-Lorry loader (for initial delivery)
This project combined three constraints that each individually demand careful planning — and which together required a fundamentally different approach to a standard substation installation.
A weight limit on the route to the substation ruled out using a conventional lorry loader at the site. Instead, the equipment was transferred to a tracked carrier, which distributes its load across the ground more evenly and can operate within the weight restriction. A spider crane was then used inside the substation to handle the individual lifts — its compact footprint allowing it to operate in the restricted internal space.
Open water directly outside the substation entrance added a further dimension to the risk assessment: pedestrian marshals were deployed for the full duration of the operation, maintaining a controlled exclusion zone around the work area whenever the tracked carrier or spider crane was in motion.
The transformer, ACB and all ancillary components were installed successfully within the weight restrictions of the site. The tracked carrier and spider crane combination allowed the team to complete the installation without exceeding the statutory load limit on the approach, and pedestrian safety was maintained throughout.
Weight-limited sites rule out the most obvious equipment choices — but Riglift’s fleet includes tracked carriers and spider cranes specifically for these environments. When the standard lorry loader isn’t an option, we have the equipment and the experience to find a compliant solution.
