CRANES AND LIFTING: July/August 2018

$9.90

JULY/AUGUST 2018

ONE TADANO

INSIDE

Building a network for growth

• The power of nine • A trend towards heavy lifters • What’s on at CANZ

ONE TADANO Building a network for growth.

CONTENTS | JULY-AUGUST 2018

14 HIGH ON CRANES The power of nine

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AND MARINE 26 BARGE CRANES ABH barges designed for lifting projects

CICA INDUSTRY REPORT From the president

22 TOP 50 PROFILE

33 CANZ PREVIEW

Association membership - a good choice

All in a day’s work

LOADING 24 VEHICLE CRANES Combining strength and reliability with user-friendliness

Cranes and Lifting is a media partner of

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44 TOWER CRANES

A trend towards heavy lifters

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SUCCESSION PLANNING Buchanans - a small family business looking to the next generation

Senior Editor: Jacqueline Ong (jacqueline.ong@mayfam.net) Editor: Greg Keane (greg.keane@mayfam.net) Journalists: Jan Arreza (jan.arreza@mayfam.net), Patrick Lau (patrick@mayfam.net) Creative Director, Patterntwo Creative Studio: Toni Middendorf Advertising sales: Ross May (ross@mayfam.net or 0400 868 456) Marketing and customer support: Benjamin May (ben.may@mayfam.net) Subscriptions: Email: subscriptions@mayfam.net Web: www.insideconstruction.com.au Publisher: Ross May (ross@mayfam.net or 0400 868 456) Office: Level 13, 333 George Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2000 Email: contact@mayfam.net Website: www.insideconstruction.com.au COPYRIGHT WARNING: All editorial copy and some advertisements in this publication are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced in any form without the written authorisation of the managing editor. Offenders will be prosecuted.

WANT TO GO

EDITOR’S NOTE

DIGITAL? NOW YOU CAN

Find out more at insideconstruction.com.au

It’s conference time!

T

his issue will be seen at the New Zealand national crane conference.

To those attending, “He hui angitu”, which - my trusty Maori-English dictionary tells me - means “Have a successful conference.” If it doesn’t, help I’ve been hacked!!!

Conferences are a good time to be open-minded: not just to what you hear from speakers but about what you hear from your fellow crane operators or see on display from the marketers. It’s a necessary luxury to have so many like-minded people in one place, or to have so much information at your fingertips without having to chase it to all directions of the compass.

It’s Australia’s turn in October, and you’ll be seeing the next issue of Cranes and Lifting at that conference.

Now, time for an apology. I interviewed Mark Gilbert for our last issue, but

unfortunately (for us, not him!) he travelled overseas shortly afterwards; and we were unable to get feedback before publication.

Although there were some minor detail changes, my real error was in misinterpreting Mark’s view of the current market and the impact of larger cranes on heavier lifts. Rather than reducing the number of multi-crane lifts, Mark’s real point about the increased availability of larger cranes was that this has seen the lifts getting bigger and more ambitious.

In this issue, we have a story on generational change in a small family crane business. With most crane hirers in the general market being family businesses, this should strike a chord with many of you.

Knowing what you want to do with your business when you’re looking to retire is something that many of you think about.

Finding a buyer prepared to pay the right

price to allow you to realise the value of your investment in time and energy (as well as $) can be a struggle, and many also worry about whether customers you have come to know and value will be treated well by your successor.

Having the next generation take on the business has its own challenges: you need to free some funds to cover your retirement, so vendor finance isn’t always an option; and you want the next generation to want to be in the business, not feel trapped by it or feel that they can’t make their own decisions because someone is looking over their shoulder.

Having sat at a table with James and Greg Buchanan at the last crane conference, I had a feeling that there was a story needing to be told. Hopefully, I’ve done it justice.

Greg Keane greg.keane@mayfam.net

TEREX SALES UP BY 25% Terex Corporation has reported a strong Q1 with sales of US$1.3 billion (AU$1.74 billion), a 25% growth compared to Q1 of 2017.

The company attributed the growth to improvements made to its operations as well as broad-based growth across its global market.

Income from continuing operations as adjusted for the first quarter of 2018 was US$44.6 million. This compares to income from continuing operations as adjusted of $5.5 million in the first quarter of 2017.

Sales for the Terex Cranes business segment grew 19% to US$314 million, driven by higher demand and the favourable impact of foreign exchange rates. Operating performance improved compared to the first quarter of last year, however, Terex’s results were negatively impacted by disruptions in the company’s mobile crane factories caused by supply chain challenges.

Indications for future growth are positive, with Terex Cranes Q1 ending backlog up 58% versus 2017.

“Overall, we had a strong start to the year. Our backlog is up significantly in every segment and our global markets are improving” remarked John L. Garrison, Terex president and CEO. “Aerial Work Platforms (AWP) and Materials Processing (MP) are off to a great start. Our Cranes segment improved compared to the prior year but performed below our expectations in the quarter.”

Turning to Australia, Garrison noted in Terex’s earnings presentation that there has been a pick up, albeit off a “very low base”, of pick and carry cranes.

Steve Filipov, president Terex Cranes commented: “Global crane markets were fairly stable with pockets of growth as expected. We executed well in Towers and Utilities, and we continued to roll out exciting new products including our Demag AC 300-6 all-terrain crane and Terex CTT 472-20 flat top tower crane.”

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July/August 2018

NEWS

News updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

Industry representatives at the CrewSafe launch.

CrewSafe - a better way to regulate VOCs CrewSafe, the newest assessment program developed by CICA, was launched in Western Australia on May 25, 2018.

Onsite, safety is paramount. So, the Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) has worked with crane owners, equipment manufacturers and trainers, both in Australia and internationally, to develop CrewSafe.

Representatives from the mining and construction sectors attended the new FREO Group state-of-the-art facility for a hands-on

demonstration of CrewSafe. While bad weather prevented an outdoor demonstration, the sizeable workshop at FREO group in Hope Valley lent itself to an excellent CrewSafe display. Using a Liebherr LTM1055-3.2 crane, the operator demonstrated his competence and skill by setting up the crane and successfully navigating the obstacle course without hitting any tennis balls in the allocated time.

Cranes are all different, and the CrewSafe assessment modules are designed to be

UNITED CROWNED BEST RENTAL COMPANY NATIONAL access equipment specialist, United Forklift and Access Solutions, has been crowned 2018 Rental Company of the Year by the Australian Hire and Rental Industry Association (HRIA).

The HIRE18 Awards is the premier event of the United Forklift and Access Solutions’ Trent Osborne and Doug Rawlings receive HRIA, which is the official the accolades of the HRIA Hire18 gala night. industry association for hire and rental companies in Australia.

The awards’ comprehensive judging criteria included a rigorous United Forklift and Access Solutions site inspection involving a set of standards for which it was ranked 1-10, including: • overall presentation of company (workshops, equipment yard, display areas, etc); • team members (staff presentation, product knowledge, phone manner, booking procedures, etc); • plant and equipment (range of equipment, age, quality, overall presentation); • systems and procedures (computer systems, use of technology, OH&S, operator licensing, equipment off hire check and procedures, maintenance records, breakdown procedures, marketing promotions, etc.); • Key Performance Indicators (KPIs); • community involvement; and • HRIA contribution, attendance to meetings/events, use of logo within business, etc.

HIRE18 was a double celebration for United as its major supplier partner Haulotte also took out an award, winning ‘Best New Product’ for the HA26 RTJ PRO articulating boom lift.

This machine includes world-first technology like Activ’ Lighting and other smart features.

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machine-specific, reflecting the current state of knowledge and best practice. All assessments are filmed, documented, and accessible on the CrewSafe app so site supervisors and crane operators have a centralised point of reference.

The CrewSafe launch gave the attendees a clear understanding of how it can protect their crew, crane, and reputation.

For more information on CrewSafe visit: www.crewsafe.com.au

HVNL - EXEMPTION NOTICE PUBLISHED THE National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has published a mass and dimension exemption notice under the Heavy Vehicle National Law for Victorian Class 1 heavy vehicles.

This applies to all Class 1 heavy vehicles in Victoria, including four-axle and five-axle all-terrain mobile cranes. The driver and operator of an eligible vehicle is exempted from complying with legislation regulating the use of heavy vehicles including, but not limited to, compliance with: • all mass and dimension requirements in the HVNL, other than the mass or dimension requirements from which the vehicle is exempted under the Notice; • traffic signs, including mass and dimension limit traffic signs; • vehicle standards in the HVNL; and • lawful directions of authorised officers.

Eligible vehicles for the exemption must not exceed these limits: a. 16.5m length; b. rear overhang of the lesser of 4.0m and 90% of the wheelbase; c. 3.5m width; and d. a projection in front of the centre of the steering wheel of 3.5m.

Other conditions include the section width of each tyre must be at least 445mm and, if the vehicle has the centre of a steering control to the left of the vehicle, it must display a ‘left hand drive’ and either be fitted with a closed circuit TV system or be accompanied by a pilot vehicle.

July/August 2018

Š Terex Cranes 2018. Terex, Demag and Above, Ahead, Always are trademarks of or licensed by Terex Corporation or its subsidiaries.

The new AC 45 City

Fits everywhere.

The new Demag AC 45 City: The most compact crane in its class thanks to a height of only 3.16 meters, an incredibly versatile machine as a result of its IC-1 Plus control system, and a fully roadable unit with a maximum weight of only 34 tonnes. All this makes it the best Demag City crane of all time!

Visit demagmobilecranes.com to learn more and to sign up for updates from Demag — the inventors of the City crane class.

Above. Ahead. Always.

NEWS

News updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

Marmon Crane Services acquires WGC Crane Group MARMON Crane Services, a Berkshire Hathaway company, has announced the acquisition of Wollongong-based, familyowned WGC Crane Group by a newly created subsidiary Marmon Crane Australia. Financial terms were not disclosed.

WGC’s fleet includes a variety of mobile cranes used for industrial maintenance, construction and other projects.

The Marmon Group is an international association of more than 125 autonomous manufacturing and service businesses with collective revenues of

The RotorHook in action.

approximately US$7 billion (A$9.23 billion). In 2012, Marmon acquired Freo Group.

“We are excited to welcome WGC and its employees to Marmon’s global portfolio of crane businesses,” said John Roberts, Marmon Crane Services president.

“WGC is a strong, successful company and we look forward to its continued growth.”

WGC Crane Group will continue to operate under their name and former managers Marc Sergi and Rob McInnes will continue to lead the company, with oversight by management of Freo Group.

AUSTRALIAN MARINE COMPLEX TURNS TO DIGITAL TECH

LIFTWERX AND SIEMENS GAMESA ANNOUNCE UP-TOWER LIFTING DEVICE

Konecranes digital technology suite is maximising uptime for Australian Marine Complex.

KONECRANES’ latest digital technology suite is optimising the safety, uptime and availability of production-critical cranes in Australian Marine Complex’s Common User Facility (CUF) in Western Australia.

CUF uses a range of overhead cranes and hoists for project assembly and materials handling tasks for demanding industries, and any downtime can result in lost production or added costs.

To implement a predictive maintenance program that minimises downtime and optimises the value of their assets, CUF has installed a suite of Konecranes digital technologies, including TRUCONNECT remote monitoring technology, MAINMAN planned maintenance and inspections and yourKONECRANES.com online portal.

“TRUCONNECT allows us to proactively plan for the replacement of critical components, analyse crane operator behaviour, monitor trends and anomalies, along with important safety events such as overloads. And all of this can be done from the comfort of our

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main command centre,” said Jayden Good, operations and maintenance manager, CUF. Jayden Hughes, Konecranes WA sales representative, says the TRUCONNECT technology used by CUF is linked with other Konecranes advanced digital technologies such as MAINMAN and yourKONECRANES.com designed to further enhance user-friendliness and optimise maintenance processes.

“Konecranes MAINMAN planned maintenance and third-party inspections are designed to ensure all aspects of safety and compliance are regularly assessed in alignment with Australian Standards,” said Hughes.

“With TRUCONNECT, alerts and notifications are automatically sent via text message and emailed to a nominated person.

The data is presented via a user-friendly dashboard interface.”

Good says that in addition to creating better maintenance schedules and identifying potential problems earlier, Konecranes’ digital technology suite also helps provide CUF with better end of life evaluations on their cranes.

ENGINEERING company LiftWerx has partnered with Siemens Gamesa to develop the world’s highest capacity up-tower lifting device.

With a lifting capacity of 75t, the system is designed to lower a fully assembled wind turbine rotor and main shaft.

The RotorHook will have a much wider array of lifting capabilities compared to other up-tower cranes and it has the ability to perform major corrective repairs on nearly all major turbine brands.

The device will eliminate the need to use a large conventional crane and is easily mobilised to project sites in only three standard ISO containers.

Launching in Q2 2019, LiftWerx’s director of North America operations Ted Pruss says the RotorHook will drive down operation and maintenance costs, improve turbine uptime, increase safety and reduce the reliance on larger and more costly cranes.

“Operationally, this device will perform lifts from within the nacelle, which were previously unachievable, and we are looking forward to progressing with the project and executing the first lifts of the machines,” Glen Aitken, president of LiftWerx, said.

July/August 2018

All Terrain

Power

Taking Australia by storm!

