safe inspection, owners have become very familiar with the process, there are less faults found because the manufacturing processes have become so advanced and the faults you find are minimal compared to 20 years ago.

“You can also see that maintenance regimes with the equipment are a lot more consistent with the manufacturers recommendations compared to a few years back when they thought an oil change in the engine was enough.

®

“The lifting capacity compared to the weight factor of cranes has seen tremendous advancements and the development of LMI systems has brought in a lot of new technologies in terms of safety of equipment.

Nowadays, the technology is more complex, and users know the cranes will continue to perform if they are well maintained,” he said.

He says it used to be the case that when one walked into a yard to conduct a crane inspection it would be possible to be greeted with the notion of ‘here comes trouble again’. However,

Mardaymootoo explains that today one is made to feel welcome and develop a relationship with customers. “They are aware that you are there to do a job, not for your sake or the sake of the owner but for the sake of the industry and for the safety of everyone working around the equipment,” he said.

Mardaymootoo said that going back to Pace Cranes as the service manager with the purpose of restructuring and growing the service department and that the company will be focusing not only on their current product line but also working with all brands of equipment.

“There’s been a strong focus on the sales and there’s now a sizeable population of Pace Crane’s products in the market and the plan is to build a service department capable of managing the servicing and repairs of the cranes sold over the years,” he said.

IN FOCUS / CRANE SOFTWARE

MAKING LIFE EASIER WITH NEW UPDATES A1A Software recently added user-friendly features as well as a telematics app to the iCraneTrax software package.

TWO UPDATES AND THE ADDITION OF a new telematics app to iCraneTrax, the fleet and personnel management software from A1A Software LLC, are designed to make life easier for fleet managers and project managers.

The new fleet map feature provides, at a glance, a visual overview of the key service items for your fleet. Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red icons are a progressive display of the service intervals for each unit.

In addition, with user permissions enabled, both Link-Belt and Manitowoc dealers can access the telematics interface to schedule maintenance intervals for their customers based on usage, a 42 / CAL January 2020

convenient option for fleet managers.

“With this feature, fleet managers at rental companies or dealers could set up maintenance schedules for internal teams or customers to remind them about upcoming service due items,” said Tawnia Weiss, A1A Software president.

In addition, all documentation from iCraneTrax can now be saved as PDF files to provide cohesive document management related to employees, equipment, or customers. “Dispatch tickets and all other documentation connected to a specific project, can now be filed together in a convenient location,” said Weiss.

Weiss also announced the release

iTeleTrax app enables customers to access six different information pages right from their Apple or Android mobile device. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

of A1A Software’s first mobile device application for users of iCraneTrax, the company’s fleet management software with CRM, Dispatch, and GPS capabilities.

With the iTeleTrax app, customers can access six different information pages right from their Apple or Android mobile device. This makes it easier for operators, technicians or fleet managers to access critical information while on the go or at the job site.

The iTeleTrax app includes a fleet map overview of key service items, engine hour and maintenance notifications, DMI engine codes, fleet position for location tracking, and a summary page. Specific features and information displays vary depending on the OEM and telematics system used by your equipment. The app is available from the Apple Store or

The new iCranetrax fleet map feature provides, at a glance, a visual overview of the key service items for your fleet.

Google Play Store. Users log in with their iCraneTrax credentials. “iTeleTrax app improves communication between job

®

site personnel, dispatch, and service departments, increasing the opportunity for proactive maintenance,” said Weiss.

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IN FOCUS / KITO PWB

QUALITY DEPENDS ON THE PEOPLE KITO PWB places as much emphasis on the people behind the product as it does on the product itself.

FOR 95 YEARS, KITO PWB HAS BEEN delivering custom lifting solutions to the most complex of projects. With an uncompromising commitment to product development, quality and support, KITO PWB understands the people behind the products are as important as the products themselves.

KITO chief quality officer Tsuneo Yuzurihara and Andrew Lepan, KITO PWB managing director share their thoughts about “KITO Quality”.

“For 87 years, quality has been the top priority at KITO as we play our part in proudly presenting Japanese manufacturing to the world. Our founder Miyoshi Kito was a born workman, striving to go beyond helping customers solve specific problems. He explored ways to realise the ideals of any given product, making it more compact, lighter, and easier to operate and better in myriad ways. His uncompromising product evaluations and continuing improvement earned for KITO products the highest evaluations in our industry and are without doubt the foundation of the KITO quality we maintain until today”, Tsuneo Yuzurihara said.

“At KITO, we conduct many kinds of testing, including durability, to determine the unexplored limits of product performance. This is not just to assure our quality standards, but to ensure a safe and secure workplace for every customer at the same time. Rather than think about sales and profit first, KITO reaches out to customers to hear their voices, process that intelligence and work to fulfil it. This attitude has been highly evaluated by our customers in various industries, building confidence in KITO products”, Yuzurihara added.

44 / CAL January 2020

Andrew Lepan, managing director, KITO PWB.

“Quality depends on the people involved in production, and I believe it derives from their integrity and diligence.”

“Quality depends on the people involved in production, and I believe it derives from their integrity and diligence,” Tsuneo Yuzurihara KITO group managing director, chief quality officer, said.

Within KITO manufacturing processes it’s important to create systems to assure quality. With much thought and research, and through many trials, the KITO Manufacturing Technology Department is building production mechanisms to prevent defects. Above all else, however, quality depends on the people involved in production, and Yuzurihara believes it derives from integrity and diligence.

He commented that, “When we believe that our hearts and minds create quality, in our design and production processes, in our inspections and the

setting of quality standards, quality flows naturally. As the understanding of KITO quality deepens across the Group, it changes the thoughts and actions of every employee, and operations in every office and plant will go more smoothly, so that we will be able to provide the KITO-guaranteed-products and service to our customers around the world.”

Joining the Group in 2016, KITO PWB also takes on KITO spirit values seriously and looking into the future with high consciousness of responsibility toward its employees, users and society.

Andrew Lepan, managing director, KITO PWB, explained, “It is our responsibility to produce strong quality management program to ensure our staff and users are working safely and confidently. In order to reduce the risk of non-conformance products, purchasing KITO products ensures that strict environmental protection policies have been followed during the manufacturing process. It also helps to reduce energy consumption used to transport products from overseas, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“When we believe that our hearts and minds create quality, in our design and production processes, in our inspections and the setting of quality standards, quality flows naturally.” emissions, making it a win-win for everybody.”

“KITO PWB are proud to provide local skills, local resource and labours (including diversity) that are 100 per cent made here in Australia and in return we know that our customers are getting the very best products available and the comfort that we are working towards also taking responsibility for our precious environment”, Lepan said.

KITO chief quality officer, Tsuneo Yuzurihara.

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IN FOCUS / TRAINING

Sandra Burger, Liebherr-Australia training coordinator and Ben Deurer, technical trainer.

THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING YOUR CRANE Liebherr continues to make significant commitment to its customers by offering a range of training courses. Cranes and Lifting spoke to Ben Deurer, technical trainer and Sandra Burger, training coordinator for the Mobile Crane division to find out more.

DEURER EXPLAINS THE BACKGROUND TO Liebherr training courses.

