Hoist & Winch has completed a complex lifting and pulling equipment package for a specialist marine subcontractor working on a reservoir pumping station project. The work involved moving three large-diameter pipes, each weighing 30 tonnes, across a reservoir and then up the inclined face of the dam.
The company supplied, installed, commissioned, load-tested and LOLER-certified two 20 tonne SWL air-powered chain hoists for the cross-reservoir transfer. The JDN top-hook hoists, each with its own pendant control, were mounted on fixed gantries positioned on two floating pontoons rated to 20 tonnes SWL. Hoist & Winch carried out full load testing on both the hoists and pontoons.
For pulling the pipes up the dam wall, Hoist & Winch provided a 12 tonne SWL floor-mounted hydraulic winch equipped with wire rope, a diesel hydraulic power pack, joystick control stand and interconnecting hoses. The winch operated in conjunction with two customer-fabricated, rail-mounted travelling gantries rated at 20 tonnes SWL.
The company also supplied four 15 tonne SWL manual chain blocks to support the pipes during the transfer from the air hoists to the travelling gantries before winching.
Hoist & Winch worked with the contractor’s civil and mechanical engineering teams under a strict approval process. Load testing for the air hoists and their gantries was carried out using a 20t/25t skid-mounted dynamic test load placed by a dive team on the reservoir bed. The hydraulic winch was tested first with lighter concrete components and again during the lift of the first pipe. Hoist & Winch operated the winch for this initial lift while maintaining radio communication with the lift supervisor, completing the work under floodlighting as conditions required.
Additional support included guidance on lifting regulations, lift planning, equipment selection, and operator handover training.
“The final outcome was the highly successful movement up the reservoir dam wall of all three pipes in a finely controlled and smooth manner, which delighted both our customer and the end client,” said Hoist & Winch Director Andy Allen. “It’s yet another successful example of how our extensive experience and deep technical knowledge can provide the optimal solution for some of industry’s most challenging lifting and transfer operations.”