NEW GMK4100L-1

NEW GMK5250L NEW GMK5150L

Meet the Grove all-terrain All-Star lineup now featuring MaxBase variable position outriggers The new GMK4100L, GMK5150L and GMK5250L all-terrain cranes offer industry-leading performance and features that include: • Superior lift capacities • Longest booms • Fast and efficient rigging times • Best maneuverability • Perfectly suited to Australia’s stringent roading requirements

GMK4100L-1

GMK5150L

GMK5250L

100 t capacity 60 m boom

150 t capacity 60 m boom

250 t capacity 70 m boom

Take power, performance and maneuverability to new heights. Learn more at your local Grove dealer today, or go to www.manitowoccranes.com/Grove

MEGATRAK™ independent suspension with all-wheel steering and suspension that can be raised 170 mm or lowered 130 mm Hydraulic luffing swingaway extension allows outstanding lifting capability over obstacles at great heights, boom and jib extensions available Grove Single-engine concept with one simple angular gearbox drives hydraulic pumps through the centre of the slew ring for optimum efficiency and weight savings New Fuel Saver technology and optional auxiliary power supply Fast and easy rigging with new intuitive Crane Control System (CCS) with full graphic display, jog-dial and boom configuration mode MAXbase variable positioning outriggers, an efficient, user friendly option on all CCS cranes. Maximized capacities over a wider arc allow more useable loadcharts - SIMPLE and SAFE

SPONSORED CONTENT

One Tadano

- building a network for growth Japanese manufacturer Tadano is the leader in rough terrain cranes and truck cranes in Australia and over the past two years has quietly been building capacity that it believes will herald a new period of growth.

Welcome to ‘One Tadano’.

L

eading the charge is former AML Equipment chief Anthony Grosser, now Tadano Oceania’s general manager. AML Equipment was established in Perth in 2000 as a mechanical services business specialising in cranes and since 2010, had been the exclusive Tadano sales, service and parts agent in WA. In November 2016, Tadano

5 NEW MACHINES IN

2018

Tadano’s global investment in new product has been strong and consistent over its nearly 100-year history. In 2018, the company released five machines with three of these specific to the Australian market.

“Our research and development team is constantly discussing market requirements with our customers and what they are needing to develop and grow their business”, explains Grosser.

“Tadano has placed some of its senior design team right here in the most remote and harshest locations in Australia to understand what is required to develop and deliver strong reliable machines for this market and I believe that is going to justify investment in our product”.

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acquired AML to combine their respective strengths and to provide the foundation for what the company now calls ‘One Tadano’.

Grosser believes Tadano now has the sales and service network in place to support significant growth, a view clearly shared

by Japan given its display of confidence in releasing five new models this year.

With Tadano’s experience in Australia now exceeding 30 years, the company understands that the market is multi-faceted and that to meet the expectations of its customers, it must understand the needs of differing market segments.

As Grosser says: “Given the vast distances and specific requirements for Oceania, a strong and efficient network is required so that we can

ATF60

GR-1100EX

CRANE Max. Lifting Capacity Boom: 60t Boom: 52m Max. Lifting Height Boom+Jib: 58m Boom: 44m - 0.5t Max. Load Radius Boom+Jib: 44m - 0.5t Boom Length 48m Gross Vehicle Weight 36t (can get to 30t if needed) CARRIER Engine Model

Mercedes Benz OM 936LA Carrier: N/A Max. Output Super-structure: 354HP (260kW) Max Traveling Speed 85km/h Drive/Steering 3 axle drive/steer 11.18m (1 winch) 11.67m Overall Length (2 winches) Overall Width 2.66 (16.00) 2.82 (20.5) Overall Height 3.68m

CRANE Crane Capacity Max. Lifting Height Max. Load Radius Boom Length Jib Length Extention width of outriggers CARRIER Engine Model Max. Output Overall Length Overall Width Overall Height

Boom: 110t x 2.5m Boom: 56.1m Boom+Jib: 73.6m Boom: 44.0m Boom+Jib: 48.3m 12.0m - 56.0m 10.1m / 17.7m Max. 7.3m Mid. 6.7m, 5.5m Min. 2.7m Mitsubishi 6M60 200kW(267PS)/2,600min-1 14,450mm 3,315mm 3,795mm

July/August 2018

TECHNOLOGY: DRIVING SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY Human Interface Systems: With safety a core Tadano value, the introduction of human interface systems - a system long used in the automotive industry - shows great promise in the mobile crane market.

Tadano’s new GR-200EX machine has human alert systems installed as a standard option for driving and operating - the first to be fitted to a mobile crane. Along with Tadano’s wide sight view camera system, this offers a substantial improvement in safety both for customers and the public.

Smart Chart: Tadano’s new Smart Chart improves lifting capacity around key areas of the outriggers which can increase lifting radius dramatically with simple technology improvements offering customers a genuine improvement in performance and efficiency.

Positive Fuel Control: Tadano’s Positive Fuel Control system and Eco Mode delivers a reduction of up to 35% in CO2 emissions.

Driver comfort: Constant system improvements in ergonomics, access and egress, and driver visibly continue to improve the driver experience and reduce the stresses on operators and drivers. be where our customers need us to be and respond as required.”

To do this, Tadano has committed to strong investment including the purchase of AML Equipment and establishment of the long-awaited Melbourne branch. Grosser believes it is this commitment that will help Tadano achieve its long-term goal of becoming number one in the lifting equipment industry.

“For our customers, this offers security in the knowledge that the manufacturer is sufficiently confident in the market and its product to invest in growth, increase service and parts capability, and for the first time in Tadano Oceania’s history, provision of a full nationwide network owned and managed by the manufacturer,” says Grosser.

“Complementing the strength of the Tadano network, we have ensured that the customer, no matter where they are, has access to factory trained personnel and a nationwide parts

network to support their investment.

“In many cases the initial purchase price of a crane is only a small part of the machine’s life-time cost. Parts, service, operating costs and downtime are all part of the ownership costs our customers manage. At Tadano we are constantly assessing what we can do to ensure an investment in Tadano offers enduring value.

This sits side-by-side with our core values of safety, quality and efficiency, values embedded in every Tadano machine.

“It’s an exciting time for Tadano in this market. We now have the network infrastructure in place that our customers need and a commitment to constantly develop and improve that network. That includes the training that’s so critical to ensure optimal performance through the full machine lifecycle.

“I can tell you that our sales team is working with customers ranging from single operators to

multinationals with great success. Our approach is straight forward - to partner with our customers to support mutual and beneficial growth over the long-term. I take great pride in saying that while at AML, my first customer had one crane and is today one of the larger operators in Australia.

This ethos is shared with Tadano, we want a true partnership with our customers right through the cycle of highs and lows.”

Next year marks a significant milestone for Tadano. In August of 1919, the Tadano business was established by Masuo Tadano and the company will celebrate 100 years in 2019 - an impressive achievement by any measure.

In developing and improving its business model in Australia, releasing new products to suit local customer requirements, and improving its customer engagement, service, parts, and training delivery Tadano believe they have the CL tools in place to reach number one.

GT-600EL

GT-300EL

GR-200EX

CRANE Crane Capacity

Boom: 60t x 2.7m Boom: 43.4m Max. Lifting Height Boom+Jib: 57.3m Boom: 34.0m Max. Load Radius Boom+Jib: 44.0m Boom Length 11.0m - 43.0m Jib Length 9.0m/14.3m Gross Vehicle Weight 39.88t Max. 7.0m Extention width Mid. 6.5m, 4.7m of outriggers Min. 2.51m CARRIER Engine Model Max. Output Max. Traveling Speed Drive Overall Length Overall Width Overall Height

Daimler OM457LA 260kW{353PS} 85km/h 8x4 13,140mm 3,040mm 3,780mm

July/August 2018

CRANE Crane Capacity

Boom: 30t x 2.5m Boom: 34.0m Max. Lifting Height Boom+Jib: 48.0m Boom: 32.0m Max. Load Radius Boom+Jib: 40.0m Boom Length 10.3m - 34.0m Jib Length 8.5m/14.0m Gross Vehicle Weight 29.27t Max. 6.2m Extention width Mid. 5.8m, 4.1m of outriggers Min. 2.18m CARRIER Engine Model Max. Output Max. Traveling Speed Drive Overall Length Overall Width Overall Height

CRANE Max. Lifting Capacity Boom: 20t Boom: 28.2m Max. Lifting Height Boom+Jib: 35m Boom: 0.45t - 24m Max. Load Radius Boom+Jib: 0.17t - 27.8m Boom Length 27.5m Gross Vehicle Weight 19.87t CARRIER Engine Model Max. Output Max Traveling Speed

Daimler OM926LA 240kW{326 PS} 85km/h 6x4 12,620mm 2,550mm 3,800mm

Drive/Steering Overall Length Overall Width Overall Height

Cummins QSB6.7-4C Carrier: 238HP (175kW) Superstructure: N/A 54km/hr 4 wheel drive/ Power steering 8310mm 2450mm 3200mm

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KHL’S INTERNATIONAL ROUND-UP

Around the world with KHL Cranes and Lifting has partnered with supplier of international construction information KHL to bring you news from around the world.

SET WIN TAKES FIRST LTM 1450-8.1 IN ASIA The Set Win Group in Hong Kong has taken delivery of its new 450t capacity Liebherr LTM 1450-8.1 wheeled mobile telescopic crane.

The crane will be put to work among the skyscrapers and restricted job sites of Hong Kong. Its 85m boom and quick set-up of the 8-axle crane are important for Set Win. Work will include tower crane assembly, lifting and placing steel structures and prefabricated concrete elements. Air conditioning system installation is another likely application. Managing director Alan Kan explained a further benefit of his new crane: “Another advantage of the crane is that not only can it be ballasted at the front, but also at the rear end of the undercarriage.

That makes things significantly easier on constricted sites.”

Set Win has 25 cranes, 20 of which are Liebherrs. A new 500 tonne capacity LTM 1500-8.1 is also due to join the fleet.

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Alan Kan of Set Win, Christoph Kleiner of Liebherr, Raymond Kan of Set Win and Andreas Ganahl of Liebherr welcoming Asia’s first LTM1450-8.1.

FIRST NEW 300T KOBELCO IN EUROPE

ALE LIFTS 5134T EVAPORATOR

Hawks Crane Hire in the UK has ordered Europe’s first unit of the new 300t capacity Kobelco CKE3000G crawler crane. The Dartford-based company sealed the deal during the Intermat exhibition in Paris, France.

The model was launched in December 2017 and the first two units were delivered to Indonesian contractor Guna Teguh Abadi (GTA) Construction in March.

The CKE3000G is an all-rounder with three lifting modes, including Standard, with a capacity of 300t at 5.5m, Heavy Lift, with a capacity of 189.8t at 8.8m radius, and the Super Heavy Lift which lifts 350t at 8m radius. The CKE3000G ordered by Hawks will have a 78m main boom, 60m luffing fly jib and a 30m back mast and tray, giving the crane the heavy lift (HL), and SHL (super heavy lift) duties.

Commenting on his choice of crane, Elliot Hawkins, Hawks’s managing director, said: “The CKE3000G is a very flexible machine that will not only work well in the pre-cast, modular building sector, currently one of our largest markets, but will also open the door to new opportunities in the UK’s heavy lift marketplace, particularly the energy sector – gas, oil, renewables and energy to waste power plant construction - and on large-scale infrastructure projects, such as HS2 and Hinkley Point C. “After careful evaluation we chose Kobelco’s CKE3000G because, having compared it to many of its competitor’s models, its duties in standard luffing jib configuration were really impressive. We did some very thorough comparisons with several other competitor’s cranes and it out-performed one by a staggering 35%. It also beat a 350t competitor machine, which is incredible.”

Heavy lift and transportation specialist ALE claimed to have broken a world record by transporting the world’s heaviest evaporator, weighing 5134t, in Saudi Arabia.

ALE was contracted to perform the full delivery scope of the evaporator, plus steam transformers, lime filters and a brine manifold, to the Shoaiba Desalination Plant Project in Shoaiba, 100km south of the port city Jeddah.

ALE first received and handled the items at the plant’s jetty in April 2018.

The evaporator was loaded-in using 186 Generation 3 SPMT axle lines in a 3x2 file 62 configuration. Smaller, different configurations were used for the other items. These were then transported 1km to the Shoaiba Desalination Plant project site.

Once on site, ALE said it had to negotiate a challenging route within the plant. To avoid the unnecessary removal of obstacles, aspects of the cargo structure were modified to pass over fences.

Andrew Spink, general manager at ALE’s Saudi Arabia branch, said: “This was a complex operation, not only in terms of the pieces involved, but also the logistics of receiving almost 200 axle lines of SPMT and mobilising an experienced transport crew. It was completed successfully and sailed away within the time constraints all thanks to our team’s flexibility, local expertise and effective co-ordination between the ALE’s Middle East branches.”

Weighing 5134t, ALE said this evaporator is the heaviest in the world.

July/August 2018

KOBELCO AND MANITOWOC END SUPPLY AGREEMENT Crane makers Kobelco Construction Machinery in Japan and The Manitowoc Company headquartered in the USA will end their OEM supply agreement in November 2018.

The agreement, under which Kobelco supplies Manitowoc with lattice boom crawler cranes in capacities up to 150 US tons in North America and Manitowoc supplies Kobelco with Grove all terrain cranes for sale in Japan, has been running since 2003.

Each has agreed to continue supporting the other with service parts for 10 years.

