Engineered transport and heavy lift specialist Mammoet boosted its heavy-lifting portfolio by adding a Mega Jack 10000 system. The new unit provides 10,400 tons of lifting capacity per tower, an upgrade from the current 5,200 tons. This upgrade has been achieved without increasing the footprint of the tower base. 

This implies that structures can be supported with less steel during lifting, and the heaviest lifts can start closer to ground level by meters. Additionally, with the system’s capacity per tower doubled, fewer towers will be required to lift larger loads, resulting in the need for smaller foundations. This further improves scheduling and reduces costs.

The system has a new five-meter jacking beam with three connection points, allowing for load distribution across eight Mega Jack base units. These base units consist of four at the corners of the tower and four at the center of each side. Starter beams are necessary for large jacking projects and are used to connect the jacking towers together and distribute the load. For instance, two Mega Jack 5200 towers connected by a starter beam can lift a load of 10,400t.

A single Mega Jack tower with a capacity of 10000 can handle this load by itself, which means that lifts that used to require beams from two towers can now be accomplished with just one. This allows for lighter and smaller support steel and reduces the need for extensive engineering. It also lowers the starting height of the lift, making access easier and requiring smaller cranes for project completion.

“We noticed that loads were growing beyond the capacity of the Mega Jack 5200 and came up with the idea of the Mega Jack 10000. We designed an early initial concept and now we have upgraded the system to accommodate future projects that require a 10,000t single tower solution,’ said Richard Verhoeff, Director Sales Global Special Devices at Mammoet. “With the introduction of the Mega Jack 10000, Mammoet is setting a new standard in heavy lifting technology. This innovative solution not only increases lifting capacity but also enhances safety and sustainability by optimizing the jacking process.”

As a component of the Mega Jack 10000 initiative, Mammoet has also implemented a comprehensive upgrade of its control systems. The towers are now capable of monitoring lift positions with a precision of one-hundredth of a millimetre, which reduces stress on structures during lifting operations and enhances operational safety levels.

The updated system will be employed by the offshore oil and gas sector for the production of heavy topsides, and by the renewable energy industry for the construction of converter stations.

In these industry sectors, loads can exceed 30,000t, necessitating heavy lifting solutions that redefine construction approaches to enhance safety, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency.