The construction of the new St Helena pipeline project is benefiting from the safety and efficiency the Vacuworx’s RC series provides.
Rous County Council has began Stage 1 construction in response to increased demand for bulk water in coastal regions.
Stage 1 of the construction contract was awarded to Ledonne Constructions Pty Ltd in February this year and they have now commenced work. As part of the project, the existing 300mm diameter pipeline, which has reached the end of its service life, will be replaced with a new 660mm diameter watermain.
In an effort to improve safety and efficiency, Ledonne Constructions are using two Vacuworx RC 20 lifters to assist them loading and unloading the trucks that transport the pipes to the site from the holding yard and also to lay the pipe in the ground.
Shaun Zimmerman, Construction Manager for Ledonne, isn’t a stranger when it comes to vacuum lifting and the advantages gained from using them on a job site.
“We’re glad to be working with Vacuworx again!” Zimmerman said in a recent interview.
“You can’t beat them when it comes to safety and efficiency. Basically, it becomes a one man operation. You eliminate the need for 3 or 4 workers to have their hands at risk of being crushed or injured from putting slings under and around pipes [sic].”
“We’re using one lifter to load and transport the pipes from the yard and one lifter onsite to unload and transport the pipes up and down some very steep terrain. Without the vacuum lifters it would become a safety nightmare in this environment[sic].”
The RC series are designed to handle materials from 10-25 tonne in conjunction with larger-capacity host carriers and are perfect for large scale infrastructure projects such as the this. Vacuum lifting provides a safer methodology regarding how to move pipe safely eliminating the risk of injury to workers all the while increasing overall efficiency.
“We can have a truck loaded within half an hour with the RC 20, where it would normally take around 3 hours plus additional workers without a Vacuworx lifter[sic].” quotes Zimmerman.
Vacuworx Australia manufactures, sells, leases, rents and services vacuum lifting systems for the energy, construction, infrastructure and utility industries. Their vacuum lifting systems handle all forms of pipe, plate and slabs including steel, plastic, concrete and cast iron pipe, steel plate, steel piling, pre-cast slabs and concrete road barriers. Lifters can be attached to excavators, wheel or track loaders, cranes, pipelayers and forklifts, and can be customised to accommodate a variety of applications and lifting needs.
