LGH RIGGING SERVICES EXPAND UK BUSINESS

LGH Rigging Services have expanded their services by opening a new branch in the Midlands.

“As a part of the company’s long term strategy, expansion into the Midlands enables us to serve our nationwide customer base better” explained Paul Fulcher, Operations Director, LGH Rigging Services.

LGH Rigging Services was established at Three Mills Island Studios in London's Docklands in 1997 as a specialist equipment resource to provide the whole event and entertainment industry with stringently tested, high quality rigging equipment and service via hire or sales solutions.

Staffed by personnel with strong experience in dry hire, sales, testing and inspection of rigging and associated equipment, the operation has grown rapidly to become one of Europe’s leading rigging suppliers, dealing with all the major players in live production services, TV, Film, Theatre, corporate event and exhibition services.

‘We’ve had a major impact on the UK entertainment scene building a reputation for quality and service with our equipment now being used at many high profile entertainment, business events and venues across the UK and Europe,’ said Paul.

As well as having opened a branch in the Midlands, LGH Rigging Services have also established a branch in Utrecht, Holland to further support and develop European customer relationships.

LGH Rigging Services’ operation in the Midlands is based in Dudley and is managed by David Rogers who can be contacted on 0121 350 5325

LIFTING GEAR HIRE AND LGH MEGALIFT WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD BRIDGES

Lifting Gear Hire and LGH Megalift recently worked together with Balfour Beatty in the construction of a new bridge over the M6 motorway north of Preston.

Lifting Gear Hire were initially contacted by Balfour Beatty when they had encountered a last minute hitch with the bridge installation, as complications with the structural steel led to problems with the bearings once the bridge was erected. Balfour Beatty only had a twelve hour ‘window’ when the motorway could be shut down to allow the erection of the bridge to take place. The problems found with the bearings forced Balfour Beatty to lift the deck once more at a later stage. Lifting the deck would normally be carried out with a crane, leading to severe disruption of the motorway traffic and substantial costs.

Lifting Gear Hire proposed a solution which would substantially reduce the effect of the lift in the running traffic as well as its associated costs.

Following a site visit, Lifting Gear Hire worked out a solution which enabled access to the bearings; the solution was to jack the deck from both ends, rather than lifting it. A special ram was required to jack the bridge 15 mm crossways to align the bridge to span 2.1 metres, which Lifting Gear Hire provided.

Lifting Gear Hire contacted their sister company, LGH Megalift, who, following an engineering study, was able to provide this simple solution, which could be carried out over two nights. Two 22A Megalift jacking systems were erected during a partial closure of the motorway on the first evening. Each system was built in the fast lane, adjacent to the central pier; with tracks running in the same direction as the carriageways. Both systems were fitted with a 5.7 metre lifting beam.

During the second night both systems were extended until they made contact with the underside of the bridge beams. They then extended further, lifting the bridge beams clear of the pier to allow the taper bearings to be changed. Once this had been accomplished, both Megalift systems moved along the tracks in opposite directions ‘skewing’ the bridge beams into final alignment in order to successfully complete the operation.

“We were extremely pleased with the solutions provided by both Lifting Gear Hire and LGH Megalift as they enabled the maintenance work to the damaged bridge bearings to be carried out safely and efficiently, with minimum disruption to the traffic flow.” Commented Matthew Storr, Project Manager for Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering.

LGH SUPPLY ELECTRIFYING LIFTING SOLUTIONS

Lifting Gear Hire provided a bespoke lifting solution to Nova Chemicals when they needed a permanent system for replacing any one of 37 electric motors used for generating hydraulic power.

‘From condition monitoring results the motors need to be replaced routinely and it is crucial that this happens as quickly as possible so as not to interfere with production,’ explained Steve Birch, Engineer, Nova Chemicals.

The motors have previously been removed using a combination of chain blocks and a forklift truck but this was proving to be too time consuming.