A company statement said: “Looking ahead at future market conditions, the companies have mutually decided to operate their businesses on their own.”

CRANE WORLD ASIA ADDS TEREX TOWERS Singapore-based tower crane specialist Crane World Asia has ordered 31 luffing jib tower cranes from Terex. All of them are CTL 260-18 luffing jib models. CWA also ordered three Terex CDK 100-16 luffing jib derrick cranes. In addition, nine CTL 630B-32, and one CTL 650F-45 luffing jib towers will be delivered for work in South Korea later in 2018.

The Terex CTL 260-18.

Roger Poon, CWA director, commented on his choice of crane: “The thing that really sold us on the CTL 260-18 was its powerful performance characteristics, which are demonstrated by its ability to lift over 3t at its maximum boom length of 55m.”

The 30 CTL 260-18s will be delivered to Busan, South Korea and the remaining one will go to Hong Kong.

TELESCOPIC CYLINDERS FROM ENERPAC The RT-Series range of telescopic cylinders from Enerpac are designed for applications requiring a long stroke in confined spaces. The multi-stage hydraulic telescopic cylinders have lifting capacities between 14t to 31t, with maximum stroke lengths between 270mm to 600mm.

With a 700-bar max operating pressure, the RT-Series consists of two and three stage cylinders. A tilting saddle allows side load up to 3% of maximum capacity at full stroke, said Enerpac. For easy handling and positioning, all RT-series cylinders come with lifting eyes as standard.

According to Enerpac, the RT-Series is also suitable for harsh and extreme conditions. Made from high strength alloy steel with a nitro-carburised surface treatment, it provides both wear and corrosion resistance.

“With the introduction of the RT-Series telescopic cylinders, we are enabling engineers to benefit from proven Enerpac cylinder technology when tackling projects were either space is limited or they are looking for a higher lift,” said Maarten Franken, director of marketing and engineering, Enerpac.

ALE launched a replica of an 18th century Russian battleship.

MAMMOET LAUNCHES RUSSIAN BATTLESHIP REPLICA

A replica of an 18th century Russian battleship has been launched by heavy lift and transportation company Mammoet in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The wooden ship weighed 600t. Mammoet used SPMT to transport it out of the shipyard’s hangar, fastening it for stability. For the lift and launch procedure, Mammoet said its engineers created a customised rigging scheme to optimise load distribution.

For the launch operation, Mammoet used its PTC 35 ring crane. The company said the crane’s reach, small footprint and high capacity allowed it to lift the strapped ship within the limited space of the shipyard and slew it 180 degrees, before launching it into the Gulf of Finland. Mammoet said it carried out the job to a tight schedule.

The replica was commissioned by Russian natural gas company Gazprom and it will be now used as a floating museum in St. Petersburg. The replica is of a battleship called the Poltava, which was part of the Russia’s Baltic Fleet and was named in honour of the country’s victory in the Battle of Poltava, which took place on 27 June 1709 under the leadership of Peter I.

PORTABLE GANTRY USED TO SAVE SEAL PUP UK animal welfare charity, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), used a portable gantry made by UK gantry and davit crane manufacturer Reid Lifting to help rescue a seal pup that was trapped by boulders on a beach in South Wales.

The 5t working load limit (WLL) Porta-Gantry system was erected above the seal and used to remove boulders weighing approximately 3t. The gantry was erected on uneven ground and so it was mounted on timber chocks to level it out. The surrounding boulders were drilled and fixed into position to prevent cave-in during the rescue.

The gantry was hired from UK company Lifting Gear & Safety.

Gary Moorhouse, director at Lifting Gear & Safety, said: “The rescue team quickly identified a need for an overhead lifting solution to remove a large boulder and a crane wasn’t an option due to the nature of the location and environment. We frequently supply Reid’s gantries for diverse applications, but this was the first time that one has been used for a wildlife rescue such as this.”

Safely lifting the boulders was the cornerstone of the rescue operation.

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HIGH ON CRANES How many cranes does it take to lift a 6000m2 shed?

The power of nine At the end of May, five crane hire companies came together to lift a 6000m2 shed in Victoria and what a sight it was to behold.

Jacqueline Ong reports.

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ogether, Mildura Cranes and Access, Saunders Wrecking and Crane Hire, Sunraysia Crane and Rigging, A&G Engineering, and Inland Cranes, offered nine cranes for the job - a two-stage process that was completed all in the one day.

The cranes included four GT600s, a 50t Tadano, two ATF40s, a Zoomlion, and a Tadano T200.

Together, they lifted into place an Entegra-built shed that comprised 60t of steelwork.

Mildura Cranes and Access director, Peter Saunders, told Cranes and Lifting the lift went smoothly, despite rainfall the day before which made the shed a little “sticky”.

“We hope for good weather, but we do a lot of these shed [lifts] and all the companies that we work with come together to plan that out, and have a good toolbox talk so that everyone knows the drill well,” Saunders said.

When it comes to lifting big sheds, Mildura Cranes and Access can be considered a Mildura Cranes worked alongside five other crane hirers to ensure a successful and smooth operation.

seasoned pro. Mildura is home to the state’s many grape growers who are typically the ones requiring these structures. Because the crane hirer has done many a shed lift, it is able to advise all parties right from the get go.

“We work with the shed suppliers on the design of their shed and try to build as much as we can on the ground in order to eliminate any height work such as going up onto the sheds to put handrails and lift all of the iron as well as the insulation later. We try to build as much of the shed on the ground before it’s raised and that’s the main thing - doing this adds to the safety aspect and time saved in being in the air later with the riggers and the roof tops,” Saunders said.

Safety was a key factor in the lift and the main reason why nine cranes, positioned around the shed, were used.

“The reason we used nine cranes was to comply with Australian standards where during

the use of more than four cranes in a multiple crane lift, you’ve got to show a 50% safety margin for everybody,” Saunders said. Another part of the equation that led to a successful lift was the use of a proven swinging column system on the base of the cranes.

“In the top chord of the truss, you put one bolt in and as you’re slowing raising the shed, the columns swing around into a vertical position,” Saunders explained.

“Then, you put it over the top of the footing bolts that are in the ground and go up in the scissor and the boom lifts where you’ll bolt the rest of the bolts on the top and bottom of the trucks. Once that’s done, you put all the wall bracing in to make it safe before the cranes are released. We’ve using this system for 12 to 14 years.”

Footage of the cranes standing tall and proud can be found here: http://bit.ly/2y0tlos CL (Credit: Milne Graphics).

A job well done - the shed, which included 60t of steel work, was erected in a day of lifts that were described as “well organised”.

All images courtesy of Milne Graphics.

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®

Industry-led independent inspection program

Introducing the CraneSafe Assessment App. Features include ■ Photo and video capture of specific crane information to assist in record keeping and repair schedules ■ Generation of a maintenance list that can be used by the workshop to complete repairs ■ Captive information is used to monitor items that are deemed satisfactory at the time of assessment, but should be monitored during the upcoming 12 months ■ No more sending in white copies to the CraneSafe office

■ A ll existing information that has been used for industry lobbying with road regulators will now be more accurately captured digitally ■ Crane information and photos can assist with the assessment of a crane’s design life, and whether a major inspection is required ■ Assessments can automatically be added to your company’s unique CICA Member profile, to consolidate records and ease paperwork requirements of clients.

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CraneSafe is a division of CICA – Australia’s not-for-profit Crane Association

www.cranesafe.com.au

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After 13 years the national industry–led Inspection Program is now electronic.

CICA INDUSTRY REPORT

From the president According to the latest Australian Industry Group Performance of Construction Index (see figure 1), our industry continues to expand at historical highs, albeit at a slightly softening rate.

There is a confidence by most in our industry as utilisation of equipment continues to remain high. This is further confirmed by the number of new machines entering the CraneSafe program being approximately 40% up year on year across all-terrain and pick and carry cranes.

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ousing, Commercial and Engineering segments all continue to see expanding activity, in contrast to apartment building activity which has experienced steady to declining activity over nine of the past ten months, as shown in figure 2.

CICA continues to roll out the launch of our CrewSafe program to industry. CrewSafe is the standardised VOC assessment tool for the Australian crane industry, providing machine-specific, impartial, peer assessment with documented evidence (video) of competency. CICA, as the peak crane industry body, has worked with crane owners, equipment manufacturers, and trainers, nationally and internationally, to develop a standardised assessment. In May, about 20 industry participants from companies such as BHP, Delta Group, Georgiou, McDermotts (formerly CBI), RCR, Rio Tinto, and UGL, attended a live demonstration of what the program entails. A special thank you to Freo Group for allowing CICA to use your new facility for the demonstration. There was some robust discussion and good suggestions for further expansion/improvement. Overall it was clear by all that this is going to be a powerful tool and game changer for our industry. CrewSafe will continue to develop and evolve as more people start using it, but just a reminder, CrewSafe is fully functional/live online now and there are obstacle courses available for hire in every state. So why not be an early adopter and use it as a differentiator for your business – sign up.

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FIGURE 1

on www.crewsafe.com.au.

FIGURE 2

permits for travel within stated areas/routes

For most of our members located in the Eastern states, road access for cranes is an ongoing and contentious issue. CICA and the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) have been working together to improve road access for cranes in South Australia. CICA is pleased to report that the latest outcome of discussions is an increase in the validity of ‘Special Purpose Vehicle’

from one year to three years. This is a timely and welcome change and another example of the way CICA is working collaboratively with road management authorities to decrease the red tape burden. Other topics that are still under discussion in SA are the review of self-registration for new and used cranes and the allowance to tow up to a 12-tonne GVM pup trailer behind cranes.

July/August 2018

FIGURE 3

SPV NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS

CICA president Danny Black

CICA Board Danny Black – President, Terex Cranes Tom Smith – Vice President, Williamstown Crane Hire Andrew Esquilant, Liebherr Australia John Gillespie, Gillespies Crane Services Bart Sutherland, Complete Crane Hire Geoff Bevan, Hydralift Cranes Ben Pieyre, Freo Group

CICA Office

In NSW, a bridge case study is being reviewed for expansion of a 60-tonne route which, if successful, will allow travel on over 300 new structures. The Rail Infrastructure Management is requesting a study of four- to seven-axle cranes to determine acceleration and deceleration capability to grant access over passive level crossings. For Victoria, CICA is working with VicRoads to allow for the reduction of a second escort when travel is on a dual carriageway structure. The CICA Queensland branch has re-appointed David White (Chalky) to collaborate with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and local government to seek access to the remaining problem areas on the SPV1 network. The access map (figure 3) clearly shows this approach works. CICA’s communications officer, Damien Hense, will be working closely with Chalky to replicate this approach in other states.

Whilst on the topic of Queensland, the Queensland Mobile Crane Code of Practice, which was first released in 2006, is currently under review. If you have any areas that you July/August 2018

would like to be reviewed, please don’t hesitate to contact our CICA CEO, Brandon Hitch (0428 228 048).

Lastly a reminder to lock in the 17th – 19th October for this year’s CICA Conference “Raising the Bar” being held in the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. For the first time, we will have a combined crane display with exhibitor booths and the conference speakers all located under roof in the same complex - which means rain, hail or shine we will have a great show. Registrations are now open with early bird closing on 7th August. For further details, jump onto conference.cica.com.au. As always if you have any ideas of how CICA can better help our industry, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line.

Many Thanks, Danny Black CICA President General Manager Terex Australia 0419 384 962

Brandon Hitch, Chief Executive Officer 03 8320 0444 Tracey Watson, Business Operations Manager (VIC/TAS Secretariat) 03 8320 0411 Heidi Biuwale, CICA Administration Officer (NSW, QLD & NT Secretariat) 1300 887 277 John Humphries, VIC/TAS Liaison Officer 03 8320 0433 Alice Edwards, Project Engineer 03 8320 440 Patrick Cran, Plant & Operator Assessment Officer 0488 004 274 Damien Hense, Industry Communications Officer 03 8320 0460 Taylah Allan, CraneSafe Administration Officer 03 8320 0455 Unit 10, 18-22 Lexia Place, Mulgrave Vic 3170 (PO Box 136 Mount Waverley Vic 3149) Phone: 03 9501 0078 Fax: 03 9501 0083 Email: admin@cica.com.au Website: www.cica.com.au For information regarding CICA membership, please visit our website or call the CICA office.

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TOP 50 PROFILE Lampson Transi-Lift LTL-2600 working on the Nyrstar project in Port Pirie.

Advancing with Lampson The distinctive blue livery of Lampson cranes has been an integral part of the landscape on many major projects around Australia for many years, and that isn’t likely to change any time soon, writes Greg Keane.

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or is the core of Manitowoc crawler cranes and Grove rough terrain cranes, supplemented at the top end by its proprietary Transi-Lift cranes and in the core crawler crane sizes by its proprietary Millennium series remanufacture of the 4100 and now the 4600 series cranes.

Complementing these are a substantial heavy haulage fleet and specialist jacking systems for shovel and dragline maintenance in the mining industry.

Toronto (near Newcastle) is still the heartland of Lampson’s physical presence in Australia but is supplemented by branches in Gladstone, Perth, and Karratha to provide an ongoing presence in areas of regular work.

The Millennium remanufacture program was commenced in Australia but is now implemented throughout the Lampson group, with the work now undertaken in the US. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Lampson began to upgrade the 200t 4100 series cranes because their impressive capacity in Ringer configuration and long reach in tower configuration made them too great an asset to be made redundant 18

when advances in hydraulics saw a decrease in the use of conventionally driven cranes.

