Ainscough cranes dismantle one of UK’s tallest towers

Dismantling one of the UK’s tallest towers was a job for a pair of eight axle wheeled mobile telescopic cranes from the Ainscough fleet.

The 52-metre tower at a former EE site in Sunderland, north east England, was one of the largest of its type to be decommissioned in the country. Ainscough, the UK’s largest wheeled mobile crane rental company, did the job on the redundant tower for telecommunications infrastructure services provider Circet.

One of the three tower sections, weighing around 25 tonnes. Photo: Ainscough

The tower’s 4 metre diameter helped account for its 70 tonne weight. Ainscough took it down in three sections, each weighing about 25 tonnes, using a 700 tonne capacity Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 with a 500 tonne LTM 1500-8.1 as the tailing crane.

Months of detailed planning included revisions to the lifting methodology as the demolition approach evolved, Ainscough said.

Complexity was added by the unusually confined space on the site, hemmed in by earthworks and dense vegetation. Initial plans for the crane positions had to be changed when underground chambers were discovered during site clearance.

Technical benefits

Not much room for eight axle wheeled mobile cranes – and there were two on this job. Photo: Ainscough

Having the VarioBase outrigger optimisation system on the 700 tonner allowed easy adjustment of the configuration to safely position the crane and maintain the required lifting capacity. A smaller or less advanced crane would not have been suitable, Ainscough said. The LTM 1650-8.1 replaced the LTM 1500 in 2019. https://www.cranebriefing.com/news/new-700-tonner-from-liebherr/1137804.article

Commenting on the job Luke Price, Ainscough Heavy Cranes technical manager, said, “This was a technically demanding project from start to finish. The scale of the tower, the confined site and changes to the demolition methodology meant we had to continually adapt our plans while maintaining the highest safety standards.

“On the day, everything came together exactly as planned. We worked closely with the demolition contractor and the lift performed perfectly – once the sections were cut, they barely moved. With such a tight site, the logistics had to be spot on, and I’m incredibly proud of the professionalism shown by both our operatives and the demolition team.”

A Circet spokesperson added, “There were several changes during the planning phase, but Ainscough responded quickly, adapted the lifting strategy and kept the project on track. Their collaborative approach and professionalism ensured the tower was dismantled safely and successfully.”

Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 and LTM 1500-8.1 worked together to dismantle a redundant 52 metre telecom tower. Photo: Ainscough