An Edinburgh-based crane hire firm was recently selected as the contractor for the dismantling of three tower cranes used in the construction of the new Queensferry Crossing.
Family business Bernard Hunter won the contract from the Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors (FCBC) to dismantle three identical 40-tonne Liebherr 630 EC-H 40 tower cranes, used to build the three 207m towers that support the Queensferry Crossing.
A Liebherr LTM1500-8.1 mobile crane with a 35m fixed fly jib was used to remove the cranes’ tie bars from the bridge structure and was lifting five tonnes at a 57m radius and a hook height of 90m. This crane also removed the tower cranes’ jib sections.
A Liebherr LTM 1300-6.1 mobile crane was used to remove the cranes’ counter jib, hoist unit frame and counterweight ballast blocks and was lifting 22.2 tonnes at 22m radius and a hook height of 55m.
Bernard Hunter chairman, Jim Rafferty, said the company was “delighted and proud to win this prestigious contract”.
Bernard Hunter has a fleet of 18 cranes, 11 of which are Liebherr machines. The firm has invested around £6 million in Liebherr cranes from the LTM range in recent years, including an LTM 1040-2.1, two LTM 1050-3.1s, an LTM 1060-3.1, an LTM 1100-4.2, an LTM 1300-6.2 and the 500-tonne LTM 1500-8.1.
