Customer

Aertssen Cranes

Location

Laudun L'Ardoise, Avignon, France

Challenge

Aertssen Cranes was tasked with first positioning two abutments, each weighing 350 tonnes, and then installing the bridge deck, over a weekend. The 220-tonne bridge deck measured 24.8 metres long and 4.8 metres wide and needed to be raised for self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT) installation, while allowing bridge installation preparations to continue uninterrupted even during high winds.

Products

Enerpac JS-250 Jack-Up System

Solution

The bridge deck was assembled on site resting on two header beams. Working at ground level rather than at height ensured a safer working environment. The two JS-250 lifting beams were connected to the header beams supporting the bridge deck by round synthetic rope slings. It was then raised to 10m, raising up the bridge deck to 7.8m. An SPMT equipped with climbing jacks was positioned under the bridge deck. After lowering onto the SPMT, the deck was transported and installed on the abutments.

“The JS-250 jack-up system's small footprint makes it advantageous for use in a confined construction site like we had here,” said Manuel Aertssen, business development manager, Aertssen Group. “At the request of the main contractor we needed to execute a test lift of all our equipment 48 hours before the final installation with SPMTs. Due to high winds, we were able to lower the bridge deck to a safer height without losing valuable time during the final installation preparations.”

The stability of the JS-250 jack-up lifting system enabled bridge installation preparations to continue uninterrupted even during high winds that would not be acceptable, and cause delays, when using traditional lifting methods with cranes.

The Enerpac JS-Series jack-up system is a multi-point lifting system comprising four jack-up towers, one positioned under each corner of a load. The lifting frame of each jack-up tower contains four hydraulic cylinders, which lift and stack steel barrels. The load is lifted in increments as barrels are inserted via an automated system and stacked, forming the lifting towers. Managed by a single operator, each tower’s lifting and lowering operations occur simultaneously, while the jack-up’s synchronous technology maintains the balance of the load.