John Sutch Cranes has completed two major lifts on the University of Liverpool campus in as many days, deploying its 300-tonne Grove GMK6300L-1 for rooftop chiller works as part of an ongoing infrastructure upgrade programme.
The team carried out a successful chiller exchange on campus last Saturday, before returning on Monday to complete a second major lift on behalf of A&B Engineering - both operations forming part of a wider infrastructure upgrade programme at the University.
The 300-tonne Manitowoc Grove GMK6300L-1, configured with 74.5 tonnes of counterweight, carried out the safe removal and installation of rooftop chiller units across both visits.
Reach, rather than raw lifting capacity, was the defining factor on this job. The crane's full reach was required to complete the lifts safely within the constraints of the site, a reminder that specialist lifting operations are as often about radius and positioning as they are about tonnage.
Mick Turner, Technical Sales Representative at John Sutch Cranes, who oversaw the planning of the lift, said: "A job like this lives or dies on the planning long before the crane ever turns up. City-centre site, live campus, and we needed every metre of reach on the GMK6300L-1 to make the lift work safely within the space we had. Once you've got that right, the operation itself comes down to trusting the crew to execute it and Les and the team did exactly that, both days."
Operating in a busy city-centre location and a live university campus added further complexity, requiring detailed planning, experienced operators and precise execution throughout, with safety maintained at every stage of the project.
As a Liverpool-based business, John Sutch Cranes says it takes particular pride in supporting projects that help maintain and improve the city's key institutions and buildings.
The lifts were carried out in close coordination with the A&B Engineering team, with John Sutch Cranes operator Les leading on the crane throughout both operations.
For more information on John Sutch Cranes' specialist lifting capabilities, get in touch with the team.