The motors are housed in hydraulic units in 2 x banks that run parallel to one another. The runway beams that were installed above each bank, however, had not been erected down the centre line. The beam on the left hand side was also surrounded by pipe work and cable trays that prevented anything from travelling along it.

Lifting Gear Hire worked with sister company Lifting Gear Engineering to devise and supply a solution using a 20 metre long runway and a cantilevered rolling beam crane system that was attached to the two existing runway beams. This way the motors could be lifted from either bank and placed on a pallet in the passageway ready to be taken away for repair.

They counteracted the problem caused by the surrounding pipe work and cable trays by suspending a new runway beam beneath the existing left beam so as to provide a mounting platform. The other beam could be used in its existing state.

‘Lifting Gear Hire provided us with an efficient and safe lifting solution that now takes a lot less time that it used to,’ said Steve Birch.

‘We were also impressed with Lifting Gear Hire and their ability to manufacture, install and test the lifting solution in just two weeks prior to our scheduled maintenance shutdown’ he added.

LGH MEGALIFT'S FINEST CHINA

LGH Megalift solved a problem for specialist machinery movers, Drayton Beaumont, who needed to relocate a pottery kiln from the Royal Worcester Porcelain factory, Worcester, which is due for closure.

The 20 tonne Kiln, which has been bought by Wedgwood, was situated on the first floor and was 8.5mtrs long x 2.5mtrs wide. The only removal route was to lower the Kiln through an access hole created in the first floor wall and into an alley on the ground floor below. The alley was only 6mtrs wide and therefore only a small mobile crane could be used which would not be able to carry the load.

LGH Megalift used their engineering expertise and hydraulic gantry systems to devise a solution that could safely lift the kiln despite this access problem.

Two lines of LGH Megalift tracking were placed either side of the alleyway. Both the rail lengths had to be elevated and placed upon blocks to pass over raised manholes. 4 x LGH Megalift’s hydraulic rams were placed onto the rails and connected with 2 x 5.7mtr beams, which just fitted within the confines of the alley. The hydraulic rams were then extended until the beams were above the access hole in the first floor.

At this stage Drayton Beaumont began to push the Kiln through the hole until the leading edge of the Kiln sat under the front beam to which it was subsequently attached. The leading pair of hydraulic rams was then tracked along the rails pulling the kiln out further from the access hole until the other end could be connected to the rear hydraulic gantry system.

The LGH Megalift system then fully tracked the Kiln clear of the building and lowered it down onto the ground floor of the alley from where it was skated away.

‘Clearly a project of this size and nature needed moving specialists and LGH Megalift were the perfect partners,’ said John Tiplady, Project Manager at Drayton Beaumont.

‘We move dozens of kilns and heavy equipment each year, generally for relocation, and the removal phase is the most critical part of the project, so we will definitely be using LGH Megalift again”.

For a free LGH Megalift information CD please call Bob Hamilton, LGH Megalift on 01942 898068 or email bob.hamilton@lgh.co.uk.

LGH ACQUIRE BURGESS GROUP’S LIFTING AND TESTING DIVISION

Lifting Gear Hire has announced an agreement to acquire Burgess Group’s Lifting and Testing division as part of their ongoing UK and overseas strategy for organic and acquisitive growth.

This acquisition forms part of a commitment to further grow Lifting Gear Hire’s business as independent specialist lifting engineers devoted to the hire, sales and service of lifting equipment with true nationwide branch coverage.

‘As the world's leading dedicated lifting equipment provider for over 35 years, we are delighted to be able to further augment our own specialist lifting engineering capability with this highly qualified lifting engineering company,’ explained Paul Fulcher, Operations Director, Lifting Gear Hire.

Burgess’ Lifting Division is based in Dover, Kent and will become part of Lifting Gear Hire’s nationwide network of 34 Branches. Their engineers have been fully trained by the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) and the Division’s core business has focussed primarily on providing a full inspection, maintenance, repair and equipment certification service, plus sales and hire of lifting equipment.