Lampson began to remanufacture these cranes and incorporate the features of newer cranes, including upgraded hydraulic drive systems. The 4100 Millennium series crane is now completely hydraulic in operation, with smooth and safe operation.

The success of this has seen similar hydraulics incorporated in the Transi-Lift cranes and now in Millennium series remanufacture of 4600 series cranes – a base 300t crane with 600t capacity in Ringer and Tower configurations.

The patented Lampson Transi-Lift design combines a conventional lattice boom crawler crane front end with a set-back counterweight tray on tracks and an adjustable length stinger between the crane and counterweight.

The combination of the set-back of the counterweight and the strength of the lattice boom provides very high capacity, with a variety of boom, jib, counterweight, and stinger options able to tailor the crane to suit the lift program.

Lampson Australia MD John Lee said:

“The crane is completely mobile under full load: it is transported on road or ship in conventional trailer load sizes and assembled onsite.”

The implementation of hydraulic winches is a significant advancement in the proven Transi-Lift design.

The robust construction of the Manitowoc 4600 (and 4100) cranes gives them the structural integrity to undertake a long working life; and the hydraulic drive systems now provide the safety and ease of operation that is required of modern cranes.

Nyrstar Project 2016-2018 As part of a worldwide focus on upgrading its processing plants for lead, zinc, and other precious metals (it has operations in Europe, the Americas, China, and Australia), Nyrstar commenced an upgrade of its Port Pirie (SA) refinery in 2016.

These improvement works required a very large crane to lift and install the modules of a new furnace tower due to their weight and the height of the building. New equipment was installed in the centre of an operating plant, where space July/August 2018

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and access were significant constraints. Through a rigorous tendering process, Lampson was selected to provide the heavy lifting and module transportation for the project.

In addition to a proprietary Transi-Lift LTL-2600, Lampson supplied three Manitowoc crawler cranes (a 2250 with Max-er, 999, and 777) as well as Grove RT-9130 rough terrain cranes and 81 axle lines of Goldhofer SPMTs for transporting the pre-assembled modules.

For the heavy loads and high reach, the LTL-2600 was configured with 134m of main boom, 67m of mast, a 24m stinger and 2300t of counterweight standing on two mobile crawler transporters. The LTL-2600 crawled on steel mats to protect the underlying ground for the induced loads, reducing ground bearing pressure to less than 200kPa. The heaviest lift was the 677t furnace module, while the top of the highest-placed module was 75m in the air. Many of the 15 modules were in the 300- 400t range, with average dimensions of 25m long by 14m wide by 26m high. Transporting and lifting these modules from within the confines of an operating plant imposed very tight tolerances - at times there were just centimetres of clearance to existing structures.

Lampson’s engineering team designed rigging with a spreader bar system that suited many of the heavy modules and minimised rigging changes between lifts, saving time and cost for Nyrstar.

Lee said: “It required precise coordination of design and site personnel, along with quality equipment, to deliver safe construction operations while minimising disruption to normal production at the smelter site.

“The Nyrstar project provided the opportunity for Lampson to display its expertise and equipment as it called on the specialised capabilities of the SPMT and the heavy and very high lifting ability of the LTL-2600 crane,” he concluded.

Upon successful completion of module installation and attaining all the desired milestones, the project progressed to the commissioning stage - and Lampson moved on to its next project.

M4100 Millennium crane in Ringer configuration on the Waterways project in Newcastle.

Millennium cranes at work An M4100 Millennium crane is now being used in Ringer configuration on a Waterway Constructions project on the Hunter River (Newcastle) to install underwater scour protection mattresses. The Ringer configuration provides substantially greater lifting capacity than a standard 4100 - particularly at radius - through the addition of a perimeter ring to support additional boom and counterweight.

While the maximum lift capacity rises from 200t to 270t, the lift chart at long radius shows a capacity of up to five times that of a CL standard crane.

July/August 2018

Hydraulic winches for a Lampson Transi-Lift.

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TOP 50 PROFILE A 160t and 200t all-terrain cranes dual lift – turning over a crusher wheel at ThyssenKrupp Engineering.

Prioritising people and processes

100t and 160t all-terrain cranes lifting a transformer weighing 100t for Fremantle Wharf.

Two 25t Frannas engaged in a dual lifting (boat recovery in Lancelin).

100t and 160t all-terrain cranes m a tower crane in Perth City.

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Established in 1986, family-owned business Bentley Crane Hire has been able to stay on top in a crowded Western Australian market by providing its customers with service it claims is second to none. People are at the forefront of the company’s operations and over the years, Bentley has developed both a friendly and loyal working relationship with its clients, as well as a strong team environment for its employees, writes Jan Arreza.

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ts people-focused attitude means that while the fleet is a key part of the equation, Bentley has a strong pool of competent and qualified dogmen, riggers, and operators to offer.

Additionally, any one of Bentley’s employees is able and equipped to assist their clients in all types of jobs, ensuring the work is completed safely and in a hassle-free manner.

“We do not claim to be biggest but we will be best because we believe that if in every aspect of the business we warrant high regard, then success will follow,” said William J Andrade, executive operations manager at Bentley Crane Hire.

“We are specialists in our field and we are confident that we will provide clients with an excellent and reliable service backed by guarantee, and this is what will distinguish us from our competitors.

“We will continue to supply the high level of customer service that is expected from our clients, which is something that we have provided over the years, since the beginning of our company.”

Andrade also pointed to Bentley’s operating process, which has driven the company forward over the years. The process was developed in-house to meet the company’s policies and philosophies, and importantly, generate a sense of ownership amongst their staff. It also integrates Australian Standard AS 4170 and international best practice systems.

The system is a comprehensive standalone management tool that dictates and encourages consistent standards of safety management across all projects. These standards are reflected in individual project management plans that flow from the system.

Turning to the machines, Bentley’s fleet

comprises 7t to the 750t capacity cranes. The company services all of WA’s metropolitan areas as well as mine sites and other states in Australia.

“When Bentley started all of those years ago, we started out with a fleet of four cranes and it just grew from there,” Andrade said.

“We want to be a one-stop-shop service where you can call on Bentley Crane Hire to get anything done with the range of machines at our disposal.

An advantage for us is, we’ve got a large number of cranes and prime movers with low loaders and drop decks we can supply, not just one on a particular project, but we can supply multiple numbers of these cranes to our clients, allowing them to do their job a lot quicker and more efficiently.

“And if your crane requirements are different to those in our fleet, we can always organise the machine required,” Andrade said.

A recent project that Bentley worked on was the Optus Stadium in Burswood, where the company deployed its range of mobile hydraulic cranes, including the 95t, 100t, 200t and the 250t.

“We’ve also got projects all over the metro ranging in construction, engineering, and mining, and we also specialise in dry hire where we lease out these cranes on long-term hire to various sites in the metropolitan areas as well as mine sites and other states in Australia,” Andrade said.

To match its growth, Bentley recently moved into a new depot located in the Australian Marine Complex (AMC) in Henderson, and now offers services from two main depots, with the other located in Welshpool. Its fleet has also expanded, with the company recently acquiring three all-terrain cranes, two 16t Tom Thumbs cranes, and another prime mover with flat top and drop deck trailers. Plans are currently being

made to continue growing the fleet.

“We’re planning on further purchasing some of the smaller city cranes, such as the 16t Tom Thumbs, as we’ve recently been focusing on getting contracts with larger residential builders like Dale Alcock Homes,” Andrade said.

“We’ve recently been awarded some contracts for projects with them as a start and hopefully we will secure more as time goes by, hence the plans for expanding our fleet with these 16t machines.”

As for making it in Cranes and Lifting’s Top 50, Andrade said: “Being recognised in the Top 50 is obviously an honour and just proves that a lot of the hard work and effort that we do CL was all worth it in the end.”

A snapshot of services Bentley offers: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

7t to 750t cranes available for hire; wet and dry hire; long- and short-term hire; all-terrains, Frannas and crawler cranes; hydraulic slewing cranes; rough terrains and city class cranes; charter and training vessel; barge and tower cranes; truck and trailer hire; heavy transport haulage; EWP (cherry picker); residential and commercial services; mining and industrial services; dogman, riggers and operators; and free site appraisals and quotes.

A 160t all-terrain crane lifting storm traps into place at Perth Arena for BGC.

Four 25t Frannas lifting an overhead crane into place for Nai Quip.

July/August 2018

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TOP 50 PROFILE

Metcalf is also a big player in the telecommunications space. In June, one of its smaller cranes, a Grove GMK3055 was hard at work erecting a telco tower.

All in a day’s work Since the beginning of time, well, 1996, Metcalf Crane Services has lived by one motto: ‘getting the job done’. This attitude has built a strong foundation for the company driving growth over the years.

Jacqueline Ong reports.

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etcalf Crane Services was founded

by Tim Metcalf 22 years ago when he pursued an opportunity to invest in a new crawler crane while working on the Citylink Project.

Today, major infrastructure projects, including road, rail and bridge infrastructure are a staple for Metcalf Cranes. In fact, the company has been involved in nearly all of Victoria’s level crossing removal programs and most of Melbourne’s major civil infrastructure projects. When it comes to marquee lifts such as bridge beams, large span pedestrian overpasses or complex high risk works, Metcalf has chiselled out an unparalleled reputation for excellence.

The mobile crane operator provides services across Australia with a fleet that ranges from a 3t mini crawler to a 600t truck mounted crane.

Cranes and Lifting wanted to know why major infrastructure project proponents tended to turn to Metcalf and a company spokesperson explained it simply: “It comes down to understanding requirements in compliance, paperwork and complex engineering solutions, and then having a team who can take an idea from conception to completion. Having a group of individuals who understand the goal and pursue it as a collective is very reassuring to all clients, particularly those who work in the tier one space.

“It means that when we turn up to a job, there is rarely any second guessing as to how the lift will be executed”.

Riding the infrastructure wave Australia is in the middle of a population boom and infrastructure is playing catch-up.

This bodes well for the construction sector and its supply chain. At present, there is significant appetite within government for major infrastructure projects and companies including Metcalf are ready to pursue the resulting opportunities.

Adequately maximising these opportunities also means having to move with the changes that come with them. For instance, clients’ demands are evolving. For one, there is a growing expectation that crane operators will provide back-up lift support and Metcalf is on the front foot in this area.

“Five to eight years ago, only high profile or marquee lifts demanded lift studies. Today, on most tier one sites, even the simplest jobs require a lift plan. We understand the narrative has changed in this space and rather than push back, we now have three engineers working full-time on these things,” the spokesperson said.

Another common challenge amongst crane companies is the lack of good quality crew members. This is a concern that many in the industry have been vocal about. For Metcalf, one strategy is to tap into their strong network.

“The current challenge is trying to find good quality people and maintaining your brand through the people who represent you every day.

But it’s about your network - understanding who the key players in the market are and knowing what sort of employees you’d want representing your brand. And then, having access to those networks by being one of the larger players in the market,” the spokesperson said.

Another strategy around human resources has been a focus on internal training capability.

“We now have crew members going through Cert IV in Training with the hope we will be able to offer hands-on training which is field based,” Metcalf said.

While Metcalf appears to be well equipped to come out ahead in the infrastructure game, what with its network, fleet, and experience, the spokesperson does foresee a few key trends and changes for the sector in the coming 12 to 18 months, offering some thoughts on them.

“The availability of resources - both plant and human resources - is going to be extremely

difficult to come by. We’re a microcosm of the markets we service but we expect there to be a rapid dilution of available human resource talent in the coming months. We need to be thinking a little bit outside the box as to where it’s going to come from and whether or not we look interstate or oversees. At the moment, Queensland and WA might present some opportunities for us to find some good quality people,” the spokesperson said.

“Available equipment is also going to be difficult to get to. We’ve gone through the last three or four years where it hasn’t been too tough to get hold of equipment and the manufacturers have been in sales mode.

They’re now going to be in order taking mode and there’ll be longer lead times on equipment much like six or seven years ago when you couldn’t get hold of a new crane for 12 months.

“We need to be a bit more strategic around what resources we need and then be in a position where we’re ordering now for what’s going to be available in 12 months’ time.”

Metcalf Crane Services has grown in the last 22 years and today, operates a fleet of some 30-plus cranes across a wide range of brands, incorporating Metcalf Heavy Haulage and Metcalf Wind Services under the Metcalf Group banner.

The company has a solid reputation thanks to its experience and expertise in providing a wide range of transport and lifting solutions. Some examples of recent projects include: • Caulfield to Dandenong Level Crossing Project.

• Citylink Tullamarine Freeway Widening Project.

CL • Melbourne Water Capital Works Program.

• NEPA Level Crossing Project.

• Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel Project.

• Mernda Rail Extension Project.

Metcalf currently has maintenance contracts with a number of wind farms along with ongoing opportunities in the construction space. The company says it is well placed to handle lift requirements for the wind sector.

Metcalf completing a shared user path bridge install in Footscray on Shepherds Bridge. A good snapshot of multiple resources meeting a tight deadline through well planned and executed lifting operations.

All images courtesy of Metcalf Crane Services.

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VEHICLE LOADING CRANES

Combining strength and reliability with user-friendliness Material handling equipment specialist, Hiab, has launched a renewed range of loader cranes with a capacity from four to 11 tonne metres. The company says the range combines strength and reliability with ease of use for the operator. Jan Arreza reports.

