Download - Mammoet BV

Civil
LOCATION: PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND
JOB: REMOVING A LARGE DOCK
CRANE
CHALLENGE: CONGESTED SITE
32 33
“The rig was set
up in six weeks
using mobile
cranes”
Removal of a Refuelling Crane
Mammoet’s client had to remove their
huge dockside refuelling crane. This 1,450
ton, 125 meter long steel structure was
built in the 1970s to handle fuel for nuclear
submarines and will be replaced by a gantry
system. The client assumed that the crane
would have to be demolished on site
which would mean extensive working at
height and closing the offices underneath
the crane.
However, a UK/Dutch Mammoet team proposed
removing the crane in one piece,
lowering it onto a barge and transporting it
to a demolition yard. The 2,000 tons of
equipment Mammoet needed included the
“Kursk gantry beams” (now extended to
almost 40 meters) skid shoes, MSG towers,
strand jacks and four mobile cranes. The
skid shoes would slide over the beams
suspended from the towers using the
strand jacks.
The rig was set up in six weeks using
mobile cranes on the congested site.
Helped by perfect weather, Mammoet
jacked the 1,450-ton crane up and skidded
it across the Kursk beams. Using strand
jacks (4x 600-ton and 2x 900-ton)
Mammoet then lowered the crane 40
meters onto the barge. The whole operation
took less than 20 hours.
After removing one of the gantry
towers the barge was transferred to
a quay. Mammoet skidded the
crane onto the quay and the crane
was finally at the position where it
will be demolished.
This was a challenging but satisfying
project which offered a much better
option to the customer.