Standing Up 12 Tanks in a Factory Pit with Pick and Carry Cranes

01. Project

Twelve 7te tanks through a tight door and into a pit

An international company setting up a new foam manufacturing facility in Swindon needed 12 tanks, each weighing 7te, offloaded, taken inside and stood up in a pit. Another firm had looked at the job before us but could not commit to it.

We offloaded the tanks with a mobile crane and used two electric pick and carry cranes to carry them in through a very tight opening. Inside, a city crane lowered each tank into the pit and then worked with one of our pick and carry cranes to top and tail it upright under the roof ridge, where headroom was tight. Each tank was then skated into its final position on a jig we made for the job, and the whole sequence was repeated for all 12. We also returned for a tandem lift to help install new overhead cranes.

02. Resources

Cranes, tackle and team

Cranes

A Liebherr LTM 1060-3.1 offloaded the tanks from transport. A Valla 120E and a Valla 75 electric pick and carry crane took them inside. A city crane lowered them into the pit, with the Valla 120E helping to stand them up. For the overhead crane installation we used a Liebherr LTM 1095-5.1 and a Liebherr LTM 1090-4.1 in tandem.

Tackle

Each tank was skated into its final position in the pit on a custom jig made for this job.

Team

Our Appointed Person planned each stage: offloading, shifting, ingress, lowering, top and tailing and skating. One of our directors supervised the work on site, with our operators, slingers and riggers carrying it out. Every tank was positioned without damage.

03. Timeline

From site visit to the twelfth tank

04. Outcome

What it meant for the client

The client had all 12 tanks in position without damage, on a job another firm had not been able to take on. It needed a mobile crane, pick and carry cranes, a city crane and a lift and shift crew working to one plan.