Lifting a 170 tonne linkspan to its new facility in Liverpool
Project info:
Pontoon
182t
Bridge
171t
Ramp
77t
Location
Liverpool
Linkspan Install
We were instructed by Macgregor, who design and supply load-handling products to the marine industry. They asked us to lift a linkspan into its new facility at the Isle of Man Ferry Terminal in Liverpool.
A linkspan is the part of a roll-on roll-off (RoRo) ship which levels the height difference between the quay and the cargo deck of the vessel. It comprises a pontoon, a bridge and a ramp, and taken together it links the ship to the shore so that vehicles, cargo, and passengers can load and unload the ship safely and smoothly.
Macgregor needed this one to be transported from Poland and installed in its new home in Liverpool.
The challenge:
Finding a usable berth
Initially, the plan was to use the only river berth in central Liverpool, which was the cruise terminal. However, that was not possible at the time. A cruise ship had recently returned to the berth unexpectedly, due to the various restrictions imposed by the impact of Covid-19.
We had to find an alternative route. We prepared various reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS) reviews, which were reviewed and approved by the client.
In the end, we used a berth in the Liverpool Docks. This particular berth was chosen after we carried out bathymetry analysis and reviewed the wall sections. We chose a dock with the thinnest wall sections, and appropriate river beds, that would allow us to carry out a complex lifting operation from outside the dock, on a rising tide.
The solution:
Lifting Linkspan
We lifted the linkspan from inside the dock using a floating crane positioned outside the dock.
For the lifting operation, we used a specialist ship crane, Lara 1 to carry each part of the linkspan separately; first the pontoon, then the bridge, and finally the ramp. They were each placed into the new facility, ready for use when the time came.
In order to minimise any disruption, we carried out the operation overnight. This came with its own challenges of light and temperature, but the operation was completed successfully.
Supporting additional projects on site
During the project, we were noticed by GreenC Marine, engineers in marine construction. Having seen our work on the linkspan, they asked us to support them with the lifting and removing the dock gate.
We completed that lift, and further support GreenC with the fender installation. We used a mobile crane to lift the 55 tonne fenders to their new vessel.
By this time, we had gathered a reputation on site, and representatives from the Isle of Man government asked us to provide the supervisors and linesmen for the berthing and berth trails for their new facility, which we were happy to help with.
Agility to change plans in light of Covid-19
Applied Services
• Heavy lifting
• Logistics, including chartering vessels
• Fender installation
• Planning deck strength and load spreading
• RAMS analysis
• Supervisors and linesmen for berthing
Outcome
Complex Project Completed Successfully
All in all, the project took 30 months from start to finish. Our team had to be flexible in light of unexpected challenges, and to pick up new work along the way. Whenever a challenge arose, our client was able to call us, as a single point of contact, to sort it out. We really enjoyed this project and were happy to help in a variety of different ways.
Harlyn Solutions
Engineering-led transportation
in action.
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