Sightings of large crane barges on the River Thames in London have become more frequent in recent months as waterfront projects associated with millennium celebrations near completion.
On 10 June Taklift 1 passed under eight bridges to reach the sight of the British Airways London Eye, a 135m-high Ferris wheel being constructed on the south bank of the Thames in central London by Westminster Bridge.
Getting the vessel under each bridge had to be carefully managed as Taklift 1 had never been so far upstream before. Clearance under one bridge was less than 400mm.
The crane barge, owned by Smit International of the Netherlands, is needed to lift quarter rim sections, each weighing 144t, onto the seven construction platforms that have been built on the river to enable assembly of the wheel.
When all four sections are connected, and hub and spindle assembled, the wheel will be hoisted into place. This is scheduled to take place over a 24 hour period at the end of next month. The next stage is to afix the 32 glass passenger capsules, each with the capacity for 25 people. The wheel finally opens for rides in January, with each complete rotation taking 30 minutes.
Steelwork for the wheel was fabricated by Dutch contractor Hollandia, using more than 1,400t of steel supplied by British Steel. Construction manager for the project is Mace.
Smit’s barge crane Taklift 7 was used to install the 200t canting brow of the Millennium Pier, beside the Millennium Dome, a massive exhibition centre which is to be the centrepiece of the UK’s celebrations. The new pier will enable visitors to reach the Dome by riverboat.
In April Taklift 3 removed a 200t footbridge, the Wilkinson Bridge, near the Canary Wharf business development. The A-frame of the sheerlegs lifted the base in the four hour operation while the 20m fly jib was used to support the bridge pylon.
