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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
MAY
2017
Quentin van Breda, managing director of SA French, says the
increased popularity is because one of primary challenges on any
site is the need to move both people and materials to levels where
critical activities need to be performed, and this has to be done
safely while maximising productivity.
Many sites make use of tower cranes to handle heavy loads, and
move these across a wide area on the site. This mode of materials
handling, however, cannot be justified for smaller components such
as scaffolding material and other equipment. Also, tower cranes
cannot move personnel to various levels.
“The traditional method of moving such equipment manually
is not productive at all, and often results in excessive standing
time with the associated loss of productivity, and even worse can
increase unsafe work practice on a site,” Van Breda explains.
The contractor’s challenge is to find a piece of lifting equipment
that will transport both men and materials to various levels on multi-
storey constructions, and one that will reduce the manual handling
as well as a the consequential risk of injury. Hoists not only fit the
profile for this type of lifting activity, but can also travel at a speed
that is effective and safe.
“Often the vertical lifting of men and materials is not appreciated
in terms of the complexity it adds to logistics on a construction
or mining site,” Van Breda says. The challenge is to provide safe,
efficient vertical travel on a project while it is being constructed.
A recent example where a hoist supplied by SA French provided
a best fit logistical vertical lifting solution is at Kusile Power Station.
The company supplied man/materials hoists to Mitsubishi Hitachi
Power Systems Africa (MHPS) and this purpose engineered single
mast hoist is equipped with two separate cages. One has a 2 t
capacity to carry personnel, while the other is capable of carrying
3,2 t of material. Significantly, both cages operate simultaneously
Hoists gain traction for vertical movement on sites
The use of hoists for vertical transportation of personnel
and materials is gaining traction across a wide range of
industries, including the construction and mining sectors.
increasing productivity; while the configuration of the hoist
also allows for materials to be loaded by forklift, further speeding
up the operation.
An example within the mining sector is the recent supply of
two 0,5 t passenger hoists to a copper mine in Zambia. These will
be responsible for moving personnel, together with light tools and
equipment, up the shaft headgear framework.
Vertical transport solutions need to comply with the most
stringent safety parameters, and the hoists supplied by SA French
incorporate advanced security safety including speed regulators and
an overspeed emergency braking system.
Planning is a critical activity, especially when
undertaking specialised lifts in remote areas.
Robson says the company is no stranger
to working in Africa and is well positioned
to extend its footprint even though there
are differences from country to country; the
lifting specialist has the distinct advantage
of understanding the conditions across the
continent.
Describing the logistic complexity of a
heavy lift project, Robson says that after all
the planning has been completed the crane
being taken to the lifting site must be broken
down into modular components. These are
then loaded onto trucks with all the auxiliary
equipment including the boom configuration
and luffers and this is then transported either
via road or sea to the country where the lift is
taking place.
This includes route surveys, bridge
formulae calculations, permits and road
ordinance clearances, permit verification
and axles loadings, and communication with
utility suppliers and relevant authorities in
all countries. Planning around the logistics
is just as important as with the arrival of
components it is critical to ensure that these
arrive in the correct order to facilitate the
timeous building of the crane.
Operators are also a critical aspect of a
heavy lift success, and Johnson Crane Hire
has a core of specially trained and highly
skilled operators.
What needs to be appreciated is that
a heavy lift operation is an extensive
project and can take anywhere up to 60
days or more. Johnson Crane Hire has
conducted successful heavy lift projects in
Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho
and DRC in the past, and each package was
tailored to the specific requirement to ensure
its success.
Johnson Crane Hire's
750 t Liebherr LG 1750
lattice boom all terrain
crane doing a wind
farm installation.