Terranova News, Technical Articles & Practices | Terranova https://www.terranova.co.uk Mobile Crane Hire & Heavy Haulage Hire Mon, 22 May 2023 11:03:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.20 Our AC70, The Only Crane For The Job https://www.terranova.co.uk/2023/05/our-ac70-the-only-crane-for-the-job/ Fri, 19 May 2023 17:52:17 +0000 http://www.terranova.co.uk/?p=2895 AC70 boom near ceiling during critical lift
The AC70’s boom very near the ceiling limit during the lift.

Our fantastic Demag AC70 got called upon to do a special job in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire (UK). Our client had a steam drum weighing 15 tonne with a required reach of 9m above ground and the load extremely close to a roof ceiling. As any crane operator will know, this was no vanilla lift due to the confined space, weight and minimal distance between the load and the ceiling. The client had already attempted contracting a 70te Liebherr and then again using a larger 90te crane to complete the job but both were unsuccessful. Both cranes would have required the roof to be temporarily removed at an estimated cost of £60,000.

We were subsequently recommended as we have one of the few remaining AC70s left in the UK. This highly specialised heavy city crane is no longer in production due to changes in EU regulations of its power units that empowered its highly compact design.

Diagram of steam drum
Diagram of steam drum used as part of the lift plan

The heavy city crane can manoeuvre and operate in tight urban spaces and outperform its modern day equivalents with its sturdy 9 section boom and mammoth lifting power for its size.

Steam drum in location
Steam drum in location

Even with our AC70, due to the restricted ceiling clearance, we had to request for written dispensation from the manufacturer for an unpinned lift* at that precise height for 19 tonne (load weight + 25%). This requirement made it a critical lift** and great care had to be taken during the operation to ensure everyone’s safety and that the client’s equipment remained undamaged.

As you can see the operation went smoothly, was completed successfully and most importantly the client was very pleased with the completed job.

The twin hydraulic rams of the AC70 holding the boom steady
The twin hydraulic rams of the AC70 holding the boom steady

Hello and good morning Alec,
Yesterday the removal of the critical lift steam drum went very well thanks to using your Terex Demag 70 city crane.
Amazing crane, done very well and was perfect for the height restrictions that we had.
Your crane operator was first class and nothing was a problem for him, lovely man with a great work attitude.
Thank you Alec, for providing a great service we will be using you again for certain.


* Unpinned Lift

An unpinned lift is a critical lift where the crane’s boom cannot be fully extended into one of its locked positions. The AC70 boom is made up of 9 sections, 8 of which can be individually extended by an internal dolly and securely locked into position. For these locked positions the manufacturer provides load charts showing the Maximum Rate Capacity (MRC) the crane can lift at various boom angles and configurations. The more acute the angle, the lower the Rate Capacity (RC) becomes due to the increased lateral loading of the boom. So for some jobs you can use the angle of the boom to reduce the height of the Upper Sheave (pulleys holding the lifting line at the tip of the boom) while still locking the required boom sections. However, where space is restricted or the angle of the boom reduces the RC so even a 90 tonne crane cannot lift 15te safely, you need a special crane to do the job. With our AC70, years of experience of a family run business, written dispensation, and a highly skilled crane operator all helps to get a challenging job completed successfully, smoothly and most importantly, safely for our client.

** Critical Lift
A critical lift is any lift where there is higher risk than would be expected under normal working conditions. This could be where any equipment is taken beyond its normally expected working load (75% of its Maximum Rate Capacity), work carried out close to an area where public access cannot be easily restricted (urban/cities), working close to hazardous materials (eg. hydrocarbons, toxin chemicals), or the equipment is being used outside the manufacturer’s recommended parameters of usage.

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Pyestock Demolition https://www.terranova.co.uk/2022/03/pyestock-demolition/ Wed, 30 Mar 2022 21:35:09 +0000 http://www.terranova.co.uk/?p=2426 We called on our lifting partners Bronzeshield to assist in completing a demolition job at NGTE Pyestock, near Fleet, in Hampshire.  If we don’t have the equipment available when it is needed we will source it using our numerous friends in the trade.  No job is too big or too small.