‘Our lifting engineering and testing capability reassures our customers that the equipment they are using meets the highest quality safety standards and this will be further complemented by the staff and resources in our new Dover base,’ said Paul.

KNT RELY ON LGH GERMANY FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT PROJECT

LGH GmbH, Essen, has provided KNT (Kraftanlagen Nukleartechnik GmbH) with specialised lifting equipment for the exchange of pipe bundles in three, 48 tonne, duplex pre-heaters at their nuclear power plant, KKW, Unterweser. LGH GmbH was the only company able to provide KNT with the specified equipment in the required quantity within a very tight time schedule.

LGH GmbH provided over 30 pieces of lifting equipment to enable the exchange of the pipe bundles in the Duplex pre-heaters. KNT’s own indoor crane was not available, as it was needed for other maintenance work.

LGH GmbH, with assistance from their sister company, LGH Winches, UK, was the only company in Europe able to hire all necessary equipment to KNT straight away.

To carry out the exchange-work, lifting equipment was attached to the beams of the duplex pre-heaters’ steel casing structure. Using LGH’s hydraulic cylinders to dismantle the duplex pre-heaters from the base plate, the pipe bundles were lifted onto a self-travelling air cushion, specifically designed by LGH for this project, and transported out of the plant. The new pre-heaters were then assembled using the same procedure in reverse.

‘We carried out an extensive search of the European market, but only LGH GmbH was able to fulfil our specifications, in particular the quantity of equipment required for the project within our tight time frame,’ said Horst Werner, one of the project leaders responsible for the exchange at KNT.

‘The lifting gear we received from LGH was technically first class and belonged to the newest generation of lifting equipment. Hiring the equipment also meant that we had complete cost control during the whole project period and were able to meet our project timeline. LGH GmbH will certainly play an important role in future projects.’

‘We were able to bring real added value to the KNT with our expertise and vast range of available lifting equipment, “ explained Bernhard Rzesnik, manager of LGH GmbH.

‘It clearly demonstrates that companies are continuing to recognise the benefits of the experience and expertise we can bring to any lifting project.’

LGH WINCHES DEVISE BESPOKE LIFTING SOLUTIONS FOR MERSEY QUEENSWAY ROAD TUNNEL ESCAPES CONTRACT

LGH Winches provided expertise and equipment to Amco Donelon, (a division of Amalgamated Construction Company Ltd), who are currently working on the construction of emergency escape facilities within the Mersey Queensway Road Tunnel.

The £6 million Mersey Queensway Road Tunnel Escapes Contract includes the construction of additional emergency escape facilities and refuge chambers in the under deck area of the four lane, single bore road tunnel. This meant an array of building materials and associated equipment needed to be stored and readily available in the under deck of the tunnel.

The only useable route to the under deck for lowering the materials through is a 2 metre square access cover positioned in the middle of the four lanes. Access to the cover is limited, on average, to one week per month during the night so as to prevent un-necessary disruption to the road tunnel users. All the necessary equipment that was needed to undertake the construction work therefore needed to be lowered through the gatic over a one-week period between 8pm and 6am whilst two lanes of the tunnel were closed to the public.

LGH Winches designed and fabricated a single beam gantry, (3 tonne SWL), which could be fitted onto the flatbed of a standard lorry and was demountable so as to return the lorry to normal duties. This bespoke solution enabled all construction equipment and materials to be lowered through the confined cover opening, in the limited timeframe available, to a storage area approximately 5.0m below the road-deck. The developed solution also mitigated the risks associated with the use of slewing lifting appliances in close proximity to the public traffic in the two lanes that remain open during closures.

As a consequence of the limited closure periods available, a stock of building material and equipment is required to be stored in the under deck, to ensure the continuity of construction works during the weeks where lane closures are not permitted. A requirement for this storage area was that all the equipment needed to be stored safely and in a manner that it could be easily accessed at any given time for work being carried out at any section of the tunnel.