“The internal courses for our technicians start with the Liebherr Training Centre in Germany. They offer 30 different courses each year.

Every technician from around the world receives their basic training there and they also attend regular training courses to keep them up to date with technological changes,” he said.

Due to the increasing number of technicians, the Liebherr factory decided to decentralise training and established more training hubs around the world.

Today, there are hubs in Brazil and Australia with others to follow.

46 / CAL January 2020

Liebherr Australia Mobile Cranes started locally 2007 says Deurer.

“Initially, we began with operator familiarisation training and then expanded the internal training content, before offering courses to our customers.

“For this to happen, Liebherr Mobile Cranes required their own technical trainer. I was in Perth working for the Crawler Cranes and Foundation Equipment Department. After 23 years as a mechanic, I thought it was the right time for me to get ‘off the tools’ and I successfully applied for the job as technical trainer, Mobile Crane Division in 2015,” he said.

In 2016, Deurer attended several

training courses at the Mobile Crane factory in Germany to gain in-depth knowledge about Liebherr Mobile Cranes and the technology they include.

Since 2017, he has been conducting internal courses as well as customer training courses.

“Currently we offer three internal courses for technicians which are product specific to Liebherr cranes.

These are the LICCON I with data bus, LICCON II with data bus and the Standard Software course. LICCON is the computer system controlling crane functionality and prevents it from doing things it isn’t designed to do.

“The Standard Software course www.cranesandlifting.com.au

introduces our technicians to Liebherr’s diagnostic programs. Imagine the engine control light starts flashing on your car’s dashboard. You take the car to a workshop, the mechanic plugs in his diagnostic tool which provides fault codes, highlighting the problem.

Similarly, we can connect a laptop which uses several programs to diagnose the different systems in the crane,” he said.

The three advanced training courses enable Liebherr technicians to work unsupervised on cranes enabling visits to job sites for servicing and carrying our repairs. Internally, it’s a requirement for Liebherr technicians to have completed these courses providing mechanics with the tools to diagnose issues with the systems and then to fix them.

Burger confirms the Liebherr training program is readily available for Liebherr customers.

“Our customer training is open to pretty much anyone working with Liebherr Mobile Cranes. Our courses assist participants to understand more about the Liebherr product which will help them to operate the cranes more efficiently and enable them to service and repair their own products,” she said.

Besides the operator familiarisation training, Liebherr has four different training courses in the package offered to customers. These include: • Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics.

• LICCON I & II with data bus.

• Influence of Wind.

• Active rear axle steering.

The Liebherr Crane Service and Maintenance is the “starter” course, suitable for maintenance staff with little or no experience with Liebherr Mobile Cranes says Deurer.

“That’s our starter course, but people with 20 years experience can still attend and learn something new, because the crane’s technology is evolving so quickly.

“The course is designed for a customer’s maintenance technician who wants to service the crane and repair it when necessary. We go through the basics; we’ll get out in the yard and www.cranesandlifting.com.au

on the cranes, we’ll go through the theory and you will complete the course confident you can manage small repairs by yourself,” he said.

The next step would be to attend the LICCON I & II with data bus course which provides the customer with a better understanding of Liebherr control systems.

“For this course, I’d suggest you will need some experience with Liebherr cranes; if you haven’t seen a Liebherr crane before, the course content would be overwhelming. It’s also an advantage to have some kind of experience in vehicle electrics and electronics.

“Currently, we offer three internal courses for technicians which are product specific to Liebherr cranes. These are the LICCON I with data bus, LICCON II with data bus and the Standard Software course. LICCON is the computer system controlling crane functionality and prevents it from doing things it isn’t designed to do.”

“In my view, the Influence of Wind course helps everyone involved in crane operations. The course will benefit the crane operator as well as his colleague who sits in the office conducting the lift study and lift planning,” said Deurer.

“The Active rear axle steering course targets maintenance personnel. It’s a specialised course and participants should have experience with Liebherr cranes. They are shown the possibilities for the repair and maintenance of single components within the active rear axle steering system.

Liebherr publishes a promotional flyer which is sent to all our customers and training is available in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Auckland.

“We don’t offer a statement

of attainment. A participant who completes a course walks out with a deeper understanding of his Liebherr crane. He can operate the crane safely and he can repair the crane if needed,” said Deurer.

Deurer says Liebherr has been working closely with CICA over the last three years.

“We conduct one day workshops for CraneSafe inspectors. These have provided a better understanding of our products so when the assessor inspects our cranes, he knows what he’s looking at and looking for,” he said.

Burger explains how the course program is expanding.

“The Crane Service & Maintenance course is always very well subscribed to.

Last year was the first time we’ve offered the Influence of Wind training course, so it might take a while to get this established. 2020 is the first time we are offering all courses in New Zealand, so it will be interesting to see how these go,” she said.

Liebherr customer training enables crane owners to be informed about the possible problems by assessing the information they have at their disposal, including the manuals and technical documentation they receive with the crane, says Deurer.

“If they can understand what’s going on behind the dashboard it makes life easier for everyone and little problems can be fixed by the customer straight away. By training and supporting the customer they are in a position to manage simple issues for themselves.

We have provided the tools and knowledge they need to understand their machine better,” he said.

Interested customers can arrange courses outside of the standard dates said Burger.

“Our schedule is well planned, and we have the dates and venues available for 2020, but if a customer is interested in organising a course for their staff, they can contact us for more information. We will be happy to find a suitable date, discuss it and price for the course accordingly,” she said.

January 2020 CAL / 47

Mobile Cranes

Customer Training Courses 2020 DATES

COURSE

LOCATION

DURATION

12th – 13th February

Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics

Perth WA

2 Days

18th – 19th February

Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics

Sydney NSW

2 Days

3rd – 5th March

LICCON I & II with data bus

Sydney NSW

3 Days

10th – 11th March

Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics

Brisbane QLD

2 Days

17th – 18th March

Influence of Wind including LICCON Work Planner

Sydney NSW

2 Days

24th – 25th March

Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics

Auckland NZ

2 Days

21st – 22nd April

Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics

Melbourne VIC

2 Days

28th – 29th April

Active rear axle steering

Sydney NSW

2 Days

5th – 7th May

LICCON I & II with data bus

Perth WA

3 Days

19th – 21st May

LICCON I & II with data bus

Brisbane QLD

3 Days

7th – 9th July

LICCON I & II with data bus

Auckland NZ

3 Days

14th – 15th July

Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics

Sydney NSW

2 Days

21st – 23rd July

LICCON I & II with data bus

Sydney NSW

3 Days

28th – 29th July

Influence of Wind including LICCON Work Planner

Melbourne VIC

2 Days

29th – 30th September

Influence of Wind including LICCON Work Planner

Brisbane QLD

2 Days

13th – 15th October

LICCON I & II with data bus

Melbourne VIC

3 Days

3rd – 4th November

Active rear axle steering

Sydney NSW

2 Days

10th – 11th November

Influence of Wind including LICCON Work Planner

Perth WA

2 Days

1st – 2nd December

Influence of Wind including LICCON Work Planner

Auckland NZ

2 Days

Please refer to our Mobile Cranes Customer Training programme for course descriptions and general terms and conditions.