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ach of the new Hiab light range loader cranes is carefully designed to help an operator do more jobs with less effort, and comes equipped with a full range of accessories and features. For one, operators now have a choice of four options for remote and manual control systems, allowing them to select the system that meets the level of precision needed when operating a crane.

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In renewing the range, Jan Vink, director of light range loader cranes at Hiab, told Cranes and Lifting the team considered a number of factors.

“When we started the development of this loader crane series, we wanted to ensure that the renewed equipment will make work easier for the operators, keep it safe and increase efficiency, as we have learned that these are our

customers’ priorities when choosing a loader crane,” he said.

The Hiab light range loader cranes have been built to last. Each machine’s structure is made of high-tensile steel, enabling it to combine low weight with the capacity to deliver heavy loads. Its soft-sealed couplings withstand vibrations and high pressures to minimise the risk of damage.

July/August 2018

A HIAB X-CLX 078 B-3 working in hook operation at an oil field in Canada.

Hiab light range loaders cranes are also optimally built for easy mounting on the truck chassis. The whole installation, including any necessary chassis reinforcements, is designed for the lowest possible overall weight.

Depending on the choice of control system, a range of features is available for improving capacity, durability, flexibility and safety. These features include semi-automatic folding systems, load stability systems, and remote-control systems.

All electronic functions of the new light range loader cranes are managed by the unique X-4 SPACE system, which is a computer devised to intelligently assist a user in operating the crane.

The SPACE intelligence system is available in three different configurations, each one with an increasing number of advanced and productive functions.

All configurations benefit from the highly advanced Over Load Protection (OLP) system.

Productivity functions in the system are Automatic Duty Control (ADC), Manual Speed Control (MSC), Automatic Speed Control (ASC), and Pump Flow Distribution (PFD).

These functions can be used separately or in combination.

SPACE 3000 is the basic intelligence system and then follows the SPACE 4000. Finally, the

SPACE 5000 system provides the user with a productivity and safety solution, which the company says is second to none. All four configurations include OLP. An external display also gives a better overview of the active crane and service status.

“The X-4 system is a multi-functional SPACE system, which gives us the ability to configure our cranes in a different way - only using one SPACE system for the manual cranes and one SPACE system for the remote-control cranes,” Vink said.

“As for the external display, it was something that we introduced in the mid-range line and decided to do the same thing in the light range as well. Before, our light range had a very basic external display, and this new one is a lot bigger and is able to display a lot more information for the operator.

“It really it is an all-round crane and it will be a crane that would be loved by a lot of operators, I can assure you of that.”

The new light range loader cranes were launched in Australia in May and Vink said while both the manual and the remote control options are popular here, he has seen a clear growth market for the remote-control versions. And looking ahead, Hiab is firmly committed to its Australian customers.

A HIAB X-Duo 088 B-2 in operation in Austria.

A remote-controlled HIAB X-HiDuo 082 E-2 in Germany.

July/August 2018

“In Australia, it has been quite a big leap forward, especially in the nine to 10 tonne metre range, which are the ones often used by those working in ‘drop and go’ businesses, as well as those in the mining industry, and those working in municipalities,” Vink said.

“Australia for us is a very important market for our light range, so it is a country that we take care of very well. Moving forward, we have a very good plan in place for the supply of the new cranes.”

The light range loader cranes come with a two-year warranty as well as a five-year warranty for the steel structure, as with other HIAB loader cranes. Maintenance is also a no-brainer.

“To avoid unnecessary downtime in our end customers’ operations, Hiab light cranes are designed for easier everyday maintenance. Key parts and components that require regular attention are located where they are easy to access. A good example is the integrated oil tank in the crane base, which can be installed without rearranging truck components and is quicker and simpler to reach,” Vink said, adding, “the reliable performance and productivity are guaranteed through the offering of our comprehensive CL service network.”

A HIAB X-HiPro 122 E-3 in Great Britain. This machine is equipped with the most advanced remote-control system in the industry and offers the greatest productivity.

25

BARGE AND MARINE CRANES

ABH barges designed for lifting projects

ABH’s jack-up barges played a key role in repairs to Lucinda Wharf following Cyclone Yasi.

The Sea Lift 4 with a 150t crawler crane onboard assisted with the lifting of concrete panels, piles and equipment.

Australian Barge Hire (ABH) was formed in 2006; and is Australia’s largest provider of road-transportable modular jack-up barge. Greg Keane reports.

A

jack-up barge is designed for the support of cranes, excavators and other equipment for nearshore construction, drilling and maintenance works in port and harbours.

The current ABH fleet size comprises eight jack-up barges with deck capacities ranging from 10t to 250t. All of ABH’s jack-up barges are of modular design for flexible and efficient solutions; the modular jack-up barges can be containerised and are easily mobilised anywhere in Oceania.

Due to the modular design, the jack-up barge comprises multiple standardised floating pontoons that are coupled together through a pin/connector system. Modules are sized to allow them to be transportable by road or containerised for sea (or road) transport into 20’ or 40’ ISO containers.

The jacking system is installed on each corner of the barge and uses an onboard hydraulic power pack to raise and lower the legs. Apart from operating the jacking system, the power pack services the hydraulic deck crane and there are spare hydraulic connectors to operate other deck equipment.

The jack-up barges do not have their own propulsion and require towing using a utility/ towage vessel.

The operation of a jack-up barge is different to the dumb or flat top barge in that the dynamics change once the barge deck is elevated above the water. The barge deck becomes isolated from the effects of wave, swell, tide and current; therefore providing a 26

stable and level platform for crane operations to continue in conditions above those which may limit a floating barge solution.

The jack-up barges are fitted with spud legs that range from 12m to 36m in length, depending on which jack-up barge is used and in which configuration. A jack-up barge fitted with 36m spud legs can safely operate in the nearshore environment in water depths of up to 27m.

Spud legs are sectional and designed for ease of transport by land or sea. Typically, a 36m spud leg would comprise three sections of 12m. The longest spud leg element is 18m.

Parameters that require consideration when selecting a jack-up barge are: • A desktop site assessment to review the key physical characteristics of the site such as water depth, currents, tidal range and maximum waves (environmental, meteorological, water depth, and wave height conditions).

• A loading assessment to produce the various load cases to reflect all of the scenarios when the jack-up barge is conducting its lifting duties.

• An estimation of the penetration of the spud legs into the seabed (sand = hard/ mud = soft).

• The operational air gap for the wave crests to safely pass beneath the hull of the elevated barge (with a margin of safety).

• The towing parameters of the jack-up barge when it has to be jacked down to relocate.

The calculation of the safe operational air gap is based on existing metocean data for the area and typical wave heights. Where wave heights can potentially exceed the safe working air gap (e.g. in the event of a cyclone), the project will adopt the “risk managed” approach and move the jackup barge to a sheltered location where a forecast could see safe operating limits exceeded.

When jacked down or in the floating condition, the towing conditions for jack-up barges can be reduced compared to normal dumb barges due to their shallow draft and higher centre of gravity (due to the weight of the spud legs above deck). Maximum parameters for a modular jack-up barge with the spud legs installed is a 1.5m wave height and maximum towing speed of three knots.

For longer open sea tows, a modular jack-up barge can be relocated onto a larger transport (dumb) barge for a dry tow or disassembled into its modules for transportation by road or barge.

Common applications for jack-up barges include (but are not limited to) crane and lifting duties, jetty maintenance, port construction, marine drilling and piling, vessel maintenance, bridge access and maintenance work in the oil and gas, civil, mining, and renewable energy industries.

The ABH jack-up barges have played an integral part in some of the major marine construction projects over the past few years such as: • Lucinda Wharf repairs following Cyclone Yasi: Sea Lift 4 with a 150t crawler crane onboard assisted with the lifting of concrete July/August 2018

Planning to use a barge

John Holland used the Sea Lift 4 jack-up barge as a heavy crane platform on the QCLNG Project.

panels, piles and equipment to enable repairs to the 5km long jetty structure.

• Hay Point Coal Terminal Third Expansion Project (HPX3): The Sea Lift 4 jack-up barge worked alongside GeoSea and the Walz Group as a support platform for the construction phase for the coal loading terminal.

• QCLNG Project (Curtis Island): John Holland used the Sea Lift 4 jack-up barge as a heavy crane platform to support the piling works for the new Module Offloading Facility (MOF) Wharf Construction project.

July/August 2018

• Cape Lambert: Monadelphous recently chartered the Sea Lift 5 jack-up barge to assist with dolphin repairs at Cape Lambert. The 36m spud legs allow the barge deck to be elevated to the level of the dolphin so that workers can readily move between the dolphin and barge.

• Yamba Outfall Construction Project: Working with principal contractor Ledonne Constructions and HDD contractor Pipeline Drillers in 2016, the Sea Lift 6 jack-up barge assisted with the submarine section of the 1.65km Yamba CL outfall construction project.

A lead-in period of a month is usually sufficient for ABH to conduct the initial desktop site assessment and the planning and execution of mobilisation.

Barges are currently located in WA, NSW and Queensland but can be relocated depending on demand.

ABH can provide the complete marine package of personnel transfers and towage services if required, or have the client provide those services if that is more efficient.

The jack-up barge is supplied fully assembled at the client’s point of mobilisation, with ABH organising all trucking and cranes required for its assembly.

The size of the ABH fleet means that it can supply multiple jack-up barges if required to reduce program time (e.g. a shutdown) or reduce project overheads. Some projects have required three barges.

27

CRANES IN ACTION

Coastal Cranes assists classic Albany community event

28

July/August 2018

Coastal Cranes’ 55t Liebherr AT handling barriers at the storage yard.

Coastal Cranes Franna handling concrete barriers on the street circuit, with Princess Royal Harbour as the backdrop.

Coastal Cranes Albany (Coastal) recently assisted in setting up barriers for the Albany Classic Motor Event run through the heart of the Albany (WA) CBD on the June long weekend each year; and removing the barriers afterwards. Greg Keane reports.

T

his is something that Coastal has done for many years, with this support being recognised not just in the list of sponsors but by having a corner and a race named after the business, as well as having the company name painted on some of the barriers.

Coastal provides 2 Frannas for handling the barriers around the circuit and a 55t Liebherr AT crane to load and unload trucks in the storage yard.

Other local businesses provide trucks, forklifts and telehandlers to assist in these efforts.

Aussie muscle cars at their finest.

July/August 2018

29

CRANES IN ACTION Classic old sports cars being wrestled around the circuit – image courtestyTracksnap Photography.

Coastal isn’t the only local business to provide financial or in-kind support to the event: in relatively small communities such as Albany, events such as this can only survive (and thrive) with a high level of local business and community support.

The Albany Classic is a unique event with a proud history. What was initially planned in 1936 as a cycle race around the streets of Albany for “Back to Albany” celebrations morphed, following representations from the WA Sporting Car Club, into the first “round the houses” motor race in Australia, following the

model of the Monaco Grand Prix. It even had a similar water backdrop: Albany’s impressive Princess Royal Harbour.

The inaugural event was a resounding success, with all rooms booked out in Albany and surrounding areas and people sleeping in cars, on floors – anywhere they could lay down.

This success continued for nearly 30 years before the event was discontinued.

It was revived in 1991 and uses an abbreviated 1.5km section of the original 4km circuit for the Sunday race through the streets.

This is preceded by a hill climb at Mt Clarence

on the Saturday and followed on the Monday by time trials in an industrial estate.

It’s not just a race: it is a weekend of varied festivities with something for all the family – but for the revheads, there’s plenty to see with over 150 historic vehicles at the last event, from diminutive open wheelers from bygone eras to sports cars made by long-gone manufacturers, specials and modern sports car classics.

The next event will be June 1-2, 2019. More CL information at www.albanyclassic.com.

There’s a lot more than car racing to keep people of all ages engaged.

Suddenly the circuit seems ridiculously wide!

30

July/August 2018

SLINGS

XL Superflex slings - the beginning of a new era Andromeda Industries is increasing its range of Superflex slings to cater for heavier lifts.

N

ew maximum capacities will be 80t in a straight lift and 330t cradled. These larger slings will retain the ultra-flexible nature of the original product by using the same wire rope construction.

The decision to do this was made two years ago when the company designed, assembled, and commissioned a new 30m-long mechanical braider to manufacture larger Superflex cables (see images) to 96mm diameter. In addition, a 4200t press was ordered and is being supplied by Talurit from Sweden. A 350t test bench was also ordered from Wirop in Korea.

Unfortunately, one of the two containers carrying the test bench fell off the ship while at sea and the other one was damaged, delaying the product launch.

“Every sling we make is to order, meaning we don’t keep any assembled slings in stock,” says business development manager Zelman McLaren.

“In addition to this, our lead times have always been very short and this will be the same with the larger slings, meaning we will have an 80t sling or 330t strop assembled and tested and dispatched generally within one week of receiving the purchase order. This allows customers to receive their order several weeks earlier compared to purchasing from overseas. This can be vital on large projects where there are significant costs for delays.”

The existing Superflex sling range has been used for offshore work for many years, and the larger slings will be useful due to the flexibility which means they remain in service longer, an advantage recognised by Andromeda’s Nigerian sales agent.