Pyestock u>sed to belong to the National Gas Turbine Establishment and was a key location in Britain’s jet engine and gas turbine development and testing for over 50 years.  The original site was built in 1942 during World War II, for the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) Turbine Division to develop jet engine technology for the war effort.  In 1944, the RAE Turbine Division and Power Jets Ltd (started by Frank Whittle) merged and became known as the National Gas Turbine Establishment.  In 1949 this new site was built on a disused golf course and became known as NGTE Pyestock.  In the 60s, it was the largest facility of its type in Europe, if not the world and helped bring in the jet age we live in today.  Concorde’s Olympus jet engines were tested in simulated supersonic conditions here and the Royal Navy conducted endurance checking of the gas turbine installed in its ships.

Over time computer simulations have taken over and this facility slowly fell into disuse, eventually abandoned in 2000.

We were called in to safely dismantle some of the large industrial structures on site.  One of these being the large Anechoic Facility, which we believe was used to research into the problems associated with aircraft turbine engine noise.  This large building was constructed using rolled steel joists weighing in at 17 tonne each and a radius of 28 m.

The site will now be repurposed into a vast retail distribution depot.

 

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UK Government Changes to Rebated Diesel Usage https://www.terranova.co.uk/2022/03/uk-government-changes-to-rules-on-rebated-diesel-usage/ Wed, 16 Mar 2022 14:49:02 +0000 http://www.terranova.co.uk/?p=2407 Red Diesel Rebate Usage for CranesAs some of you may know, the UK Government announced changes to rules for businesses and individuals currently entitled to supply or use rebated gas oil (red diesel) and rebated biofuels causing concern, especially in the construction sector.

These changes are due to take effect for most sectors from 1st April 2022 with the Government target being that the UK will bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, as well as improve the energy efficiency of vehicles and machinery, invest in cleaner alternatives, or simply use less fuel.

These changes will have a significant impact for businesses, including Terranova as we move forward with these impending rules to ensure we remain compliant with them. Costs in running down or removing red diesel and rebated biofuels from our vehicles, machinery and storage tanks as well as sourcing alternative fuels moving forward are just some of the changes we will need to implement.

As you will see from the report link below, red diesel entitles a rebate of 46.81ppl, giving an effective duty rate of 11.14ppl, whilst white diesel has a fuel duty rate of 57.95ppl – effectively five times as much as beforehand.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reform-of-red-diesel-entitlements/reform-of-red-diesel-and-other-rebated-fuels-entitlement

Sadly, petrol prices also continue to hit a record high as oil and gas costs soar due to the geopolitical situation in Ukraine. As a result of these global changes and the UK Government revised guidelines, we will need to make alterations to some of our costs by the 1st April 2022 deadline.

Any changes will be communicated to you as and when we have a clearer direction on the most efficient way forward and apologise for any inconvenience caused as a result of these enforced changes taking place.

Alec Glover
Managing Director

Offical Terranova Memo.

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Multi-crane lift for MoD https://www.terranova.co.uk/2021/09/multi-crane-lift-for-mod/ Tue, 28 Sep 2021 17:49:03 +0000 http://www.terranova.co.uk/?p=2249 Multi-crane lift - Challenger 3160We successfully completed a multi-crane lift using our Challenger 3160 and Demag AC45 this week for the Ministry of Defence. They required a large fuel tank to be removed from its current location at Minley in Hampshire so it could be safely scrapped.

For this lift, we used two cranes along with our knowledge and skills to get the job safely completed at the time required.

During a multi-crane lift good coordination is essential to avoid overloading either the cranes or their rigging.  If one crane lifts its end more than its partner(s), the load distribution can become dangerously unbalanced and result in unwanted horizontal forces.  The closer a crane is to the centre of gravity for a load, the more loading force that crane will receive.  For a multi-crane lift, knowing where the load’s centre of gravity will be throughout the entire lift is critical to a safe lift.  For this dual lift, each crane and rig could safely lift more than 20% of their calculated share of the load.