CONTACT US If you would like more information or to obtain a quote for any of these courses and also to register for a course, please contact our training department via email LAS-MCTraining@liebherr.com, or call us on 02 9852 1830.

IN FOCUS / DANA

ADVANCED HELICAL GEARBOX RANGE EXPANDS BREVINI AUSTRALIA’S OFFERING Dana SAC Australia has just expanded its product offering, with the release of the latest range of gearmotors and gearboxes based on three product types: parallel shaft helical; inline helical; and right-angle helical bevel.

THE HOUSING MATERIAL IS GG20-GG22 cast iron, with the gears made of quality case carburised steel. The input otions include electric motor with and without brake, Brevini integrated motor or IEC or NEMA mounts to suit users’ preferred brand of electric motor. Options for pneumatic and hydraulic motor inputs and solid input shaft also available.

The range is European-designed and manufactured and is interchangeable with other European manufacturers.

K Series Helical Bevel gearboxes featuring a monoblock housing are designed for higher efficiency and greater strength, these gearboxes are ideal for applications like conveyors, mixers, small winches and the like. The K series helical bevel gearbox has flexible connection possibilities and options such as integral backstops.

Output and mounting options range from hollow, solid, shrink disc and double output shafts, with flange, foot or torque arm mounting to suit user application. Smaller gearboxes are supplied in two- and three-stage configuration, with larger sizes only available as three stage units. The K series gearmotors are rated up to 90 kW. Ideal for applications like screw conveyors, bucket elevators, shredders and screw presses, the D Series Helical Gearboxes feature a parallel shaft which provides mounting support and makes these compact and easier to fit. The range is supplied as flange mounted, foot mounted, parallel shaft mounted or in a combination of these mounting alternatives and are rated up to 160kW. Designed as modular units, the www.cranesandlifting.com.au

New gear box range from Brevini Australia.

output shaft and flange can be added to the standard parallel shaft gearbox, without any change on the gearbox.

Mounting points are located on both sides of the housing. The D Series can be combined with other types of gearboxes, with little modification. They also offer advantages in radial loads.

M and N Series gearboxes are ideal for applications like progressive cavity pumps, high volume axial fans and with strengthened output housing for mixer and aerator drives. Designed as monoblock units, the gearboxes offer greater rigidity, less oil leakage, lower noise levels and high gear strength. The bearings are supported by the single piece housing itself and not by cover plates of other components.

These gearboxes support high radial loads and are supplied in either foot or flange mounting, with two or three

stages in a single housing. The modular design allows the user to couple two gearboxes with little modification. The largest gearbox in the range has a rating up to 90kW. Ideal for use in overhead and tower cranes, the V Series parallel shaft helical gearboxes are also monoblock units. The design of the monoblock housing allows for flange mounting directly to the drum frame using a locating spigot and flange mounting positions. Output shafts are solid spline according to DIN5480.

The V series units feature longer bearing distance and taper rolling bearings allowing the units to withstand high radial loads. They are designed for higher ISO/FEM classes with larger gear face widths, compared to competitive products of similar size. There are five models available with differing load capabilities up to 45kW. January 2020 CAL / 49

IN FOCUS / TRT

CRANE TRAILERS ARE NOT JUST TRAILERS ANYMORE To meet the specialised requirements of the crane industry, TRT has developed a range of purpose-built crane trailers as well as lightweight crane support trailers, designed to securely transport cranes, counterweights and other crane components.

NO MATTER THE CRANE MAKE OR MODEL, TRT has a semi-trailer, B-double, skeletal or road train solution to suit. TRT has designed these specialist crane trailers to be light weight allowing the operator to optimise the payload per axle, and now with VersaLock, their newly patented and highly innovative load restraint mount system, the operator can be confident the payload is positioned on the trailer so that it is legal on the road, no matter the set up or where the crane is going.

TRT has been developing and manufacturing trailers since the early 70s. Cranes and Lifting recently spoke to Bruce Carden, manufacturing director, to discuss recent developments to the product line up.

“Predominantly, our business looks at building trailers for oversized items and to do that, the trailer itself is reconfigured as a low loader or low decker. In more recent years, we’ve extended our range and we now build a range called crane support

Bruce Carden(right) with his father, TRT founder and director, Dave Carden (left), in front of a TIDD PC28.

50 / CAL January 2020

trailers. This range is designed to carry a range of ancillary equipment a crane needs when it’s deployed. This can include counter weights, the crane base plate, the outrigger pads to spread the load of the outriggers when the crane is set up, it could be the hook block or the de-rigging box,” said Carden.

TRT purpose build crane trailers to carry crane related items in specific locations on the trailers, and trailers deployed in a specific order to site for a number of reasons.

“When a crane operator gets to site with all of their gear, they need to configure and mobilise the crane and get it to the point where it can conduct its first lift. With a standard trailer, this process can take hours depending on the size of the crane,” said Carden.

“If the operator can get to site and have the gear turn up in the right order on the trailers, that’s the first step. From their customer’s point of view, they are hiring the crane for the job and he can see the operator has a system, that it’s a quick and efficient system and, because it’s all configured properly, its saving time. And from the customer’s point of view, they believe they are getting value for money,” said Carden.

“As you can appreciate, large cranes have a very high hourly rate and if the crane can be configured efficiently this will significantly reduce cost in a job or improve competitiveness during a tender or quote process, that’s a real and tangible return on investment,” he said.

According to Carden, there are a number of issues relating to safely securing loads of various shapes and sizes to the tailer.

“When you put counterweights on to

the steel deck of a trailer and you don’t put rubber between the counterweight and the deck, you get steel on steel, which is very slippery. These counterweights weigh between 10t and 15t, so if the driver brakes suddenly, the counterweights can become missiles. And when you consider that 9 times out of 10 they are not tied down correctly when chains and dogs are used, the safety risk is extreme,” he said.

Another issue relates to the correct positioning of weights on the trailer, says Carden.

“If the load isn’t positioned correctly you won’t get all the axles to weigh correctly. Our purpose-built trailers are engineered with specific load restraints in exactly the right place, so all the axles weigh correctly, significantly reducing risk because no chains and dogs are required.

So from a duty of care perspective, as the owner of the crane business, you are confident that when the trailers are deployed, the next phone call isn’t going to be from a problem, or worse, an accident,” he said.

TRT has been building crane counterweight support trailers for more than eight years and over this period several clients have recognised the various benefits.

“Over the years, we’ve worked closely with a number of clients. Borger Cranes, for example, has around 45 of our purpose-built crane trailers.

They are realising genuine benefits in terms of safety and the deployment of counterweights on site,” said Carden.

Carden explains the benefits of a system designed to make TRT crane trailers even more flexible.

“In the past, trailers were designed and manufactured for a particular crane, www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Universal Cranes Crane Semi Trailer with road train capability.

and what I call the ‘furniture’, the various pieces of equipment that travels with the crane, have been attached to the trailer at various fixed points or positions.

“More recently, we developed quite a unique attachment point called the Versa-Lock and we are very excited about it, we’ve just been awarded an innovation patent. It was on display at the recent CICA Conference and it caused a lot of interest. VersaLock is a bolt on device which can be moved up and down the trailer in 50mm increments. This enables the operator to ensure the axle loadings are exactly right and to also repurpose the trailer for other crane models enabling them to re-bolt on different furniture,” he said.

