Flare for lifting

A seven-week shutdown at Shell UK's Stanlow manufacturing complex at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire was completed with the aid of Ainscough Crane Hire. At peak, Ainscough supplied 30 cranes from its network of depots in northwest England, as well as operators and riggers. 'There was a considerable amount of complex lifting activities within this major shutdown scope. This required extensive pre-planning prior to carrying out the lifting activity on the day,' said Shell UK lifting equipment co-ordinator Mike Shone.

Elsewhere (shown inset) Ainscough used its new Liebherr LTM 1500YS, a 500t all terrain with 'Y guy' boom attachment, to lift in nine concrete beams for a new bridge over a railway line near Rothwell in the UK's east midlands. The LTM 1500YS was rigged with 165t of counterweight and 42.1m of main boom complete with the 'Y guy' system, along with a modular lifting beam to place the beams, the largest of which weighed 69.8t, at a radius of 19m.