IN FOCUS / LIEBHERR ALL TERRAINS
WORKING BLIND 340M UNDERGROUND A Liebherr LTM 1250 6-1 all terrain delivers on a complex underground lift. Cranes & Lifting speaks to Wheeler Cranes regarding the complexities of lifting at 340 meters underground. Two winches on the Liebherr LTM 1250 6-1 and planning, were key to a successful lift.
NEWCASTLE’S WHEELER CRANES WERE recently engaged at a local Hunter Valley mine site to do something out of the ordinary when it comes to the use of all terrain mobile cranes. An early morning call to Wheeler Cranes supervisor Peter Beveridge, from long-time customer and friend Simon Montford owner of Civil Sydney, started the ball rolling on a project requiring Wheeler Cranes to consider utilising an all terrain crane in a way it wouldn’t normally consider. “Simon explained the task was to remove soil material from the bottom 122 / CAL September 2021
of a new vent shaft at one of the local Hunter Valley mine sites. The challenge was the coal, soil or sludge materials were 340m below the surface,” said Beveridge. A site inspection and meeting were arranged with the Mines Construction Project Manager it was identified that the task had already been undertaken by another company utilising a Lampson pin jib crawler crane on dry hire, with a clamp shell lowered down the shaft. “The fact that there was some information and video evidence already available, gave me the confidence that we could proceed with our Liebherr LTM
1250 6-1. The next challenge was finding the right size clamshell that would suit the capacity of our crane’s line pull,” said Beveridge. “After a few initial enquiries with some local stevedoring companies, we found that there were no suitable clamp shells available locally. But following a recommendation from Newcastle Stevedores GM James Griffiths, I got in touch with Bulk Cargo Services in Brisbane and we hired a 4m3 touch grab, which I thought would be suitable for the task,” he said. Obviously, there were a number www.cranesandlifting.com.au
