ic020515.xml

As part of the redevelopment of St Pancras railway station in London, England, a way had to be found to remove three maintenance gantry platforms from the inside of the Victorian roof. Mobile cranes could not be used because of the point loading over underground tunnels. In addition, the historically important building is Grade 1 listed, meaning that no lifting gear could be rigged to the roof in case of damage.

Technical Cranes' solution was to suspend a series of 2.5 tonne SWL Yale electric chain hoists from the platform's runway beams, using Yale CTP trolley beam clamps, and connect them to the platforms on their original lifting lugs.

The two 16 tonne gantries were lowered on eight of the hoists while the third, weighing 19 tonnes, required 10. A control panel was custom-built that could either synchronise the hoists or allow them to be adjusted individually while lowering the platforms from the 30 m high roof.