There are many reasons to do a multi-crane lift, a heavier load than the Maximum Rated Capacity of a single crane, greater load distribution over a load bearing surface, greater reach than is possible with a single crane for a heavy load, the physical size of a load, the structural strength of a load, and finally, a need to rotate the load during the lift.

Multi-crane lift - Demag AC45 Multi-crane lift Multi-crane lift - fuel tank Multi-crane lift - front

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Footbridge over Abbey Road, London https://www.terranova.co.uk/2021/06/footbridge-over-abbey-road-london/ Mon, 28 Jun 2021 20:49:41 +0000 http://www.terranova.co.uk/?p=2174 We had an interesting job in London recently, a client needed a footbridge removed in one complete section from over Abbey Road in London.  We used our large AC140 mobile crane with its impressive 140 tonnes MRC to successfully complete the job.  With a width of just 2.75m and a length of just 11.7m, the AC140 is one of the most powerful cranes there is for its size.  It is like a large ant of the mobile crane world with a big main boom reaching out to an amazing 60 meters.
The customer needed the bridge taken down in one complete section so they could recycle it in the best possible way.  It took a day to complete and the customer was left happy and impressed with the way the job was handled thanks to our professional driver and crew.

 

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Alternative Solution – Using a Hiab X800 https://www.terranova.co.uk/2021/06/alternative-solution-using-a-hiab-x800/ Fri, 11 Jun 2021 18:32:11 +0000 http://www.terranova.co.uk/?p=2141 A steel works client ordered a crane to lift some structural steel framing onto a building site at Thatcham, Berkshire.  Our client originally booked the crane with the belief the steel structural framing would be lowered into the worksite from above as there was no roof. However, on the day of delivery it became apparent the site agent had constructed a protective tin roof over the original open top worksite.  This meant an urgent alternative plan was required to avoid worksite delays.  So we at Terranova offered one in the form of our Volvo FH12 tractor with its amazing X800 Hiab crane and 135X Jib.  This specialised Hiab may not have the MRC of a dedicated mobile crane, however it does have an amazing radial reach of 28m without the need for an overhead cable to lower loads from above.  Working at a distance of 27m, we were able to lift the heavy steel framing structures perfectly into place within the now enclosed worksite.  The job took great coordination from our team over a half day period with both clients being happy and no change in the job schedule required.

Terranova's FH12 Hiab X800Crane fitting steel structural supports Long reach fitting of steel structural supports Hiab X800 long reach Long Reach of Hiab X800 & Jib Hiab X800 long extended boom

Photos by Reece (Slinger Banksman)

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Terranova lifts the Windsor Belle https://www.terranova.co.uk/2021/04/terranova-lifts-the-windsor-belle/ Wed, 14 Apr 2021 14:53:30 +0000 http://www.terranova.co.uk/?p=2053 To keep the Windsor Belle in pristine condition, every few years she is taken out of the water and given a full overhaul.

This boat is truly an elegant piece of history.  Built in 1901 during Edwardian times, she is propelled by a direct drive from a triple expansion steam engine.  This makes her both highly efficient (for steam) and very quiet.  So quiet, some of her passengers have asked if she is electric powered!

The majestic Windsor Belle’s frame is made from the finest English Oak and surrounded by a sleek teak hull that weighs approximately 25 tonne.  Terranova was tasked with lifting this unique and precious vessel from the water ready for her friendly skipper Luke to keep her in the immaculate condition she deserves.  Using our Grove GMK4100L mobile crane with its 100 tonne MRC, we were able to successfully lift the Windsor Belle safely from its transporter.

We are very honoured to be trusted with lifting such a unique vessel.  If you would like to hire our services to unload or launch your valuable vessel, please contact us today to find out how we can help.

