ESTA 2009 award winners

A spectacular evening event and dinner for hundreds of people was the scene of the 2009 ESTA awards presentations for outstanding achievement in lifting and transport projects plus safety and other awards.

ESTA is the European Association for heavy haulage, transport and mobile cranes. The awards dinner attended by more than 470 people was held on 23 April in Paris, France during the Intermat construction equipment exhibition. Entries in two categories each of lifting and transport jobs were recognized for their achievements in particular projects. In addition to these four categories there were awards for safety among other achievements.

In the category of crane operations using a telescopic or equivalent lattice boom crane of less than 100 tonnes capacity the winners were as follows:

1. JJ Kraner, Denmark.

In less than 14 hours JJ Kraner provided a plan and executed the lift using an 80 tonne telescopic crane and a temporary support, to exchange a 24.4 tonne broken down engine in a confined space inside a power plant.

2. Wiesbauer, Germany.

As part of the assembly of a 140 m tall stack in the confined conditions of a steel mill the last 38 tonne section was positioned following a detailed 3D tandem lift plan using a second Manitowoc Grove GTK1100.

3. Egger, Emil, Switzerland.

Installation of a 15 by 5 x 0.18 m (LWH) 15 tonne glass pool bottom, in a tandem lift diagonally through the side of the second floor and through the roof of a building in St. Gallen, Switzerland.

In the category of crane operations using a telescopic or equivalent lattice boom crane of more than 100 tonnes capacity the winners were as follows:

1. Sarens NV, Belgium.

To install 325 tonne nacelles at 120 m, a 750 tonne crane on a 40 m tall Sarens Multi Lift Tower was used, instead of a 1,250 tonne crane, to overcome weight restrictions on a jack-up barge. Additional eyes on the barge gave superlift force instead of using weight.

2. Mammoet (UK), United Kingdom.

Instead of dismantling a 125 m long and 1,450 tonne crane on 40 m height in a nuclear environment, a gantry system provided skidding 40 m sideways, lowering on to a barge in a drydock and sailing to a nearby quay for controlled dismantling at ground level.

3.Sarens Nederland, the Netherlands.

The complicated installation of a pre-fabricated curve-shaped bridge pylon, measuring 50 x 2.40 x 3 m and weighing 265 tonnes, required using lifting beams in a simultaneous double tandem lift.

In the category of transport operations with less than 120 tonnes gross vehicle weight, the winners were as follows:

1. STDR-TEDL, France.

Transport by public roads of a petrochemical vessel, loaded dimensions 30.21 x 6.13 x 6.40 m (LWH) and loaded weight 62 tonnes, to Péage de Roussillon 38 from Forges 88 in France.

2. R. Collett & Sons (Transport) Ltd., United Kingdom.

Door-to-door transport and shipping of three storage tanks, each 9.5 m diameter x 13 m tall and weighing 60 tonnes, from Geertruidenberg in the Netherlands to Lindsey Oil Refinery, Immingham, UK.

3. BKV B.V., the Netherlands.

Transport by road of a wooden house, measuring 16.50 x 7.85 x 6.80 m (LWH) and weighing 40 tonnes, from Grave to Dordrecht in the Netherlands, including craneage for loading, river barge crossing and installation.

In the category of transport operations with more than 120 tonnes gross vehicle weight, the winners were as follows:

1. Fagioli Spa, Italy.

Simultaneous moving of two bridge sections, each 114 x 23 x 5.3 m (LWH) and weighing 1,250 tonnes, from temporary supports at 13 m height parallel to the A22 Brenner in Italy to connect over the highway.

2. Friderici Spécial SA, Switzerland.

Transport of a valve, measuring 5.80 x 1.50 x 4.00 m (LWH) and 57 tonnes, over unpaved 3.2 m wide mountain roads with 18% inclines, 3 to 5% canting and hairpins, and in to a 2.65 m wide cavern road in Switzerland.

3. Sarl.Trsp. Locations Courcelle, France.

Non-profit transport by road of a steam locomotive and tender from Guîtres to a rail site in Saint Yzan de Soudiac in France. Locomotive, dimensions 17.00 x 3.00 x 4.23 m and weight 115 tonnes.

The award for contribution to safety, presented by Mike Maruo at Kobelco, went to Ainscough Crane Hire in the UK for its fall-restraint system on ballast support vehicle trailers and similar.

Winner of the personality of the year award, presented by James King at KHL Group, was Hansjörg Nagel at Scheuerle / TII Group in Germany.

The innovation award went to Verticaal Transport Centrum (VTC) in the Netherlands for its crane simulator to train offshore crane operators.