“Large fleet owners, like Freo Cranes might have trailers operating up in the Northern Territory as well as in Victoria. In the Northern Territory, they may want a road train configuration but in Victoria and especially with city driving in Melbourne for example, they may just want a straight semi-trailer.

With VersaLock, the one trailer can be reconfigured and re-purposed to effectively go anywhere,” said Carden.

One of the models on display at the CICA Conference and Exhibition was a light weight, three-axle semi-trailer with the Versa-Lock mounting system. TRT has built the first two of these trailers for Universal Cranes.

“We also had a second trailer on display which could be classed as a crane support trailer. It’s an ESS trailer which incorporates our patented electronic steering system. We are currently building www.cranesandlifting.com.au

VersaLock enables the crane trailer load to be reconfigured in 50mm increments.

one for a NSW Crane company for their 500t Liebherr,” said Carden.

“The trailer is the first of its kind in Australia to do that job. The boom of the 500t crane will be taken off the crane and transported by this trailer. All 40 tyres on the trailer steer automatically with zero tyre scrub. They do this by way of a signal from the angle of the prime mover. This system will enable the whole boom, trailer and truck configuration in under what’s called 25m and provide them general access right around the city. It’s probably the only way they’d get their boom into the small lane ways of downtown Sydney,” he said.

“Almost everyone else operating this style of crane uses a quad float and a dolly, and when you use a dolly it’s not easy to back onto a site. This style of trailer will handle that.

According to Carden, it’s a new concept for transporting booms with flexibility engineered into the trailers. TRT has developed a new Quick Connect modular trailer system, which enables additional axle sections to be joined in 20 minutes or even less, without compromising strength.

Something that could take an operator half a day or longer.

“We’ve got a number of them operating but not specifically to carry booms. In fact, one of the first to be delivered is to Max Cranes to carry the boom on their 1200t Liebherr, the largest all terrain crane in Australia. That trailer is unique in that it can be configured to carry the boom.

But to increase flexibility, it can also have inserts taken out and axle modules added to make it an 8x8. Max Cranes can

then put the whole 1200t carrier on it – which weighs 109 tonnes,” he said.

“It’s also possible to add ramps on the back and cart other bits of gear, or they could use the same trailer for transporting heavy loads like transformers. It becomes more than a trailer, it’s a piece of plant in their fleet that can be utilised in multiple applications. We started putting together this technology for Max Cranes about 12 months ago and the same technology from that build, is included in the NSW trailer.

TRT is always happy to discuss customer requirements, but these trailers are not off the shelf solutions, says Carden.

“Our Australian branch in Brisbane I supported by a team of 42, including a dedicated trailer sales team based there.

Anyone interested in these trailers can contact Philip White and he’ll be able to provide advice and assist with developing a solution to suit specific applications.

Philip has direct access to our factory and our engineers. Typically, with these things though they are not an off the shelf piece of kit, they require in-depth planning.

“We have a simple and effective process whereby we ask the customer what they want, find out what they need and then our engineering team works with our sales team and customers coming together with the optimal solution.

Along with our Warranty on workmanship, TRT Australia provides the service and support from Brisbane with a number of product support agents around Australia, depending on the trailer and what’s required,” he said.

January 2020 CAL / 51

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MULTI-CRANE LIFTING Kevin Ball, group safety manager for Smithbridge Group/Universal Cranes and Standards Australia Committee Member, discusses the importance of planning lifts involving multiple cranes.

SEVERAL OF THE MOST HIGH-PROFILE crane accidents of recent times have been those involving multiple cranes (also referred to as tandem lifts). When there are two or more cranes involved in an incident, the impact and outcome of the incident is often magnified.

“It’s always important to properly plan any lift, but even more so when there are several cranes involved.

Multiple crane lifts are among the most technically complex lifts to plan and execute. As an industry, we generally struggle with multiple crane lifts. The Australian Standards or international equivalents can be difficult to interpret.

There is also often a layer of state or local guidelines to meet, which can be at odds with national standards.

Guidelines differ between states and countries,” said Ball.

“Therefore, I must preface this by saying it will not be possible for me to outline the specific requirements of your local region. I encourage you to do your own research in this regard, but I will attempt to provide some general things to be considered when planning and executing a multi-crane lift,” he said.

54 / CAL January 2020

WHAT IS A MULTI-CRANE LIFT? Put simply, multi-crane lifts are those which involve two or more cranes to support a load either with hooks attached directly to the load by slings, through shackles attached to pad eyes, or directly to an equaliser beam. Upending a vertical vessel using two cranes, one at the top end and a tailing crane on the bottom end is also considered a multicrane lift.

“Note, we are not talking about synchronised lifts here. As outlined in AS 2550.1, clause 1.4.13, a synchronised motion means “Two or more crane motions under the control of a single command output with bi-directional communication so that the behaviour of one motion causes identical behaviour of the others”, which means they are electrically or mechanically connected – something that overhead and gantry cranes can achieve. However, it is not practical in the mobile crane world.

Therefore, we are concentrating on most of the lifts that utilise mobile cranes,” said Ball.

HAZARDS OF MULTI-CRANE LIFTS “We have come across many tragic incidents from all across the world that

involved multiple cranes, a few of which were profiled in the Q4 2019 issue of Lifting Matters. These incidents reveal critical areas of required understanding when planning a multi-crane lift: • Appropriate load planning for tandem lifts (more on that later); • Real-time information and communication for operators to ensure lift and travel is carried out in unison; • Side loads/forces acting on the crane boom or unintended load distribution; • Ground preparation and the compounding ground pressures if cranes are close to each other; • Appropriate use of lift rigging or equaliser beams.

This list is by no means exhaustive but does represent some of the key areas of consideration for tandem lifts,” said Ball.

LIFT PLANNING – DEVELOPING THE LIFT PLAN Lifts involving two or more cranes are complex operations requiring considerable skill and planning. As a result, tandem lifts must be planned and www.cranesandlifting.com.au

carried out under a competent person’s supervision.

As always, multiple lift operations must be preceded by a documented risk assessment that records known hazards and details the relevant controls. In other words, plan the works thoroughly well before the work commences.

“The most important thing to note in your lift plan is that tandem lifts require you to make specific calculations about the required capacity of the cranes. You must understand the load share for each crane, the total weight of everything under the boom head (including the hook, rigging, spreader beams, equalising devices etc.) and then add a percentage factor to the total lift load.

The percentage depends on the number of cranes involved in the lift, depicted as follows for each crane: a. 2 cranes – add 20 per cent of the calculated share of the load; b. 3 cranes – add 33 per cent of the calculated share of the load; c. 4 or more cranes - add 50 per cent of the calculated share of the load.

The result of this calculation will provide the required capacities for each crane. In all options above, note the load may not always be even, thus load sharing must be taken into consideration. The Crane Industry Council of Australia provides more detail on this, and I encourage you to take a look at their information at www.cica. com.au,” said Ball.

Some of the other key components of the Lift Plan that must be taken into consideration are: 1. A site visit to understand the environment, overhead structures, ground conditions, access and site restrictions etc.