LGH Winches used their expertise, in conjunction with Amco Donelon, to devise a storage and transfer system, directly below the access cover. The system comprised 2 x 80 metre beams running parallel along the tunnel and supported at 4 metre intervals by 20 columns of varying heights so as to accommodate the tunnel incline of 1:30. Onto these running beams a 3.0te SWL overhead-travelling crane, was installed and tested by LGH. 75% of the area covered by the travelling overhead crane is utilised by Amco Donelon, for the storage of materials and equipment. The remaining 25% is used for transfering loads from storage to a captivated rail mounted, locomotive haulage system for subsequent transfer to the working locations when required.

‘It was obviously not possible to lower a fork lift truck into the tunnel, so instead a spider crane was installed within the under-deck area, which was ideal to erect all the supporting columns and beams in just under 3 weeks’ explained Richard Siddons, LGH Winches.

LIFTING GEAR HIRE CARRY OUT A ‘PANE’FUL LIFT

Lifting Gear Hire recently worked with sister company, Lifting Gear Engineering, to provide a solution for Exterior Profiles Ltd when they needed to install the glass exterior to a new 32 storey development in Leeds.

Exterior Profiles Ltd had been contracted by Bovis Lend Lease to install the exterior glass façade in Leeds City Centre’s newest development, Bridgewater Place. When completed it will be 105 metres high, the tallest building in Leeds, the construction of which involves 2 structures being joined together by a magnificent 8 storey glass atrium.

Exterior Profiles Ltd contacted Lifting Gear Hire with the intention of creating a runway system around the exterior of the building, enabling the glass panels to be hoisted into position before being installed. This system had been developed by Lifting Gear Hire for Exterior Profiles Ltd when they collaborated on a job several years earlier. However, the complex shape of the building prevented this from being a viable solution.

Instead, following an engineering study, Lifting Gear Hire were able to design and supply 4 counter balanced floor cranes, which were light enough to be easily manoeuvred between floors using the external lift, enabling the panels to be fitted quickly and cost effectively.

The floor cranes were designed to be positioned a number of floors above the level where the installation was taking place and a chainblock lowered to the installation level to attach the glass panel. The crane could then be used to raise the panel vertically and manoeuvre outside the building before installing in the correct position.

In addition to the counter balanced floor cranes, Lifting Gear Hire also designed and manufactured a number of ‘Philly’ trollies. This enabled boxes, each containing 2 glass panels, to be safely unloaded from the transport and moved to the relevant floor in preparation for installation. Lifting Gear Engineering also devised a turnover lifting beam, which was fitted with webbing slings, in order to enable the glass panels to be removed from their transportation cases, before being rotated 90 degrees and laid horizontally on skates. From this point the floor crane could be attached and carry out the vertical lift.

“We were very pleased with the solution Lifting Gear Hire provided as, by utilising a series of 4 floor cranes we were able to position the subsequent panels ready for installation whilst the installation of the previous glass panel was still taking place. This allowed us to improve installation efficiency and ensure we remained on schedule.” commented Alan Phillips, Managing Director, Exterior Profiles Ltd

LGH RIGGING SERVICES RISE TO AERIAL CHALLENGE AT VINOPOLIS

LGH Rigging Services used their expertise to devise and supply a safe and effective solution for The Generating Company as they suspended aerial performers over the stage during the annual dinner cabaret organised by TMB Marketing, for Sankyo Pharma.

Throughout the evening the guests were to be entertained by spectacular performances from jugglers, on stage performers and aerial acrobats. Therefore, LGH Rigging designed and supplied a series of archways of aluminium trussing across the stage area; from which the aerialists could perform their amazing act on silks. The Generating Company also hired a number of genie lifts to assist in the build up of the trussing, and to safely de-rig after the event.

