Saudi-based lifting solutions specialist Mohammad Abdullah Al Areedh recently deployed its Terex AC 500-2 all-terrain cranes for a major work in the $22.5-billion Riyadh Metro project, one of the largest infrastructure projects in the world.

The company has been signed up by the project contractors BACS consortium - comprising Bechtel, Almabani General Contractors, Consolidated Contractors Company and Siemens - to raise the 142 tonnes beams and supporting winch 16.75 m in the air using two Terex AC 500-2 all terrain cranes.

BACS was awarded the contract for design, construction, train cars, signaling, electrification and integration of the new lines to the system.

To meet the aggressive timeline of completing construction by the end of 2018, the BACS consortium has enlisted the expertise of subcontractors on the 85 km light-rail public system project.

Mohammad Abdullah Al Areedh was roped by BACS to help aid in the erection of a launching gantry for a light-rail bridge.

The launching gantry lifts required roads to be closed, creating the need for urgency on this part of the massive construction project.

“Our ability to quickly transport, setup and rig the cranes was critical to the overall project and our reputation in the market,” remarked Mohammed I Alrasheed, operations manager at Mohammad Abdullah Al Areedh.

“We were able to drive both cranes to the site and used five flatbeds per crane for transporting additional material, such as counterweight. Once on site, we had both cranes ready to work within four hours with the hard work of five people, which was much faster than what we estimated,” he added.

Alrasheed pointed out that one of the more challenging aspects of the job was the tight setup and working conditions.
“Our crew was working in the middle of the road, so there was very little room for cranes and operators to maneuver,” explained Alrasheed. “That was one of the reasons we selected the Terex AC 500-2 cranes from our fleet. That particular model has a compact base, which made it easier to position than some of the other cranes in our fleet,” he added.

According to him, the cranes were configured to a boom length of 37.9 m and outfitted with 180 tonnes of counterweight.

Alrasheed also noted that each crane was equipped with the Terex Sideway Superlift (SSL) telescopic boom attachment.

To secure the beams to the supporting bases, the cranes worked in tandem to lift each beam 16.75 m at a radius of 16 m and 18 m, respectively. The weight of the beams was evenly distributed and each crane was responsible for 71 tonnes.

It took the Mohammad Abdullah Al Areedh crew of seven just 10 days to complete the project, he added.-TradeArabia News Service