2. The lift study must be completed by competent personnel and include the crane selection criteria.

3. Cranes should be of the same type (i.e. all telescopic mobile cranes). If not, the lift is deemed as a designed lift (see clause 6.27 of AS 2550.1).

4. The centre of gravity requires special attention, especially for complex structures and loads, when determining crane sizes and load sharing. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

5. Load sharing for rigid structures requires special attention, as the weight transfer when lifting or placing a rigid load is critical.

6. An analysis is required to understand the stiffness – strength of the load to identify the load shift effect if the cranes get out of sync.

7. Remember the load is everything below the boom head, so all hooks, rigging, spreader beams, load equalising devices etc. are to be included in the load calculations.

8. Cranes must travel in the same direction.

9. The communication method is critical to enable unison in movements – for example, using two-way radios, or when a clear line of sight is possible between all crane drives and the lift caller, then hands signals may suffice.

ON THE JOB Aspects to keep in mind when on the job: 1. Review the Lift Plan with all people involved in the lift. If there are any changes to the Lift Plan ensure these are documented and all changes are communicated to all members of the lift team.

2. For Australian based work, person(s) involved with any rigging work, hold a High-Risk Intermediate Rigging Licence (RI) as a minimum.

3. Appoint a senior lift supervisor onsite to coordinate the lift who is the sole person in charge of the lift for clear accountability. The senior lift supervisor must hold a RI licence as a minimum.

4. Make sure the person calling the lift (i.e. in radio communications with all personnel involved in the lift) holds an intermediate rigging qualification as a minimum.

5. Stay committed to your communications plan for the lift. It is critical that this is implemented and maintained as per the Lift Plan.

6. Consider dropping the auxiliary hook around 4m, which then acts as a great plum bob to help you keep your hoist ropes vertical, thus preventing side loading on the boom.

7. Take note of passover load transfers

- where the load is lifted from one end of a truck as it moves forward or backwards for the other crane to pick up the other end of the load.

8. Take note of tailing load transfers – where a load is rotated from the vertical to horizontal, or in reverse.

9. Ensure there is only one motion at a time and in the same direction. For example: a. If pick and carrying, lift the load, then move into position. Don’t do both and make sure all cranes are travelling in same the direction; b. Special note to crawler cranes, make sure the drive sprockets are to the rear of the travel, and the cabs are facing the same way; c. Special care needs to be exercised when crabbing. If multiple cranes are crabbing, care must be exercised so that all are travelling in the same directions and do not exceed the loads detailed in the Lift Plan.

10. Perform the lift with extreme care and at low speeds.

11. Remember anyone can stop the lift.

If something is not quite right, stop the lift and consult with the senior lift engineer.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? “There are various guidelines and standards applicable to different states within Australia, nationally and internationally. We strongly recommend you research and understand the local applicable guidelines and standards,” said Ball.

Here’s a starting point for guidelines on multi-crane lifts: • Australian Standard AS 2550.1 – Cranes, hoists and winches – Safe use, General Requirements – Section 6.28 Multiple Hoist or Crane Operation; • Australian Standard AS 2550.5 – Cranes, hoists and winches – Safe use, Mobile cranes – Section 3 Selection; • The Crane Association of New Zealand, Crane Safety manual and Section 9: Part D covers Multi-crane lifts in detail.

Credit: This article first appeared in Lifting Matters which is proudly sponsored by Universal Cranes. www.universalcranes.com January 2020 CAL / 55

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STRONG START FOR TADANO DEMAG IN OCEANIA It’s been six months since Tadano Oceania (TOP) took over the sales and service of Demag products. Anthony Grosser, managing director, TOP, provides insights on the integration progress and how customer loyalty has been one of the most pleasing aspects during the transition.

WHEN TADANO OCEANIA TOOK OVER THE sales and service of Demag products six months ago and in that time, we have worked through various processes to ensure the transition has been as seamless as possible. From the outset, they promised customers that would carry out business as usual and in return they have showed their confidence by continuing to purchase Tadano Demag products, according to Anthony Grosser, managing director, Tadano Oceania (TOP).

Stability, continued integration and completion of new Brisbane premises are key focuses in the coming months says Grosser.

“In 2016, Tadano purchased my company and my initial employment contract was based around the sale of the business. In fact, my time with the business was due to end recently, but with everything happening with TOP locally and Tadano Demag globally, I am delighted to announce my intention to

Anthony Grosser, managing director, Tadano Oceania www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The new AC 300-6 is a big step up in all terrains and will be an ideal addition to the fleet.

stay on with the business for many years to come.

I think it’s important to our customers and the company that we maintain a stable and strong team that evolves and develops with the product,” he said.

Grosser was happy with last year’s CICA Conference and Exhibition.

“The CICA event in the Hunter Valley was really successful for us. It provided an opportunity for customers to meet the team and for us to explain our plans for the products. We introduced the new Aerial Work Platform (AWP) range which generated great interest.

“I flew from CICA to Germany, for the first of our global strategy meetings.

The Demag factories impressed me very much and it was interesting to see that Tadano and Demag have two very different structured production lines.

In time, the combination of these best practices will ensure a market leading

product line up,” he said.

“Currently, the key focus is to utilise the synergies of both companies and to ensure we use the best skills of each department and continue to develop systems to achieve our long-term goal to become number one worldwide in the lifting equipment industry,” said Grosser.

Completion of the purpose designed and built crane support facility is on track confirmed Grosser.

“The new state-of-the-art facility in Brisbane, featuring more than 12 fully equipped service bays, including overhead cranes and wash bays, over 10,000 sqm of hardstand to house a wide range of stock, and modern office facilities, is on track for completion on time in March,” he said.

“Over the last six months, we’ve presented our plans to customers and it’s reassuring to see they have listened and shown their confidence in the Tadano Demag brand by continuing to purchase January 2020 CAL / 57

IN FOCUS / TADANO DEMAG

equipment from us. Here are some examples of what our customers are saying and buying,” said Grosser.

TADANO DEMAG HELPS QWEST FOR GROWTH QWEST Crane Hire recently invested in a new Tadano Demag AC 300-6 to increase its capabilities and place it within the heavy lift market within the Central Queensland region.

QWEST Crane Hire is a privatelyowned crane company that in just over two years has grown its fleet to include 25 cranes, ranging from 7t City Cranes up to the recent addition of the AC 3006, including the only 40t Franna within the Central Queensland market. Qwest currently operates from three depots in Rockhampton, Gladstone and Emerald with a fourth depot on the horizon very shortly.

Grant French, one of the owners of Qwest, works within the business, day in day out as the operations manager, overseeing all areas of the business.

“The business prides itself on working in all aspects of the crane supply market, including everything from residential, commercial construction but with a primary focus within the Mining and Industry Sector,” said French.

Relocating to Queensland from Western Australia after the sale of his previous crane company HAGO Crane

& Machinery Hire, French believed there was an opportunity to enter the crane industry again and proceeded by purchasing a local crane hire company in Yeppoon in 2017. Since then, the operation has expanded rapidly into Rockhampton, Gladstone and finally Emerald in the latter part of 2018.

“We had a clear plan to geographically expand our services, activities and upgrade the fleet to meet these demands.

In the crane market, we appreciate that if you don’t offer a safe, efficient and cost-effective service and perform to the highest standard, you will simply not win the work,” said French.

Qwest invested in a new six axle Tadano Demag AC 300-6 all-terrain crane. Boasting a 300t classification, with features such as an 80m main boom this is the first crane of its size in the Tadano Demag range equipped with a luffing jib.

This new 6-axle all terrain crane delivers strength, reach and versatility needed for accomplishing the most demanding jobs at lower operational and transporting costs than similar models in its class.

“As a rule, we run Demags, and we already have five Demag all terrains in the fleet, ranging from 100 to 220 tonnes.

The new AC 300-6 is a big step up in all terrains and will be an ideal addition to the fleet. It provides the extra capacity we’ve been missing,” said French.

The AC 300-6 combines long reach

Brothers Nick and Eric Bucciarelli, General Crane Services (GCS) have a fleet of more than 20 cranes, ranging from three to 250 tonne lifting capacities. The latest addition is the Tadano Demag AC 160-5.

58 / CAL January 2020

with a strong load chart to give operators the perfect fit for efficient work at height or on reach. The 80m main boom can perform jobs at heights up to 78m or 74m without rigging a jib. It is ideal for Drag Line work, with a class leading lifting capacity of 15t on fully telescoped 80m main boom. Also, the Demag AC 300-6 is the smallest in the Demag range that can be outfitted with a luffing jib for superior reach and fly-over capabilities, bringing the maximum system length to 118m. The well proven luffing jib rigging system is the same as on the AC 350-6 and AC 1000-9 cranes and provides safe and quick rigging.

Packed with the latest Demag innovations like the IC-1 Plus control system and a single engine concept with an intelligent motor management system, the Demag AC 300-6 enhances productivity to help reduce operating costs. The IC-1 Plus control system provides real time calculation of the lifting capacities and supports operators in safe crane operation. It also allows asymmetric outrigger positioning which enables the crane to perform jobs usually reserved for larger machines. The Demag AC 300-6 is fitted with a single engine, with start and stop function to reduce idle times and total engine hours contributing to the reduction of fuel costs and preserving the crane’s residual value.

The compact design of the Demag AC 300-6 all terrain crane features a carrier length of 15.3m and a width of 3m. The crane is easy to position on the job site, thanks to its active all-wheel steering that allows excellent manoeuvrability in tight spaces.

On the road, the Demag AC 300-6 crane meets axle load limits from below 12 up to 16 tonnes and can travel up to 85km/h. It also has 800kg of extra payload capacity for carrying extra lifting accessories. It includes an axle load monitor, displayed on the dashboard, to help customers drive within the road-legal weight. This model, like all Demag cranes in this product family, can be configured to comply with the variable axle weight limits in most states www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Toro Cranes, business owner Steve Cardillo, receiving the keys for the new Demag AC 40 from Jay Gower, Tadano Demag sales manager, NSW/ACT.

by connecting different types of boom dollies or removing the boom.

“The support from Demag and its key personnel like James Greenwood and Joe Arena has always been excellent and with Tadano and Demag now under the one umbrella, and with such a strong focus on product support, we are even more confident in our latest acquisition and we are already exploring the next addition with Tadano Demag,” said French.

RELIABILITY AND LOYALTY BEHIND ALL TERRAIN PURCHASE Brothers Nick and Eric Bucciarelli have been around cranes for almost their entire lives. Their grandfather had owned a crane company as has their father, and in 2011, the pair decided to go into business as well.

General Crane Services (GCS) now operates throughout the Perth metropolitan region and regional Western Australia, providing lifting, rigging and transport services for the construction, mining and industrial trades within WA. It started out with a single 80t Terex Demag and a small team, handpicked for their dedication and expertise within the industry.

Now, the company has a fleet of more than 20 cranes, ranging from three to 250 tonne lifting capacities, with the ability to tackle larger projects www.cranesandlifting.com.au

with bigger cranes if needed. The latest addition is the Tadano Demag AC 160-5.

The Demag AC 160-5 is the most compact crane of its class: While other machines come in at a width of three metres or more, the AC 160-5 has a narrower width of 2.75m and a total length of 14.51m, making it also shorter than its classmates.

In combination with its 5-axle steering system, independent rear axle steering, and dynamic launch control, these features enable the crane to get to areas where other cranes would simply get stuck. The crane has a capacity of 160 tonnes, a main boom length of 68m, and a maximum travel speed of 85km/h.

Nick Bucciarelli, managing director of General Crane Services, says loyalty is the backbone of the business.

“We have stayed loyal to our suppliers, who in return have provided us a reliable fleet,” Bucciarelli said.

This can be seen clearly across GCS’s fleet, with every crane carrying the Tadano Demag brand due to their reliability and technical offerings.

BULLISH ABOUT NEW DEMAG ALL TERRAIN Toro Cranes is a small crane hire company based in Kemps Creek, Western Sydney. Business owner Steve Cardillo, recently weighed up his all terrain crane options and chose a new Demag AC 40.

Cardillo recently took delivery of a Demag AC 40 all terrain, and he explains the reasons behind the purchase.

“Our business services the residential construction industry right around Sydney, and we needed to add a new small all terrain crane to the fleet.

We had a look at our options, and we decided on the Demag AC 40. I’m honest, we just prefer the Demag product. We purchased a new machine, but a different brand, a couple of years ago and it just didn’t fit our requirements. The AC 40 is suited to our type of work in the residential sector.

“We thought the Demag AC 40 model was superior to other cranes in its particular size class, and we went with the standard configuration with a second winch. It’s easy to operate, includes a spacious cab and has a very long reach for a crane of its size,” Cardillo said.

With a 40 tonne lift capacity, the AC 40 features the longest main boom in its class at 37.4m and a system length of 45.4m. With travel speeds of 80 km/h, this crane can travel at motorway speeds.

Also, its compact design makes it easy to position on the job, so Toro Crane’s crew can get to work quickly.

“Our core type of work is residential frames, roof trusses and steel beams, and for this the crane allows us to complete jobs in one set up instead of multiple set ups. It saves us on pack down and set up times making our services more efficient for our customers,” said Cardillo, “The crane’s first job was installing roof trusses. This is where we got to see the benefits I’ve mentioned earlier. The AC 40 really highlighted its ability to deliver improvements on our services on its very first lift which is pretty exciting,” he said.

Service and support also played a part in Cardillo’s decision to purchase.

“We’ve had Demag’s in the past and we’ve always been pretty happy with the support and parts back up we’ve received.

Sometimes you may have to wait on special order parts, but it generally doesn’t take long, the support services from the Demag team are good,” he said.

January 2020 CAL / 59

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CICA PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD

WALZ GROUP AND FIELD ENGINEERS WIN CICA PROJECT OF THE YEAR BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) appointed Central Queensland business, Walz Group, for a $31m project to remove decommissioned marine infrastructure from the Hay Point Coal Terminal, south of Mackay.

WALZ GROUP DECONSTRUCTED AND removed the original trestle and conveyor that transported coal from the terminal to waiting bulk carriers for more than 40 years from when the facility opened in 1971.

The Hay Point Coal Terminal exports 55 million tonnes of metallurgical coal per annum.