‘I always hire rigging equipment from LGH Rigging services because they are highly professional and offer excellent personal service’ said Paul Cockle, Managing Director, The Generating Company,

‘I know I can rely on their wide range of truss, motors and rigging equipment to always be expertly maintained, tested and certified to the highest standards.’

As Britain’s most successful contemporary circus production company, The Generating Company need immediate and reliable access to a wide range of rigging equipment from one source and so they decided to use LGH Rigging Services, a dedicated supplier, who can also provide them with advice and expertise.’ Explained Bob Dean, Manager, LGH Rigging Services.

Image supplied by The Generating Company 2006©

Lifting Gear Hire devised and supplied the necessary lifting solution to Nuttall John Martin for the recently completed bearing replacement project on the Thelwall Viaduct.

The Thelwall Viaduct on the northbound M6 was partially closed to traffic in July 2002, after it was discovered that a roller bearing, which was installed when the viaduct was refurbished in 1996, had split into two.

Initially it was hoped repair work could be carried out quickly but an extensive study of all the support bearings revealed serious problems. After it was realised that all the bearings could fail in the short to medium term, the decision was taken to replace all 136 of them. This decision was made in the interest of public safety and to prevent further damage to the viaduct. The northbound carriageway of the M6 was therefore affected by this work, which subsequently impacted upon the southbound.

The bridge is supported by 35 piers and 2 abutments, as well as 8 supporting beams, which run parallel to each other along the full length of the underside of bridge. The bearings are positioned between the beams and the pier heads to allow thermal expansion and contraction of the beams between summer and winter as well as movement due to traffic loadings.

In order to replace a bearing, it was necessary to jack up the viaduct to allow the old bearing to be removed and a new one installed. This complex operation first required the strengthening of the beam above the bearing so as to prevent it from buckling. Originally for every bearing replacement 4 x stiffening plates and A frames were attached to the relevant beam. However, this became too time consuming and the stiffening plates were replaced with shelf brackets. These were purpose made frames that could be assembled around the bridge beams. They then jacked up these shelf brackets to lift the bridge.

‘The stiffening plates and the subsequent shelf brackets were both heavy and the positioning very awkward so Lifting Gear Hire devised a solution for safely and efficiently installing them and eliminated any manual handling,’ explained Allan Cooke, Lifting Gear Hire, Atherton.

Due to the complicated steelwork around the bearings, Lifting Gear Hire devised a solution using a bespoke runway beam, which was used in combination with a hoist and manual chain block. It was not possible, however, to fit this system to the bridge itself and so it was therefore necessary to erect scaffolding around each of the 35 piers and 2 abutments, ranging in height from 11m to 35 metres.

The runway beam system was then attached to the scaffolding directly underneath the viaducts’ supporting beam. The stiffening plate or shelf bracket could then be lifted from the pier head and tracked into position on the supporting beam.

‘We supplied all the necessary hoists and ancillary equipment along with 240 bespoke runways, although we actually tested and installed 380 as it was possible to use some of them on more than one pier head,’ explained Allan

Lifting Gear Hire also devised a solution for lifting the stiffening plates, shelf brackets and bearings onto the pier heads prior to installation. A lift well was created in the scaffolding and a runway beam installed onto the pier head so that it extended out over the hole. An electric hoist was then used to lift the equipment as and when required.

Lifting Gear Hire worked with sister company Lifting Gear Engineering to design, manufacture, erect and test both of these specialised lifting solutions.

‘This was a complex lifting application and we were impressed from the very beginning with Lifting Gear Hire and Lifting Gear Engineering’s ability to devise and supply a safe and efficient lifting solution which enabled us to replace all of these bearings ahead of schedule,’ said Pete Wilkinson, Project Manager, Nuttall John Martin.

‘They worked in partnership with us and were reliable suppliers who always provided us with the necessary lifting expertise and equipment needed to ensure that the 2 year project ran smoothly,’ he added.