Sarens Uses Climbing Systems for Bridges

Theunisbrug Bridge, Antwerp, Belgium

Dec. 12, 2022 - Sarens, a global leader in heavy lifting, has developed climbing systems solutions for challenging jobs.

With the advancement of technology leaving more room diversity in terms of the materials used to construct massive bridges, larger and more powerful equipment is needed in order to conduct maintenance work or complete installation.

In projects which face unique challenges, such as little to no room to lift bulky equipment or materials, Sarens has opted to use jacking systems to complete lifts as opposed to its typical cranes.

The systems, which are typically used to lift and install machinery or very large loads, can sometimes be the most economical and efficient option.

Sarens, which typically focuses on crane-based jobs, customed designs the jacking systems in house and deploys them for construction of some massive projects like bridges and offshore vessels.

The equipment has been part of Sarens’ fleet since the late 1990s, and Sarens currently operates seven types of climbing systems to take on large projects with increasingly heavy materials.

Its biggest system, the CS5000 has 5,500-USt capacity per tower. For smaller jobs, Sarens deploys smaller systems which can be handled manually and can be easily transported by road.

Notable projects

Sarens recently deployed one of its smaller, CS250, jacking systems to install bridge sections in Adelaide, where it had previously installed a 3,300-USt bridge. As part of the project near Darlington, it moved three large sections of the bridge for a project worth more than A$620 million. Due to the uneven nature of the ground at the project site, the team brought in jacking system to provide extra support to the bridge parts as it was being handled and it was able to successfully complete the lifts using the specialized equipment.

In Belgium, over 30 bridges along the Albert Canal were installed by Sarens since 2018. In a recent string of installations, it utilized several CS350 jacking systems to raise loads more than 6m without bracing, allowing for extremely efficient installation. This type of lift was made possible by the systems designed by the Sarens team and the precision ensured by project managers and their engineers.

“We’ve used this machinery most recently for bridge installation, however over the years, we’ve seen our climbing systems used in almost every segment of the industry,” commented Peter Huygebaert, head of engineering at Sarens, “For example, lifting ship-to-shore cranes for leg extensions, installation of heavy industrial equipment, and even used as jacking device on SPMTs for transport when needed.”