The project included the removal of seven old conveyor galleries from the wharf of the terminal. The gallery spans weighed up to 155 tonnes and were heavily corroded and structurally compromised.

The conveyor gantry sections had formed the link between Berths 1 and 2 at Hay Point Coal Terminal and roadway removal lifts were performed 123 times from within the aged gantry to reduce weight.

Twelve heavy lifts were conducted by a Manitowoc 16000 Series 3, with a 30m mast and 72m boom and the crane working from Jack-Up-Barge (JUB) D377 Sep Desley Anne.

It was imperative for the project not to disturb shipping schedules.

Gantry removal rigging included a range of 30t-50t soft slings, 35t-85t safety bow shackles, a 150t spreader bar, 22mm-32mm single leg chains (various configurations) and a 100t Oblong Ring FIELD Engineers designed lifting beam and lifting toggle for the project.

Roadway (123 deck units) were stripped out of the structure to reduce weight. The process was designed with 30-minute cycle time. Gantry sections were supported and cut in half to allow for a smaller crane and barge to fit inside www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Brad Marshall, Cranes and Lifting magazine, Andrew Winstanly, William Keogh, David Hartigan, John Halliday and Matthew Doidge from Field Engineers.

the wharf structure, away from coal ships.

There were a number of lifting innovations within the project including a “Marine Forklift” used for gantry removal where cantilevered support beams were fixed to front of Jack-Up Barge (JUB) and used as a “Marine Forklift”.

This allowed the galleries to be removed in halves, reducing the size of the heavy lift crane.

The jacking system also used for the gantry removal counteracted deflection of the structure during cutting and removal and prevented disturbance to surrounding structures.

The beam and toggle system allowed roadways sections to be rigged from top side only which led to efficient and fast lifts. 123 lifts performed with 30-minute cycle time and engineering analyses was performed to certify the system.

Lift Plans were developed for every lift and all lifts were executed as per the plan.

Risk assessment and OH&S factors were also covered with Safe Work Management Statements (SWMS) and

Job Safety Analysis (JSA) documents completed by the deconstruction work crews.

Designed Lift Risk Assessment included engineering-specific risk assessment which gave the crane crew input into the lift planning, design and analysis processes. The results of risk assessments were used to set the scope of engineering analysis.

Engineering controls were based on the analysis of the aged structures which took the levels of corrosion into account.

This was required to allow crew access for strip out of parts and roadway, as well as for the major lifts.

Calculation of effects of wave action, windspeed, and JUB spud settlement were also critical and detailed mass and centre of gravity calculations were taken from drawing take-off and then verified by site measurement. This ensured no surprises during lifts.

To ensure the project remained on schedule work was tracked and updated daily with lifting windows taking into account shipping schedules, tides and January 2020 CAL / 61

CICA PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD

Lift Plans were developed for every lift and all lifts were executed as per the plan.

weather. Progress reporting discipline meant problems were quickly dealt with in a team approach.

A number of environmental factors were considered for the project, which occurred offshore immediately adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

This meant no spillage or dropped material was allowed, and required that work areas were encapsulated.

All work was carried out from either the working barge, or the structure that was being deconstructed. Clearances were very tight and every crane motion was modelled in 3D to ensure no clashes occurred.

There was no space for repositioning or set-down if things went wrong, everything had to go exactly as planned, every time.

There were also logistical challenges to the project.

Access to site was by barge, or through the operating coal port with full maritime security, both required forward planning and approval.

All equipment and materials greater than 6 meters in length could not be transported by road through the port. The use of drones for remote inspection or spotting was not allowed by port security and lifting and logistics operation for each load lasted until it was unloaded onshore at the waste processing area.

62 / CAL January 2020

Thorough planning for climatic and ground conditions was also necessary and project scheduling had to be set around cyclone season. Tide and swell affected rated crane capacity due to Dynamic Amplification Factors (DAF) and loadspecific windspeed limits were calculated and wind speeds monitored constantly Seabed survey was conducted in areas where spuds would be deployed but spud settlement was difficult to predict. Barge level state were monitored constantly due to risk of stability effect on crane.

Almost all of the lift parameters addressed by AS2550.1 had the potential to become the limiting factor for these lifts (mass, COG, crane capacity, crane position, rigging capacity, headroom, barge capacity, gantry structural capacity,

windspeed limits and sea state limits).

Adding to the complication of the project, many of the parameters were interrelated: changing one affected the others. This often required a balance of the risks associated with high utilisation of different factors e.g, trading crane radius for deck capacity utilisation.

Communication of critical factors and their utilisation values was vital for every lift to ensure the team was focused on where highest risk lay.

An extensive dilapidation survey and structural analysis was required to ensure that the gantries would be able to withstand the stresses generated during removal.

Structural analysis was completed on every element of the falsework required.

This included the temporary steel, crane beams, hold-down frames and jacking frames.

Detailed process planning of the roadway removal was required to ensure it was possible, then make it safe and efficient. Structural analysis was completed on JUB barge deck, by ASO Marine Consultants.

“Offshore lifting projects such as this are especially challenging. Given that the structures being lifted were 40-plus years old, it added another layer of engineering and construction consideration and complexity. I was very impressed by the innovation that the project team bought to the job to make it both safe and efficient,” said a BMA Hay Point spokesperson.

12 heavy lifts were conducted by a Manitowoc 16000 Series 3, with a 30m mast and 72m boom and the crane working from Jack-Up-Barge (JUB) D377 Sep Desley Anne. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

CICA LIFTING INNOVATION AWARD

LIFTING INNOVATION WINS CICA AWARD A new lifting innovation, jointly developed by John Holland, Edwards Heavy Lift and RUD recently won the 2019 CICA Innovations Award.

developed Australian-first tailored installation innovations by working closely with Edwards Heavy Lift and RUD as industry partners, and project teams.

Stuart Edwards, Heavy Lift Engineer, Edwards Heavy Lift, Matt Pauli, Engineering Manager RUD Engineering , Duke Barac, John Holland Lift & Shift and Brad Marshall, Cranes and Lifting magazine.

THE C-HOOK WAS DEVELOPED FOR the Metro Tunnel Project. John Holland, as a member of CYP Design & Construction Joint Venture (CYP D&C), is delivering the Tunnels and Stations works package of this landmark project, which includes new twin 9km rail tunnels and five new underground stations. The CYP D&C lifting device innovation was initially developed for works at the new North Melbourne Station site.

The innovative solution was developed to meet CYP D&C construction requirements at the site to safely and efficiently install propping steel, or struts, inside the station box.

Although designed for works at the station, the application of the innovation has expanded to other sites and uses.

There were a number of challenges.

At the site of the new North Melbourne Station, ground improvements were required to support the use of crawler cranes required at the base of the www.cranesandlifting.com.au

station box to position struts into place lowered by surface-based cranes.

John Holland’s inhouse Lift & Shift team, part of the Technology Engineering & Knowledge (TEK) group,

C-HOOK BACKGROUND John Holland Lift & Shift team member Duke Barac was asked by the North Melbourne Station project team to consider installation options for 5000 tonnes of propping steel, or struts, including a variety of length, the presence of Coode Island Silt in the station box and the need to install the struts at different angles.

