Raising the roof

The job formed part of Vinci’s delivery of intu’s £75m transformation of intu Trafford Centre’s Barton Square. The extension will see the addition of a fully redesigned interior, a glass dome roof and more than 110,000 sq ft of new retail and leisure space.

Ainscough was hired to lift and position a glazing rig into place that would be used to install glass into Barton Square’s new dome atrium. A 300t Liebherr mobile crane on 63m of luffing jib was used to lift the glazing rig into place, with chainblocks used to keep the load level.

The crane took five and a half hours to build and derig, with the lift itself taking an hour and a half. When the glazing has been affixed to the steel frame of the dome, Ainscough will return to Barton Square to remove the glazing rig.

Gary Rathburn, Ainscough Crane Hire’s Manchester depot manager, said: “Given the unusual shape of the glazing panels and rig, this lift required careful planning and skilful delivery. Our team of operatives worked with Vinci to deliver the lift successfully overnight, ensuring minimal disruption to intu Trafford Centre staff and visiting shoppers.

“Ainscough’s Manchester depot is proud to be playing a role in what will be an eye catching addition to one of the key retail and leisure destinations for the North West and the country as a whole and we look forward to continuing to work with Vinci as the project continues.”

The intu Trafford Centre is one of the country’s biggest and most popular rental and leisure destinations, covering 2,066,284 sq m and attracting an annual footfall of 30 million.