Big Marr tower crane makes 170 tonne lift

Marr Contracting used a 330 tonne M2480D tower crane and a 400 tonne GMK6400-1 all terrain crane at Port Kembla Marr Contracting used a 330 tonne M2480D tower crane and a 400 tonne GMK6400-1 all terrain crane at Port Kembla. Photo: Marr Contracting

A 330 tonne capacity tower crane made a landmark lift at a blast furnace refurbishment project in Port Kembla, South of Sydney, on the east coast of Australia.

Marr Contracting used one of it M2480D heavy lift luffing jib tower cranes to remove the 170 tonne downcomer part of the blast furnace. It was working on the BlueScope No. 6 Blast Furnace (6BF) Reline Project at the Port Kembla Steel Works (PKSW).

Removing the 54-metre long tubular structure was a carefully planned operation. Also involved was Marr’s 400 tonne capacity Grove wheeled mobile crane which helped rotate the downcomer after the tower crane had lowered it to ground level.

It was horizontally rotated and placed on supports before being reconfigured for transport to be refurbished and have parts replaced.

The M2480D was installed on a specially designed 7.5 x 7.5 metre piled foundation. This small footprint combined with its long reach across the project was a winning combination.

The M2480D tower crane lifts the 170 tonne downcomer section of the blast furnace The M2480D tower crane lifts the 170 tonne downcomer section of the blast furnace. Photo: Marr Contracting

Simpler and safer

The BlueScope reline project team and Marr engineered the project together. Using the tower crane instead of a conventional approach with large crawler cranes was a simpler and safer alternative, Marr said.

BlueScope had experience doing the same job on the Blast Furnace No.5 Reline Project. It had removed similar sections on that also congested jobsite. One big difference, however, was that a large crawler crane with super lift had been used for the lifts. The BlueScope team said on this second job using crawler cranes would present numerous challenges because of the location of the project and the restricted space available.

Commenting on the new solution, Justin Reed, PKSW project director, said, “Marr’s team have challenged our traditional thinking by enabling large sections of equipment that were previously maintained in situ to be lifted to ground for repairs or replacement.

“The capability and capacity of the M2480D is a true game-changer for our project. At vertical industrial sites like a blast furnace we have always wished there was a ‘sky-hook’ that could deliver a lift at any point on the plant, and now we have a solution with significant lifting capacity.”

For his part Simon Marr, Marr Contracting managing director, said, “By engaging us early in the planning stages, BlueScope’s team unlocked the possibility to develop a simple solution that helped to reduce complexity and secure the tight construction programme.”

Following its refurbishment the downcomer will be reinstalled using the M2480D in mid-2025 with the blast furnace being recommissioned a year later.

The 400 tonne Grove assists with rotating the 54 metre long downcomer tube suspended from the M2480D luffer. The 400 tonne Grove assists with rotating the 54 metre long downcomer tube suspended from the M2480D luffer. Photo: Marr Contracting
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