Duke Barac considered the conditions and requirement to devise a solution to “flip” an over-sized spreader bar into a vertical configuration, which could both lower and place the struts into position by only using a surface-based crane.

While the c-shape is used for smaller, specialised applications (e.g. forklift use), the nine-metre length of the C-hook and its vertical use is unique in Australia.

The C-hook jointly developed by John Holland, Edwards Heavy Lift and RUD. January 2020 CAL / 63

CICA LIFTING INNOVATION AWARD

Two C-hook options were developed for the project’s consideration and these included a rigid C-hook although cheaper to manufacture, its use would be restricted to only when a C-hook was required. The second design incorporated existing spreader bar and lifting beams components, which could be separated when the C-hook was not in use.

Edwards Heavy Lift was engaged to develop the detailed design and fabrication drawings for the C-hook using the concept design developed by Barac. RUD provided third-party design verification and manufactured the two C-hooks procured for the CYP D&C project.

C-HOOK FEATURES Option two was selected due to the design’s interoperability features, which enables the dual-purpose hardware components to make-up conventional spreader bars and lifting beams when the C-hook is not required. Although using thicker wall sections, the spreader bar components were modular with existing spreaders and could be added to John Holland’s rigging inventory to optimise the additional investment.

C-HOOK BENEFITS Negating the need for crawler cranes and crews to work from the station box floor provided significant benefits including program time saving by avoiding the need for ground improvement works to support the crawler cranes as well as significant cost benefits.

The C-hook has successfully installed 4000 tonnes (of a total of 5000 tonnes) propping steel at the site of the new North Melbourne Station and has since been configured for use in other lifting work at the site, e.g. to manoeuvre lifts in areas of tight angles and restricted access.

C-HOOK PLANNING & CONTROL MEASURES The C-hook was conceived early after understanding the requirements. 3D 64 / CAL January 2020

The C-hook’s design interoperability features enables the dual-purpose hardware components to make-up conventional spreader bars and lifting beams when the C-hook is not required.

CAD models were developed, which were tested with project personnel as part of ongoing engagement in the development of the final solution Desktop checks were undertaken, and the model was shared with the

project’s Temporary Works team to assess for clashes.

Following these steps, Edwards Heavy Lift developed the detail design, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) modelling and fabrication drawings.

RUD provided third-party design verification, including FEA. The design used existing, proven components and as a new solution for installing struts, John Holland developed a training program.

The benefits of the innovation include safe and injury-free use of the C-hook.

Program efficiency was increased by eliminating the need for ground improvement works.

Major cost savings were realised.

Use of the C-hook avoided the need for crawler cranes and work crews to install propping and avoiding the use of crawler cranes negated the need for ground improvements in the station box to provide weight-bearing conditions.

John Holland has enhanced the capability of its own people and subcontractors in using the new solutions, which they can take to other worksites and projects. The design of the C-hook incorporates dual-purpose components, so that when a C-hook is not required, its parts can be used in conventional rigging.

The design also uses existing hardware, e.g. the pins are from the same shackles used in spreader bars.

With the strong pipeline of future rail tunnels, John Holland – and the wider industry –has expanded options to draw on to deliver this work.

The innovation reflects John Holland’s values of Caring, Empowerment, Future-Focused and Imaginative, and will be used in an internal campaign to demonstrate the power of individuals to effect change.

THE C-hook was an untested, new solution unknown to John Holland’s own people and subcontractors, yet it has been embraced and its use expanded to new sites and applications. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

CICA LIFT OF THE YEAR AWARD

MAX CRANES WINS THE 20 TONNE PLUS CATEGORY FOR CICA LIFT OF THE YEAR Project: B3 Air Rotor changeout at Torrens Island Power Station for UGL on behalf of AGL.

Michael Kuhn, Brett Woolford and Sarah Joyce from Max Cranes receiving the Lift of the Year award.

MAX CRANES’ 1200 TONNE LIEBHERR LTM 11200-9.1 was engaged to assist UGL to change out the B3 air rotor at AGL’s Torrens Island Power Station.

Tight access, low clearance and a confined set up area was not an issue for the 1200.

AGL initially provided Max Cranes with ground plans for the whole site including heights for access, details of underground services including voids, pipes and permissible ground pressures all the types of things you’d expect to find in a power station.

Alan Jarman, Technical Manager for Max Cranes provides more detail about the complexities of the lift.

“We worked with the client to make www.cranesandlifting.com.au

sure they had a full understanding of what we intended to do. We provided highly detailed lift drawings for all components of the project from the initial assembly of the crane, the single crane lift of the air rotor, and then once it became a two-crane lift to turn and laydown the air rotor. We were able to show them we had the capability and capacity and the necessary clearances once the crane was in position,” he said.

“We came up with a plan to have a pre-assembly area for the LTM11200. We were able to install the outriggers and luffing cylinders on while simultaneously the boom was delivered and unloaded with its own hydraulic outrigger system. On the

site where the lift was going to take place, we had started assembling the counterweight on the ground. Using the exceptional manoeuvrability of the machine, we drove in under a minimal 4.7m clearance around a very tight corner straight to the job site where the pads had already been pre laid and the counter-weight was already preassembled,” said Jarman.

Once the LTM 11200 was rigged and on its outriggers the counterweight was installed. Max Cranes then had to telescope the T3 boom out beneath an existing gantry and install the main boom extension.

“Another unique point for this crane is the 22t we saved from the gross January 2020 CAL / 65

CICA LIFT OF THE YEAR AWARD

LTM11200-9.1 laying down the old air rotor after tailing with LTM1250-6.1.

machine weight by being able to install the T4-T7 boom sections after the crane was in position. This was vital to keep the axle weights down to the permissible loads that we had been given. The fact that we could do this after we’d got the crane in there was massive,” said Jarman.

“From that point on from our perspective, it was a fairly simple lift; 59 tonnes at a maximum radius 38m.

We lifted the air rotor out 32m and, to

maximise the efficiency on our ground pressures, we boomed back up to 28 metres slewed round and over the ducting and dropped it the other side of the existing gantry at a 38 metre radius. Here, it was tailed with a 250t crane and then laid flat on the ground.

Putting in the new rotor was basically a reverse of the first lift.

“The hard part for us was understanding the services the pipes and making sure we didn’t break any Preparing to change the original running trunnion to a specially modified one to allow for lifting from a single point.

66 / CAL January 2020

rules actually getting into the job,” he said.

According to Jarman, this project has not only show cased the capabilities of the Liebherr LTM 11200 but also Max Cranes Heavy Lift Team.

From the initial lift conception right through to the execution of the lift, the Heavy Lift Team worked through every step with UGL and their client AGL. “We worked with the client throughout the whole process to ensure everyone was happy with exactly what was planned. We had to ensure we had a successful, safe and economical solution to change the B3 air rotor.

This job really has demonstrated some of the unbelievable aspects of the Liebherr LTM 11200, it’s a unique crane. The fact that we could conduct partial assembly out of the lift area, drive in and quickly and efficiently pick up the counter-weight as well as install part of the boom afterwards to make it a little bit lighter, are unique features. The unmatched lift capacities of the LTM 11200 really came into play with this project,” said Jarman. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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