Mammoet played a crucial role in the construction of the New Wear Footbridge, a vital link between Sunderland city centre and the Stadium of Light.

The 250-meter bridge, constructed by Victor Buyck Steel Construction in Ghent, Belgium, weighs 1,150 tons and consists of four sections. These sections had to be transported from Belgium to Sunderland for installation.

HEBO jumps in to transport the modules

Mammoet collaborated with HEBO to transport the four bridge sections in two separate shipments, ensuring a timely and efficient delivery process. This approach allowed Mammoet’s team to prepare for the arrival of each section and minimize disruptions.

The team successfully lifted and installed the first two bridge sections using an LR 11350 crawler crane. After relocating to the south side of the river, they installed the remaining two sections, including the heaviest section, which required the use of strand jacks due to their weight.

Mobilising the crawler crane from Scotland

Mammoet mobilised the crane from a separate project at the Port of Nigg in Scotland, transporting its parts to Sunderland in 50 conventional trailers. The volume of transport and the complexity of the crane meant scheduling was of utmost importance.

“During assembly of a crawler crane, you need to bring in each section as you would build it,” explains Richard Gatenby, Project Manager at Mammoet. “We needed to make sure that as the crane was coming from Nigg, the trailers were arriving in the right order and there was no breakdown in communication. We sent the client our transport schedule and plan, so they were aware of what was moving and when”.

Dealing with limited space

The positioning of the barges in the middle of the river was constrained by changing water levels, requiring careful planning to maintain a clear waterway. The curved bottom of the bridge sections posed additional difficulties during transportation. Mammoet’s team addressed these challenges by using jacking techniques to ensure the sections were level and could safely pass under low bridges.

Due to limited space on the south side of the river, a temporary laydown area at the Port of Sunderland was utilized to accommodate the crawler crane, ensuring efficient operations and minimizing disruptions.

“When you take the crane apart it is the boom sections that are removed first,” explains Gatenby. “So, we remove those, take them to the port and then eventually we can get to the main structure of the crane. If we took the boom section to the south side straight away, there just wouldn’t be enough room to store everything until we could get the main structure there”.

The efficient operation required a smart delivery and installation approach due to the limited space at the site. Planning for a variety of heavy-lift challenges, even in challenging site conditions, showcases how Mammoet’s early involvement can benefit customers.