Sarens has recently completed the installation of a 274 m-long gas tube beneath the Albert Canal in Merksem, Belgium.
Sarens deployed nine telescopic cranes with lifting capacities ranging from 40-100 tons (36.3-90.7 tonnes), plus two of the client's existing cranes to complete the lift.
Two challenges that the team faced were limited visibility and confined working conditions.
The cranes had to simultaneously lift and hold up the pipe without any visual aids, with the guidance of the lifting supervisor. The gas tube was slowly inserted into the pipe shaft and pulled through the tunnel on the other side of the Albert Canal.
The pipeline previously ran across a nearby bridge but had to be repositioned following the bridge's reconstruction.