“Andromeda has really brought a huge relief in the heavy lift industries. I have worked as a heavy lift engineer, planning and executing lifts for over 10 years now in Nigeria and constantly had issues with the conventional wire rope slings ranging from their weights, rigidity, storage and handling defects like bends, kinks, and flatness - these “hard to use” problems.

We then used synthetic slings which were expensive due to constant tears and cuts,” lifting engineer Oji Afamefuna said.

“The larger Superflex slings have dual qualities that can satisfy both the synthetic and conventional wire rope features of flexibility July/August 2018

and abrasion resistance. Therefore, I highly recommend Superflex slings for heavy lifting and rigging.”

Product launches are planned later in the year with updates provided on Linkedin CL and Facebook.

Every sling, including the new range pictured, is made to order, says Zelman McLaren.

The larger slings will retain the ultra-flexible nature of the original product by using the same wire rope construction.

The new 30m-long mechanical braider.

31

AWARDS The crane took the weight of the roof while the supports were cut.

A theatre of the Darling (Harbour) exits stage left

The rigging and demolition crews had an excellent view of Darling Harbour, if they had the time to look.

Gillespie Crane Services (Gillespies) won the 2017 Lift of the Year in the <20t category for its lift of a 13.4t cantilever roof as part of Delta Demolition’s demolition of the iconic Imax Theatre at Darling Harbour (Sydney), writes Greg Keane.

G

illespies worked closely with Delta in the tender phase of the project, providing a safe methodology for the roof’s removal.

Complicating the work was the tight access for heavy cranes and transport, with the Imax Theatre located between two raised motorways (there was only 5m of separation to one motorway deck). Other challenges were the high vehicular and pedestrian traffic, environmental sensitivity of the area due to its proximity to the harbour, and the need to work at heights.

Gillespies worked closely with Delta and Coffey Structural Engineers (which advised on lift points and signed off on Gillespies’ lift plan) to devise a nine-point lifting method for handling the asymmetric roof.

A 350t Liebherr LTM1350 AT crane with Y Guy and 100t of counterweight was used for the lift, and rigging included soft slings, four spreader bars and eight 10t chain blocks. This complex arrangement allowed the roof to be lifted evenly despite its complex shape. A 39m

32

boom lift was used for rigging the lift.

The load was taken by the crane while the cantilever roof was still attached to the main structure, and then the supports were cut. As a precaution, two 9t lever hoists connected the roof structure to the main building to minimise swing when the load came free, and the two lanes of traffic closest to the lift were closed for the duration of the lift. These precautions were not called upon as the roof moved only 20mm after the supports were cut.

The crane worked at a 20m radius and had a SWL of 35.1t at that distance. While the roof section itself weighed 13.4t, a 50% allowance was applied for demolition work to allow for extra loading when supports are cut, and the rigging added an extra 10t, so that the crane effectively worked at 86% capacity for the lift.

The roof was lowered onto an area on site where it was cut up by a 45t excavator with shears, and the metal was then transported off site for recycling.

The crane was set up on site on January 12, 2017, and the rigging was tested on the following

day. This was undertaken as, with an uneven load to be lifted, the rigging with no load is also uneven and testing ensures that the spreader bars will all be level when under load. This necessitates adjustment of the chain blocks to ensure this, with work taking place progressively from the lift point closest to the crane to the lift point furthest from the crane. The crane was derigged after testing.

The actual lift took place on the following day, but the rigging adjustments from the test were retained to save time during the lift.

Rigging commenced at 2am and the actual lift commenced a little after 6am.

The LTM1350 actually spent three weeks on site, also assisting with demolition of the main roof when rigged with a luffing fly jib, and Gillespies also supplied a 250t AT crane to the project.

As iconic as the Imax Theatre was, it is being replaced by a 25-storey hotel and serviced apartment development known as The Ribbon that is arguably even more iconic in shape (although the humble author sees the profile as more resembling the fuel tank of a Harley). C L July/August 2018

CANZ PREVIEW CANZ chief executive, Rod Auton (right) and 2017 CANZ conference keynote speaker, Ngahihi o te ra Bidois. (Source: CANZ)

Association membership a good choice Ahead of Crane Association of New Zealand’s (CANZ) annual conference in July, chief executive Rod Auton discusses the work that CANZ has undertaken to date and its ongoing efforts into the future.

T

he Power Crane Association of New Zealand Incorporated was formed in February 1975 to meet the growing needs of the crane sector within the construction industry. Changes to the business and the work environment were being imposed on the industry by government with very little consultation. Representatives from 32 crane hire companies from throughout New Zealand met at the White Heron Lodge in Wellington.

Issues of the time included: • the types of licences required to operate cranes; • crane hire rates and conditions of hire; • crane safety and operator training; • Road User Charges; • duty on importation of fully built cranes; • overweight permits; • handling of pre-cast concrete units; • oversize tyres and tyre importation; • wire rope suitability and importation; • PECPR regulations; • ACC levies; • codes of practice; • crane hand signals; • bridge supervision; • quality management; • crane insurance scheme; • vehicle dimensions; and • terms of conditions of hire.

Many of these issues are still with us albeit in a different format or with a different agency.

In 2006, the members of the Power Crane Association of New Zealand Incorporated voted to change the name of the association to the Crane Association of New Zealand Incorporated. This change came about because of the increasingly diverse range of cranes that were now available and also the different types of contracts that had come into force to meet the changing face of modern construction.

July/August 2018

Today, the association has approximately 85% of the mobile crane sector as members as well as a growing segment of the gantry crane (manufacturing and fabrication industries), and the road transport truck loader cranes (building and construction industries).

The regulatory environment Since the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSAW), Worksafe has been progressing through a process to update the Health and Safety in Employment Regulations 1995 and the Health and Safety in Employment (Pressure Equipment, Cranes and Passenger Ropeways) Regulations (PECPR) 1999. This process is ongoing and the first stage of updating the 1995 Regulations has started and will be completed by September 2019. The PECPR will then be amended or revoked/incorporated into the updated Regulation.

Good Practice Guidelines (GPG) appears to be the direction that Worksafe is taking, as opposed to ACOPs, as this will give them more flexibility to adapt and change as advances in technology speed up.

We will continue to consult on these changes and members are able to contribute through the association to ensure that their particular needs are being met.

The mission Over the past decade, CANZ has focused on three core elements: health and safety; crane operator and dogman training; and professional standards. Our mission statement is, ‘A safe and sustainable crane industry providing service to our community.’

Health and safety ‘Safety must have priority’ is one of the association’s taglines.

Health and safety has been one of those issues where compliance has been rigidly enforced because individuals within all industries tend to shortcut safety in favour of improving the bottom line. This has come at a cost to all industries and never more so than with the advent of the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 2015.

The Crane Association has empowered its members to show leadership in health and safety by demonstrating its commitment to ensuring that crane operators go home to their families after work each day.

Through a number of initiatives, information that supports best practice and zero harm were developed and are now available to all industries through the Crane Training Shop (https://shop. cranes.org.nz), which offers items such as safety posters, warning stickers, Crane Safety Manual, and various guidelines, to name a few.

Members receive a discount on shop products.

There is another initiative, a knowledge repository website, where information has been accumulated by the association and is available for Crane Owners, Users, Operators, and Dogmen/Riggers (www.safecrane.nz).

Crane operator and dogman training In the crane sector, 99% of incidents occur through human error. This reinforces the role of training and competency in the industry.

Currently, the unit standard or its equivalent is the minimum standard for training according to Part 4 of the Approved Code of Practice for Cranes and a full qualification (New Zealand Certificate in Crane Operations Level 4) is the recommended standard for crane operators. The New Zealand Certificate for Dogman is the recommended standard for dogman/riggers. Evidence has shown that fully qualified employees are less likely to have a workplace incident.

33

CANZ PREVIEW

It was a full house at last year’s CANZ conference in Rotorua. (Source: CANZ)

Recent changes to the qualifications has seen the introduction of new health and safety unit standards, an increased awareness of work site hazards and risk management, and the adoption of the Crane Safety Manual as best practice.

Professional standards Professional standards are the culmination of best practice in trade and business, training to

the highest level, and taking advantage of the advances in technology that are now available.

It is also a mindset of personal standards and achievement and as an association, we endeavour to ensure that our members display this mindset. You will note our logo has the tagline “for lifting professionals”.

CANZ continues to push the standards of normality to achieve the exemplary.

In the past four years, the association has moved

from a spreadsheet-based entity to a cloud-based organisation that is proactive and forward thinking. It works closely with the regulatory agencies, industry training organisations, and the construction sector to ensure that our members can focus on their business growth knowing that the industry environment they are in is working to their best advantage.

Is association membership a good choice?

CL Our members think so!

Moving on up THIS year’s CANZ conference will be held from July 18 to 20 at the Grand Millennium Hotel in Auckland. With the theme ‘Moving on up’, the association has developed a program focused on technology and, as with previous years, a pool of the who’s who in industry has been invited to share their insights with attendees (more on pages 36-37).

The conference is also the perfect opportunity to network with your peers, speak to manufacturers and distributors, and of course, champion the good work the

34

sector has done over the year. To that end, three awards will be presented at the event.

The first is the Weighload Trophy, which will be presented to a person who has made a worthwhile contribution to the crane industry or has performed a heroic action involving his work as a crane operator or showed exceptional expertise in his/her crane work in a difficult situation.

CANZ will also be handing out the Project and the Lift of the Year Awards, this year sponsored

by New Zealand finance company, UDC.

The winners will be acknowledged for their unique, complex or novel types of lifts and will join the ranks of Smith Cranes and Construction Ltd and McIntosh Cranes which won last year’s Project of the Year and Lift of the Year respectively.

The winners will be announced and celebrated on day three of the event (Friday, July 20) at the Gala Awards Night Dinner, sponsored by Skills, a New Zealand industry training organisation. The company will also be presenting its Skills Training Awards.

July/August 2018

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CANZ PREVIEW

The Programme WEDNESDAY 18TH JULY 2.00pm – 5.00pm

Registration

Pre-function Area

4.00pm – 5.30pm

Associates Meeting

Coromandel Room

5.45pm – 8.30pm

The Originals Welcome Reception (Named after the companies that first joined the Association in 1975) Sponsor: Tidd Ross Todd/Manitowoc

8.30pm onwards

Free evening

Trade Show Area

THURSDAY 19TH JULY 7.30 – 9.00am 9.00am

Registration continues

Pre-function Area

Conference Opens

Ballroom Ballroom

9.15am – 10.15am

Technology and Artificial Intelligence | Liam Malone, Paralympian Gold Medalist

10.15am– 10.45am

Morning Tea | Sponsor: Assessing & Training Services Ltd

10.45am – 11.00am

Business Partner Presentation - UANZ

Ballroom

11.00am – 12.30pm

CANZ AGM

Ballroom

12.30pm – 1.30pm

Lunch | Sponsor: CablePrice/HSC Cranes

1.30pm – 2.30pm

Workplace Drug & Alcohol Testing | CJ Rahi – Advanced Diagnostics

Ballroom

2.30pm – 2.45pm

Technology and the Crane Industry | Kato - Mr. Hiroshi Ide - Senior Advisor

Ballroom

2.45pm – 3.00pm

Technology and Artificial Intelligence | Terex – Danny Black

Ballroom

3.00pm – 3.30pm

Afternoon Tea | Sponsor: Cookes

3.30pm – 4.30pm

Wire & Synthetic Ropes | Bertus Marks

4.30pm – 5.45pm

Ian Grooby Networking Function | Sponsor: Standens

6.00pm 6.30pm – 10.00pm

Coaches depart for dinner A Night at the Races | Sponsor: Titan Construction Equipment/Terex/Kato

Trade Show Area

Trade Show Area

Trade Show Area Ballroom Trade Show Area Hotel Foyer Ellerslie Race Course

FRIDAY 20TH JULY 9.00am – 10.00am

Embracing Challenge & Change Keynote Speaker -William Pike Sponsor: Pace Cranes

10.00am – 10.30am

Morning Tea | Sponsor: NMT Oceania NZ Ltd

10.30am – 10.50am

Changing Training Environment Rod Auton/Skills

Ballroom

10.35am – 11.15am

Project and Lift of the Year Videos

Ballroom

11.15am – 11.45am

Economic Update Philip Borkin, Senior Macro Strategist, ANZ Bank

Ballroom

11.45am – 12.15pm

Technology and the Crane Industry Andrew Esquilant – Liebherr-Australia Pty Ltd

Ballroom

12.15pm – 1.15pm

Lunch | Sponsor: UANZ

1.15pm – 1.45pm

Inspection Bodies Stuart Wright – Worksafe NZ

Ballroom

1.45pm – 2.00pm

Technology and the Crane Industry John Stewart – Manitowoc Cranes

Ballroom

2.00pm – 2.30pm

Incident Management – Karl Berendt – IPG Global

Ballroom

Ballroom Trade Show Area

Trade Show Area

2.30pm – 3.00pm

Afternoon tea | Sponsor: JLT

3.00 pm – 3.15pm

Technology and the Crane Industry Tadano Oceania GM Anthony Grosser

Ballroom

3.15pm – 3.45pm

Transpower – Working around powerlines Steve Peake, Regional Services Manager, Transpower

Ballroom

4.00pm – 4.30pm

CICA Update CICA President Danny Black

Ballroom

6.00pm – 7.00pm

Gala Awards Dinner Networking Session | Sponsor: UANZ

7.00pm onwards

Gala Awards Night Dinner | Sponsor: Skills Weighload Trophy, Skills Training Awards, Project of the Year | Sponsor: UDC Lift of the Year | Sponsor: UDC

Trade Show Area

Trade Show Area Ballroom

PARTNERS PROGRAMME | Sponsor: Liebherr New Zealand THURSDAY 19TH JULY 10.45am – 3.00pm 4.30pm onwards

Masterchef Challenge | Social Cooking School

Meet in hotel foyer

As per delegates programme

FRIDAY 20TH JULY 10.00am – 4.00pm 4.00pm onwards

36

The Great Escape Island Challenge

Meet in hotel foyer

As per delegates programme

July/August 2018

The best and the brightest The crane industry will descend on Auckland in July to hear from a range of experts in the sector and to view the machines and equipment that make the industry tick. Here’s a snapshot of the speakers and exhibitors who will be at the conference.

