The Civil Engineering Contractor July 2019 | Page 41
information from a site visit is
analysed and reviewed by the in-house
engineering team who will be able to
look at various lifting and handling
options and then recommend to
the customer the most appropriate
solution based on cost efficiency,
project time frame and most
importantly safety. By doing a full risk
assessment of the lifting and handling
requirements, Johnson Crane Hire is
also able to flag any potential areas of
concern so these can be proactively
addressed.
All factors such as physical
limitations on site including working
in confined spaces, restricted access
to the site, overhead obstructions
and ground conditions are taken
into account. This process would
include engineering drawings, CAD
studies and detailed handling and
lifting methodologies. Once the best
solution has been established, this is
discussed in depth with the customer
www.civilsonline.co.za
to ensure that the proposed solution
will meet the project objective.
Where customers are not fully
aware of all the lifting and moving
options available to them, they might
make assumptions about the most
practical route to take. The benefit
of Johnson Crane Hire’s upfront
engineering is to go beyond these
assumptions to set out the alternatives
now available, in the light of the
project’s priorities.
“Experience has shown that often
the customer may have a particular
lifting solution or preference in
mind, however without the necessary
insight into what handling and lifting
options and equipment are available,
it is not always feasible to make a
fully informed decision. Leveraging
specific expertise and experience will
allow Johnson Crane Hire, through its
thorough assessments, to analyse this
data and look at options that may be
quite different to what the customer
had in mind,” explains Yaman.
“A practical example is where,
following an assessment, the
company was able to offer a solution
to a customer where a much smaller
crane could be used by locating it
in a strategic position; this mobile
crane solution was far more cost-
efficient to the customer, yet still
fulfilled all of the handling and
lifting needs on that project. This
was possible due to the team’s
understanding of what was required,
and what was possible to accomplish
using available methodologies and
equipment,” he says.
Alternative
solutions
handling
Handling and lifting has changed
significantly over the years as other
equipment and technology options
have become available. In addition
to having access to a range of mobile
cranes, there are also other options
which can be used on their own or as
CEC July 2019 | 39