If you are interested in chartering Windsor Belle, please visit their website at https://www.windsorbelle.com/

Windsor Belle boat lift off low loader Windsor Belle, crane lift 2020 Windsor Belle, mobile crane out riggers Windsor Belle, boat lift into maintenance shed Windsor Belle, maintenance lift 2020 Windsor Belle, maintenance 2020
Windsor Belle Windsor Belle, lifting rig

Windsor Belle boat lift
Windsor Belle, mobile crane lift

Windsor Belle, boat lift
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Launching the John Pinkerton II back in 2013 https://www.terranova.co.uk/2021/03/launching-the-john-pinkerton-ii-back-in-2013/ Wed, 24 Mar 2021 12:11:55 +0000 200te)]]> http://www.terranova.co.uk/?p=2019 Someone sent in this video they discovered on youtube of Terranova helping with the delivery of the new John Pinkerton II canal boat back in 2013.  Our 250 tonne mobile crane, the Demag AC250, with its 80m main boom was well equipped to safely complete the task.

The canal boat was being delivered for the Basingstoke Canal Society who operate two trip boats along the Basingstoke Canal (through John Pinkerton Canal Cruises Ltd).

The John Pinkerton II is the larger of their two boats hosting up to 50 guests with all proceeds going directly into looking after the Basingstoke Canal.

We hope you enjoy watching the video.

Same event from a different angle.

To find out more about the Basingstoke Canal Society, John Pinkerton II or to book a canal trip with them, please visit their website https://basingstoke-canal.org.uk/

Contact us today to find out more on how we can also help you get your boat safely into the water.

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Radio mast upgrades & another busy month. https://www.terranova.co.uk/2021/03/radio-mast-upgrades-another-busy-month/ Mon, 01 Mar 2021 16:16:37 +0000 http://www.terranova.co.uk/?p=1964 Despite Covid, February of 2021 has been a very busy month for Terranova. As the month draws to a close, we were delighted to confirm a two day booking with Vantage Solutions Ltd for our AC 50 tonne crane. As can be seen from the photos, access to the site was difficult due to the gradient and muddy access road. However, this versatile crane was perfect for the conditions. The contract involved assisting with communications upgrades at the SSE Foxhill Radio mast, Hinton Parva Nr Swindon. Another successful job and happy client.

SSE Foxhill Radio mast SSE Foxhill Radio mast upgrade Foxhill Radio mast upgrade Foxhill Radio mast upgrade, Swindon Mobile Crane cab Mobile crane upgrading mast, Swindon Mobile crane upgrading radio mast, Swindon SSE Foxhill Radio mast, Swindon Upgrading Foxhill Radio mast, Swindon

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How Terranova helped BBC’s Challenge Anneka (1991) https://www.terranova.co.uk/2021/02/how-terranova-helped-bbcs-challenge-anneka-1991/ Mon, 22 Feb 2021 17:22:09 +0000 http://www.terranova.co.uk/?p=1949 In 1991 Terranova helped out on a “Challenge Anneka” TV episode.  The series 3 finale, a “180-foot Bridge”, was filmed in Wadebridge, Cornwall in under 4 days!

This video contains the highlights of that memorable event for us.

Anneka Rice was challenged to help complete a 55m (180ft) pedestrian bridge across the River Camel to join both sides of the town of Wadebridge together.

Before the footbridge was built, pedestrians would have to use Wadebridge’s existing medieval period road bridge, built in 1460.  This bridge is a marvel in itself with its stone construction and 17 arches.  However the bridge carries a lot of traffic creating another problem in the form of pollution and noise for any pedestrians crossing its 100m length.  Residents of the south side of Wadebridge also had a long way to walk to enjoy the playing fields of Elgoshayle on the other side.

Dr Keith Bailey, a major proponent of the new pedestrian bridge, left a sum of money in his will to help build it. However, due to rising costs the scheme was set aside until it was finally built by the Challenge Anneka programme and a group of volunteers.

Anneka had just 4 days to complete the bridge and Terranova helped using our 200 tonne Demag AC 615 crane.  The Demag AC 615 was one of the best cranes of its time.

The complete episode of Challenge Anneka in Wadebridge, Cornwall – September 1991 (YouTube)

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