SPEAKERS Greg Ward - master of ceremonies A prominent business MC in New Zealand, Ward has more than 13 years of experience in the conference and events industry.

Danny Black - CICA president and general manager, Terex Cranes Australia began his involvement with CICA in 2000 and has served on the board since 2005. In 2009, he was appointed vice president of CICA, moving into the president’s seat in 2014.

Andrew Esquilant - Liebherr Australia mobile crane division general manager Esquilant manages 66 employees across sales, service, and parts in Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. He also holds the position of member of the board of Liebherr Australia. In his current role, he particularly enjoys supporting customers with the mobile crane product and is inspired by watching them build their own family businesses.

Bertus Marks - Standens Marks is a qualified rigger ropesman from South Africa, who has been living in New Zealand for 10 years. He has worked with wire ropes and lifting equipment for 25 years.

CK Rahi - Advanced Diagnostics Rahi believes in empowering workplaces with suitable tools to provide better and safer working environments, especially around drug and alcohol (D&A) screening. CK likes to understand the requirements of her clients and provide suitable options for them to execute their D&A policy effectively.

John Stewart - vice president and general manager, Australia and New Zealand, Manitowoc Cranes Following the integration of Potain and Grove with Manitowoc post-2002, Stewart served as senior vice president sales and marketing for greater Asia Pacific, covering all of the company’s brands. In 2015, he was made vice president and general manager for Australia and New Zealand.policy effectively.

Will Pike - keynote speaker Be prepared to be inspired by the 2017 Blake Leader Award recipient and national role model. The kiwi has had an interesting life, to say the least, from losing his leg in a volcanic eruption, to starting a nationwide youth development program, to recently mountaineering in Antarctica.

Phil Borkin - ANZ Bank senior micro strategist As a market strategist, Borkin commentates on and advises clients specifically on the movement and direction in interest rates and exchange rates.

Anthony Grosser - national general manager, Tadano Oceania Grosser was one of the original CraneSafe inspectors until 2014 and has consulted on numerous large construction projects in Australia, Middle East and Asia. He has a 20-odd-year crane industry career, which includes setting up AML Equipment that was later acquired by Tadano Oceania.

Steve Peake - regional services manager, Transpower Peake is currently leading and managing a team that is accountable for the delivery of National Transmission Grid services to the Upper North Island region of New Zealand. He oversees effective real-time operations management to ensure that national transmission assets are operated within their specified capability, including associated risks, outages and events to maintain the integrity of these assets.

Karl Berendt - managing director, Incident Prevention Group IPG specialises in health and safety consultation, incident investigation, and training to assist others with determining the true root causes of incidents and the implementation of corrective actions that actually work.

Stuart Wright - Worksafe Wright is a technical specialist in the field of cranes, lifting, and pressure equipment. In his current role, he provides technical advice on the Pressure Equipment, Cranes and Passenger Ropeways Regulations.

He currently sits on Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand standards setting committees as New Zealand representation.

EXHIBITORS Exhibitor

Booth #(s)

1

Cookes Allcrane Sales & Service/ Tadano

2&3

AMS Group

4

Standens

5

NMT Oceania NZ Ltd

6

Crane Sales New Zealand Ltd/MIMICO

7

July/August 2018

Exhibitor

Booth #(s)

SGS

8

Gough/Palfinger

9

Exhibitor

Titan Construction Equipment/Terex/Kato

Booth #(s)

16, 17 & 18 19 & 20

CablePrice/HSC Cranes

10

UAA

Skills

11

Liebherr

21

Allied Petroleum

12

Morrow

22

TRT/Manitowoc

13 & 14

Perception Group

23

Pace Cranes

15

CL

37

COLUMN

Calculating the surface area of a load In our previous article we looked at how to calculate the permissible wind speed to operate a crane based on three simple things - load mass, load chart wind speed and surface area of the load, writes Stuart Edwards.

THIS is calculated using the formula:

Permissible wind speed=Load chart wind speed ×

1.2 m2 / t×Load mass Surface area

The load mass and load chart wind speed are pieces of information that are relatively easy to obtain. This article focuses on calculating the surface area of a load.

The surface area is made up of two components, where the total surface area is calculated by the following formula:

Surface Area=Projected Area × Drag coefficient

The projected area is the net area of the load perpendicular to the load. For example, for a 6.1m long (12’) shipping container the projected area is 6.1m x 2.6m = 15.86m2.

The drag coefficient is more or less a measure of how easily the object “slips” through the wind.

For example, the most aerodynamic production car in the world, a VW XL1, has a drag coefficient of 0.189. Conversely, the “boxy but good” Volvo 244 has a less flattering drag coefficient in the range of 0.47.

The drag coefficient can be incredibly complex to determine accurately. Various standards and publications provide different calculation methods (with various differences in results that are borne out of the need to simplify something that is truly complex). In this respect, wind tunnel testing may also be relevant but typically out of the scope of a typical crane hirer or contactor.

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July/August 2018

In the first instance, is it recommended that surface area information be requested from the manufacturer of the load. The manufacturer may have complete detailed calculations or have conducted wind tunnel testing. Wind turbine companies are increasingly able to provide this sort of information, for example, but more commonly this information is not available.

FEM 5.016 GUIDELINE

“Safety Issues in Wind Turbine Installation and Transportation” indicates that if a drag coefficient is not known, it is permissible to use a drag coefficient of 2.4. If in doubt, it is recommended that an appropriately qualified and competent engineer be engaged.

FEM 5.016 GUIDELINE

FEM 5.016 - Guideline - “Safety Issues in Wind Turbine Installation and Transportation” provides the following general drag coefficients

Further detail is included in ISO 4302 as per the extract below and other standards and publications.

Using this table, we can determine the drag coefficient of a 6.1 m container, using the ratios of b/c and f/b we obtain a drag coefficient of 1.4.

b f

=

2.6 m 2.43 m

= 1.06 and

f = b

6.1 m 2.43 m

= 2.3

Therefore, the overall surface area of the load is as follows:

6.1 m × 2.6 m × 1.4=22.3 m

Don’t forget the rigging, crane hook and hoist rope is considered by most crane manufacturers to be part of the load surface area. These can be calculated separately and added to the total surface area.

Stuart Edwards is principal of specialist engineering consultancy, Edwards Heavy Lift and a Cranes and Lifting columnist.

July/August 2018

CL

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Impartial. Machine Specific. Peer Assessment.

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SAFETY

TIDD turning the corner on pick and carry safety When TRT released the 25t TIDD PC25 pick and carry crane in 2013, it incorporated a number of safety features such as a Robway LMI system that automatically de-rated the lift chart for articulation and side slope, a ROPS cab with FOPS option, ABS drum brakes and an electro-hydraulic steering system that reduced the steering response as speed increased to overcome the problem of speed wobbles at speed. Greg Keane reports.

H

owever, the increased attention to safety with articulated pick and carry cranes, and their banning on some construction sites, meant that more was required to give the market confidence in the safety of these cranes.

This was something that TRT recognised, and it identified an issue where an operator could pick up a load safely over the front on firm level ground and then drive around a corner with a side slope, inadvertently moving the crane into overload for the chart applicable to the degree of articulation and side slope.

The combination of articulation and side slope has a significant impact on the Safe Working Load of the crane; and has been a factor in a number of crane rollovers - some involving fatalities.

TRT looked for a practical way to address

TIDD PC 25 WORKING AREA DIAGRAM Working areas of the TIDD PC25.

July/August 2018

this problem without affecting the functionality of the crane and Slew Safe (now patented) is the result. It has been tested extensively and is now ready for release to the market.

Slew Safe has a screen display that shows the operator where the crane is compared to its rated capacity. A circular display similar to a speedometer displays green when the crane is comfortably within its rated load, with the size of the green display reflecting the percentage of rated load.

There are separate load charts for up to 10° of articulation, between 11° and 20° of articulation and between 21° and 42° of articulation.

As the crane approaches its rated load, the colour of the display becomes amber to denote caution. If the load exceeds the rated load, the portion of the display above the rated load turns red and Slew Safe is activated.

The effect of Slew Safe is to: • reduce the speed of the steering; • make the steering harder, with feedback through the steering wheel to the driver; • load up the engine, providing an audible change in engine tone to alert the operator; and • activate a constant, audible alarm both inside and outside the cab to warn both the operator and dogman of the overload.

This steering restriction operates only when the operator is moving into overload: there is no restriction on the operator straightening the crane and thereby moving out of overload.

The Slew Safe system has been tested extensively in a range of scenarios; and has been found to operate as intended. Experienced crane hire operators have been involved in some of the testing and have provided positive feedback on how it operates.

Crane in an overload position.

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SAFETY

OPERATOR RESPONSIBILITY WHILE Slew Safe is a major advance in active pick and carry crane safety, TRT emphasises that it does not remove the need to embrace safe working practices for operating a pick and carry crane, such as: • recognising that surface depressions and potholes have the same effect as a side slope; • ensuring that tyres are inflated to the correct pressure; • ensuring that the ground can support the axle loads of the crane; • recognising that when lifting a load, crane sided slope will change due to tyre and boom deflection; • recognising that as articulation is increased, this increases the induced crane side slope; • using the minimum boom length and boom angle to keep the boom tip as close as possible to the ground, and use the minimum degree of articulation possible; • where possible, keeping the load uphill of the crane (especially when articulated, as the working radius will increase if the load is positioned downhill); • using a tag line where possible to prevent pendulum action of the load; • making all crane movements as smooth as possible; and • adequately planning a lift to minimise any factors that can give rise to a reduced load chart.

Slew Safe screen layout.

The Slew Safe display that corresponds to the overload. pictured on p. 41.

Slew Safe display for a lift within the load chart.

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CL

July/August 2018

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TOWER CRANES

A trend towards heavy lifters NSW-based Strictly Cranes, the official Raimondi agent for Australia, has taken two new models to market in the past 12 months. There appears to be a shift towards heavier lifting tower cranes in recent times and Raimondi is dedicated to presenting a value proposition that it says will “far outstrip” other heavy lifting machinery manufacturers. Jan Arreza reports.

T

he MRT234 flat top tower crane was the first to be officially unveiled in October 2017, and the feedback from end users, according to Strictly Cranes, has been overwhelmingly positive. The second new model, which is the company’s flagship crane in the new luffing range, is the LR330 with a triangular jib.

“One really strong aspect is that only two people are needed to completely assemble the MRT234’s jib over a period of a few short hours. This crane boasts nine different jib lengths, ranging from 70m to 28m,” said

Eng. Domenico Ciano, technical director at Raimondi Cranes.

Turning to the LR330, Ciano said: “We set out to design a luffer that could surpass market expectations - our R&D segment clocked 4500 hours alone on the LR330’s mechanical and control system designs. The LR330 spent 12 months in design stage, including the conceptualisation of the crane’s new winches.

“Both the LR330 and the MRT234 were presented at Intermat 2018 in Paris, together with the Deluxe R16 Crane Cabin and the SL20-TC Crane Elevator.”

The arrival of these tower cranes in Australia is timely.

“The local market, based on what we are seeing with our clients and from overall market sentiment, is that developers are favouring heavier-lifters,” said Ramey Alkhoshaibi, founder and commercial director at Strictly Cranes.

“We are noticing that this trend is directly linked to versatility of use and return on investment. The heavier lifters can be put to use on a wider variety of jobsites.

“The development boom, including the

Aerial image of the Raimondi luffing LR330 and the MRT234 erected at Intermat Paris 2018.

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July/August 2018

increasing numbers of high level residential and commercial buildings, and the push on lower level apartment blocks, both can be serviced by bigger cranes.”

And Raimondi remains committed to the Australian market, having extended every possible support mechanism to the region.

“On a weekly basis, we are seeing our cranes at work across the country; to facilitate our agents’ service offerings we have even sent Raimondi technicians from our Italian headquarters to Australia,” Ciano said.

“Regarding the shift in ordering patterns, we have noticed that, and we’re pleased to be able to fulfil our agent requests and help them to meet client needs. It varies of course from region to region, but we are very confident and filled with pride when our ever-increasing market share is addressed.

“Strictly Cranes are really neck and neck in terms of success stories. We are always receiving new queries from both Australian agents, and we’re extremely proud of how they have both positioned Raimondi’s cranes so pervasively.”

The new machines have already been sold to various fleet rental companies and developers in the country.

In October last year, Strictly Cranes sold

three new Raimondi tower cranes to residential builder-developer Piety THP. The two MRT159s with 1.7m masts, and the 10t MRT152 with a standard mast section, are scheduled to be onsite and operational for a period of three years.

