Heavy lifts for Marr tower crane

Australian-based Marr Contracting has been awarded a subcontract to deliver specialized heavy lifting crane services for Brisbane’s Kangaroo Point Green Bridge.

Marr’s team at work on Brisbane’s Kangaroo Point Green Bridge (Photo: Marr Contracting)

Marr’s scope of work will include more than 10 major lifts and general construction lifting requirements over a period of 12 months.

Marr’s M2480D tower crane arrived onsite in January, has been erected and commissioned, and completed its first lift – a 25 metre by 25 metre-wide working platform.

Lifting strategy

At a length of 460 metres, the bridge will be among the longest span cable stay pedestrian bridges in the world and a must-visit destination in Brisbane.

Following a detailed procurement process, Brisbane City Council awarded the contract to design and construct the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge to Connect Brisbane, led by BESIX Watpac, in June 2021.

Marr was engaged by Connect Brisbane early in the design phase to develop a lifting strategy that supported their preferred construction methodology.

The key challenge was how to construct the bridge mast while minimising potential impacts on vessels that use the river daily (Photo: Marr Contracting)

According to BESIX Watpac project director, Tim Deere said, “Our in-house engineering team was instrumental in identifying this crane at tender phase as the preferred lifting solution for the project. After comparing barge crane and tower crane options, the team confirmed the M2480D was the most suitable crane in the Australian market capable of lifting the fully assembled mast head.”

Minimising impact

Located in Brisbane’s busy river, the key challenge was how to construct the bridge mast while minimising potential impacts on the public ferries and private vessels that use the Brisbane River daily.

Working with Brisbane-based engineers, Robert Bird Group, Marr developed a solution using an M2480D heavy lift luffing tower crane with a 64 metre long boom installed on a platform in the middle of Brisbane River.

At a length of 460 metres, the bridge will be among the longest span cable stay pedestrian bridges in the world (Photo: Marr Contracting)

The heaviest lift the tower crane will undertake for the project is 180 tonnes and will be the 28 metre tall pre-fabricated steel masthead.

Modular construction

“Reaping the benefits of modularised construction with fewer, heavy lifts is not only helping to deliver a safer, more productive site; but also allowing our client to share the economic benefit delivered by the project by engaging more South East Queensland businesses away from the workfront,” said Marr’s managing director, Simon Marr.

Construction of the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge started in late 2021 and is anticipated to be completed in 2024.