Tight lift for Chunjo Construction

South Korean rental company Chunjo Construction used its 2,300 tonne capacity Manitowoc 31000 crawler crane to place two reactors at a petrochemical plant Ulsan, South Korea.

The project was carried out for main contractor Daelim ENC. Space at the site was limited and the crawler was required to work from a land-filled river, with a road running adjacent to it. The Manitowoc 31000 was suitable for the job as it has a footprint of 336 square metres and is fitted with the Variable Position Counterweight (VPC). The counterweight system is suspended from the crane, allowing it to work in smaller spaces.

Jang Hwan Chang, Chunjo Construction chairman, explained, “When we first spoke with Daelim there were several options being considered, but once the true difficulty of the lift work became apparent, the 31000 was a clear favourite and probably the only realistic option.

“These two lifts have been such a success that plant engineers at S-Oil are now looking at future expansion plans and designing larger modules that can take advantage of the 31000’s capabilities. This crane will help S-Oil save time and money on future expansion plans, delivering true value to the customer.”

The first of the two reactors weighed 800 tonnes and was lifted at a radius of 24 m. The second reactor weighed 400 tonnes and was lifted at a radius of 34 m. For the lifts, the Manitowoc 31000 was fitted with 70 m of main boom and 964 tonnes of counterweight.

Due to lack of space at the site, a heavy-duty transporter was used to tail the reactors as they were moved into position, a company spokesperson added.

At the time of writing in late July work at the site was finished and Chunjo Construction was preparing the 31000 for transport to Vietnam for its next lift in August 2015.