Tutt Bryant’s Manitowoc MLC650 kick starts Australian infrastructure project

The Forrestfield-Airport Link will be a new subway system linking downtown Perth with the Western Australian city’s airport. Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift provided the lifting power to build one of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) units, and sent its 650 t capacity Manitowoc MLC650 to handle the task.

The AU$1.86 billion Forrestfield-Airport Link is the government’s latest effort to strengthen public transport in Perth and improve access between the city and its airport. Central to construction of the underground rail system are the TBM units, which each weigh over 160 t and measure 7 m in diameter. They arrived at Forrestfield by truck, which is where the MLC650 was used to assemble and lift into position one of the units. It is currently working on an 8 km stretch of the tunnel that will link Perth’s foothills with the city’s downtown area. Drilling began in July and is expected to last two years.

“The Manitowoc MLC650 made assembly of this giant TBM seem easy and effortless,” said David Taylor, business development manager at Tutt Bryant. “The crane’s unique VPC gave us ample lift ability, positioning the counterweight automatically and offering unmatched versatility.”

Manitowoc’s unique VPC system automatically positions the counterweight to fit the required lift. The counterweight moves along the rotating bed and is positioned based on changes in boom angle and lift load. Advantages for customers include reduced ground preparation, lower ground-bearing pressure and less counterweight, without sacrificing capacity.

Employing one of the largest crane fleets in Australia, Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift currently operates over 150 units, including pick-and-carry, rough-terrain cranes, truck-mounted cranes, all-terrain and crawler cranes.