GGR Group’s compact lifting solutions were called in to assist with the construction of pipework at a sewage treatment works. As maintenance and construction at treatment plants often come with challenges such as limited space and access constraints, specialist equipment and personnel are required.

At GGR Group, we specialise in lifting equipment, compact cranes, and more, and have 30 years of experience in overcoming complex and confined lifting challenges. When the customer contacted us, we knew we had just the equipment for the job. With an extensive background of working at sewage treatment works and with pipework, we were able to quickly identify a safe, effective solution for this lifting project.

Following a site survey, lift plan and risk assessment, our expert team selected the UNIC URW-295 Mini Spider Crane to undertake this project. Popular due to its compact size and impressive lifting power, this crane is ideal for challenges where other lifting solutions may struggle to reach and where heavy lifting is needed in confined spaces.

On-site, the operator tracked the URW-295 to the lift location by the treatment tanks. The first challenge faced in this project was setting up the crane on a raised concrete slab, which had only 3.5m of space between the tanks and the slab’s edge. To work around this, timber sleepers were stacked to form an elevated platform for the URW-295’s rear outriggers. With the crane’s manoeuvrable outriggers, the operator was able to ensure a stable position for the machine, with the front feet on the concrete slab and the hind feet on the timber sleepers.

The next challenge for our team was lifting the pipework sections, with the heaviest parts weighing up to 250kg and measuring 4000mm in length. With the URW-295’s 2.9t capacity and precise controls, the operator lifted each pipe safely into position for the customer to install.

Different in design to the average crane, the URW-295 Mini Spider Crane could easily fit into awkward spaces without compromising on lifting power. As much of the pipe structure needed extra support, steel beams were used to hold it up. This, however, created more obstacles in the way of the installation.  However, the URW-295’s compact chassis and manoeuvrable outriggers could be easily placed around the beams, allowing each lift to be completed safely, smoothly, and on schedule.