“We recommended the MRT159s for this jobsite as this tower crane can be climbed to heights that other heavy lifting machinery can’t,” Alkhoshaibi said.

“On this particular jobsite, One The Waterfront, the cranes are tasked with lifting rebar, precast panels, and other site materials like timber, formwork and scaffolding. The cranes will also hoist excavators out of the hole, and other heavy machinery as needed.

“We don’t just provide a crane, we provide the labour and the lifting accessories including Boscaro brick cage, manbox, kibbles for concrete together with the first aid cage as required safety site regulations,” Alkhoshaibi added.

Strictly Cranes also erected the first-ever LR213 luffing crane in the country in a mixed-use residential and commercial development by ALAND, situated in Liverpool. The crane is scheduled to be onsite for approximately two years.

“Pre-erection of the LR213, which included basic preparation like setting up the electrical

Street view of the Raimondi luffing LR330 and the MRT234 at Intermat Paris 2018.

Raimondi cranes erected on a Sydney construction site.

Work in progress at One The Waterfront in Sydney.

July/August 2018

wires, galvanised balconies, greasing bolts and more, took one full day,” Alkhoshaibi said.

“We recommended the LR213 to ALAND as the project is in a congested location - it’s surrounded by other high-rise buildings that will be built over the course of the next few years.

“The luffer is to be climbed to a final height of 100m so the LR213 is ideal. It has a high free stand with the additional booster tower, allowing for minimal climbing and bracing of the crane to the building, thereby increasing overall jobsite productivity and meeting our client’s timeline needs.”

Moving forward, Raimondi has a third upcoming product launch on the horizon where they will be introducing their first ever hydraulic luffer, the LRH174, which Ciano says is quite a big step forward for Raimondi.

“The LRH174 is now in agent pre-sell stage, and soon will be introduced to the wider market.

The details I can share with you now are the reduced out-of-service radius. It is a major advantage of this crane, as it is only 10m when compared with a traditional luffer at minimum double that radius,” Ciano said.

“The hydraulic LRH174 boasts much easier installation, similar to that of flattop tower cranes, due to the lack of A-frame and tie rods CL used in traditional luffers.”

The erection process at One The Waterfront site in Sydney.

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TOWER CRANES Internal climbing system being set up.

Reds Global moving with the times Jason Redman had a long history in tower cranes before he started Reds Global Cranes and Personnel (Reds Global) in 2008. He started in 1990 working for his family and industry icon Lindores, and this provided an excellent grounding. In 2000, Jason started Fire Up Cranes and Rigging, which was bought by Verticon in September 2005, writes Greg Keane.

H

e ran Verticon for two years prior to starting Reds Global. Persistence and innovation has seen this business continue to grow. Having its main depot in Sydney, it now has cranes working in key markets around Australia although the Greater Sydney area has the highest concentration.

Things have changed a lot in tower cranes in Redman’s time in the industry. At the start, Favco diesel hydraulic tower cranes dominated the market and the average age of the cranes was much greater in the earlier era (the average age of the Reds Global fleet is three years).

These big changes were helped by the vastly improved performance of electric cranes that, in earlier times, could not compete with the Favco cranes. In addition, there has been increased attention to noise levels, and the electric cranes have also proved to require less maintenance and taken away the issues of refuelling. The greater performance of the modern cranes has been achieved while using less power, such have been the improvements in efficiency.

Of more recent times, the cost of labour on site has seen an increased use of concrete panels cast in a factory and transported to 46

site, and the size of panels has increased to reduce site labour requirements and speed construction times.

Coupled with this is that site access for trucks delivering panels is becoming more difficult, requiring cranes to pick panels up at a longer radius.

These are some of the reasons for Reds Global investing in six Terex CTL 430 luffing jib tower cranes. While they have a 60m jib and maximum capacity of 24t, the telling statistic for the business is that it can pick up a typical 10t precast panel at a 45m radius. Four of these are working on Meriton’s The Retreat project at Lidcombe (three of them freestanding to 72m) and two are at a Richard Crookes Constructions project at UTS (these are fitted with cameras for safer operation).

Another emerging requirement is for greater freestanding tower height and, to address this, Reds Global bought the first high strength reinforced Terex six-bolt tower sections in Australia: the 6m Super 6 section that forms the base and 12m Super 12 sections that fit above it. Together, these allow the CTL 430 to free stand to 84m. Without ties to the building, the crane is not an impediment to maintaining the

tight timelines for project completion.

Reds Global is grateful to Danny Black and the Terex team for their assistance and advice in the selection of the right equipment package to meet or exceed emerging market requirements.

Another trend is the use of internal climbing systems to reduce the footprint of the cranes, and Reds Global has two Favco three-beam internal climbing systems with 268t jacking capacity and the ability to set up in a 1.9m wide shaft. The cycle time to jack the crane up a floor is 45 minutes.

Reds Global has devised a system for climbing the crane out of the lift shaft and sliding it across the roof on grillage, where it can be set up over the stairwell. This has the strength to support the crane while it lifts the mast sections and climbing system out of the lift shaft and places the precast roof so that the lift fit-out can be completed on the timeline. The crane can be pulled down by either a large mobile crane or a recovery crane. This system will shortly be used on Richard Crookes Constructions’ The Miller project at North Sydney.

Reds Global outlined a recent project that demonstrated the benefits of changed building practices and modern tower cranes. A July/August 2018

22-storey building was completed in 50 weeks, from excavation of the foundations to fitting out.

For the structural work itself, each floor was completed in a week. Six free standing tower cranes were used on the project – a reflection of a trend to use more tower cranes on site so that shorter construction times can be achieved.

Redman himself was initially sceptical of the builder’s estimated construction time but was forced to review his opinions of what was achievable.

As important as the cranes are, Redman is adamant that the greatest asset of Reds Global is its people, and “Cranes and Personnel” has been part of the Reds Global business name since its inception, with many key people also being onboard from the start such as Dave Brown (business development), Neil Hodgen (maintenance manager), Karen Fletcher (sales) and Simon Stewart (head technician).

Redman has recently taken a step back and appointed Damien Laforest as general manager, allowing him to spend more time with customers.

Other senior management positions reflect the importance of safety, maintenance, human resources, rigging and customer service but Redman is proud of all of his “diversely gifted” team.

Safety is one area that Reds Global is particularly proud of, and this a reflection of the systems, training and performance in the field. In the rare event that there is an incident or potential incident, this is used as an educational tool as well as to reinforce vigilance. Site-specific safety plans and safety audits are part of the Reds Global approach and safety extends, on occasion, to inhouse modifications to incorporate or improve safety systems on equipment. Tablet apps have been developed in house for use in operator handovers and site audits.

The business has hosted WorkCover people, unions and other key industry stakeholders to demonstrate its systems and training. The recognition of the quality of Reds Global people is such that they are increasingly being used on projects not being serviced by Reds Global cranes.

Other sectors of the business include the supply of generators, as many sites do not have power at the start of construction; and the supply of ancillary equipment such as European-sourced kibbles with tremies, which are well received by builders.

For the future, Redman sees even larger tower cranes in the fleet (the Reds Global fleet is concentrated at the upper end of the market), although these would have to be costeffective for builders and their budgets. Fleet composition is close to a 50:50 split of luffing and hammerhead cranes, where previously hammerheads dominated. Ancillary services are constantly reviewed to reflect feedback from customers or perceived opportunities, but the investment in people and safety will remain CL a non-negotiable constant.

July/August 2018

High strength tower sections allow these Terex CTL 430 luffing cranes to achieve high freestanding height on these projects.

Reds Training Day in 2018 - safety and skill levels mean that Reds Global workers are in demand.

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SUCCESSION PLANNING

Buchanans – a small family business looking to the next generation Buchanan Mobile Cranes is one of two family crane businesses that are well established on the Mornington Peninsula - the other being Patterson Crane Hire.

Together, these businesses have served the Peninsula well, with each having its own client base but working together when the work requires this, writes Greg Keane.

G

reg Buchanan, founder of Buchanan Mobile Cranes, has a boilermaking background and the cranes were initially something that evolved out of the need to install or erect the steelwork that he fabricated. While the crane work is now a significant business in its own right, steel fabrication and engineering complement the crane business and there are many niche projects that require both areas of expertise.

Greg’s son James developed an early interest in cranes, from around the age of eight as he recalls. With the business and family home co-located on acreage at Moorooduc, it was easy for James to help out after school and on weekends. It was a great learning environment: nothing was forced but neither was anything sugar-coated. As James says: “Every day was a school day.”

A son’s perspective James’ learning covered both sides of the business and, when he left school, he took on an apprenticeship to become a fitter and turner with Jack Thompson Engineering in Hastings (VIC). After spending four years in the mining industry in WA as a FIFO worker, James decided that it was time to return home. Greg and Melanie happily embraced this decision.

An opportunity arose to drive a 25t Franna, and James commenced a new round of learning. He has gained a lot from stepping back and watching how experienced operators approach and undertake a job. While they have been willing to share knowledge when asked, July/August 2018

Work on the Mornington Peninsula has provided James Buchanan and the family business with a variety of work and diversity of challenges that have helped him to build his skills, not just in crane operation, but also in planning lifts and working with customers and others on the work site.

James felt that they tended to keep “the little one-percenters” – the tricks for coping with really difficult situations – to themselves. He found that observation was the best way to learn these tricks.

This doesn’t mean that James blindly copies the example of those that he observes: a talk to him will quickly tell you that he is his own man and will combine the best of what he sees that makes sense to him with his own ideas.

One of his observations – typical of a small family business – is that you won’t always have a crane that is an ideal fit for a job, so you have to work out the best fit and approach the job differently.

Another observation is that you need to be thinking four or five steps ahead when you undertake a job: jobs are rarely simple, so you need to have in mind the methodology that you need to take to achieve the end result so that you do not find yourself in the

wrong position when only part way through a lift sequence.

Remaining open and flexible to meet clients’ needs and expectations is critical – anything from installing sculptures at local winery venues to moving specialised precision engineering equipment to turning over a complete craftsman-made boat inside a small factory.

Greg says: “Our clients need to have confidence that their lifts are treated with respect and the utmost care. James is a lateral thinker; and this helps in planning lifts that may involve some serious challenges; and leads to some creative problem solving.”

He is confident but respectful in talking to customers, and an ambassador for the business in photographing and promoting work that the business does. He and Greg travelled to the 2016 Cairns and 2017 Adelaide CICA conferences as a delegate; two of many that James has attended in the past with his family.

49

Some jobs are complex dual lifts and others are more routine single crane lifts, but all get the same care and attention.

For the future, he is hoping that by taking on more responsibility, this will allow his parents to step back a little and enjoy the fruits of their labour more. He has a younger brother who has followed a similar path to him in completing a trade (diesel fitter) with William Adams Caterpillar and is beginning a second trade (heavy equipment auto electrical) and working away from home. James would be pleased if his brother one day decided to return to the family business.

Reflecting on his experiences working in a family business, James concedes that “Dad 50

taught me 70% of what I know but the next 10% comes from experience and the next 20%, I believe, is knowledge yet to come.”

A parent’s perspective In looking back at his son’s exposure to the family business, Greg said: “The boys were always out in the workshop eager to learn skills - always making and pulling apart things like pushbikes, a Villiers engine, motorbikes, go karts, 4WDs… and also doing welding and small engineering projects.

“From a young age, they always accompanied me in the crane or trucks when it was safe to do so, and they got an insight into becoming a tradesperson and also grew up with an awareness of safety around large equipment.

“After completing a trade qualification, they can specialise by following their individual interests while always having their qualifications to fall back on.”

When James was older and started to show an interest in the business, Greg tried to instil in him a respect for machinery, the importance of punctuality, an ability to hold a conversation with elders and peers, and the need to listen to others’ opinions and understand that there is more than one way to go about the same job.

Looking back on early crane conferences, Greg recalls them as a family occasion when their three children would company him and wife Melanie, who is an integral part of the business. He says: “The two boys were to be frequently found in the marketing booths talking to the reps and perfecting their lifting skills on the crane simulators.

“We all especially liked attending the crane displays and learning about new technology and designs and seeing new models and talking to people from all aspects in the crane industry.

I think they gained an insight into the complexity of the industry as a whole from this experience: from the sales people selling lifting chains to the reps promoting crane insurance and even all the sophistication of the computer componentry.”

In discussing James’ announcement that he was considering a return to the family business, Greg said: “I always said to give him a go.

You have to be very mindful, with the younger generation, to encourage but teach - I like to keep in mind to guide and protect. You have to work to a set of values. It has been a learning curve for me with juggling work commitments, family and lifestyle, monitoring money concerns and keeping customers happy.

“Now that James has had considerable experience at operating a variety of cranes, I value the learning opportunities he can have by attending the sessions at crane conferences and learning the regulations and statutory requirements; not to underestimate the value of networking with others in the industry on a national level.”

In commenting on James’ hope that his parents would be able to take a step back, Greg and Melanie said: “Achieving a perfect work/life balance is a goal but family businesses are, by nature, very intense because we are all passionate about what we do, and we are all individuals with differing strengths but striving towards a common goal.

“We hope to eventually step back from the day-to-day business duties and act in more of a mentor capacity for James as he takes on more responsibility in this vibrant and ever-evolving industry.”

CL July/August 2018

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