The refurbishment of a major Sydney Water aqueduct was made possible by a small but powerful equipment.
Lothway-TBS, an asset maintenance company, hired porta power cylinders and hand pumps from Kennards Lift and Shift to elevate the pipe to allow rust to be removed and the steel saddles replaced.
The aqueduct and footbridge at Camellia, near Parramatta, were built in 1936 to carry water and allow pedestrian access across the Parramatta River.
Sydney Water shut off the water supply for a month to allow work on the 1340mm (outside) diameter pipeline.
Lothway-TBS Project Supervisor, Roman Percic, said thta the porta powers, each with a load capacity of about 10 tonne, provided a simple but effective solution.
“We originally intended to use more than 20 cylinders to lift the entire pipe in one go, but we found the welding was going to take longer than expected,” he said.
“So, instead, we did a large section at a time, utilising about eight cylinders, four hand pumps, manifolds and hoses. By using the manifolds, we could run a couple of cylinders off one pump.
“It worked out very well. We lifted the pipe, removed the saddle, cleaned the rust off the pipe, welded on a new plate, inserted a new saddle and then lowered the pipe back into position.”
Kennards Lift and Shift has a large range of porta powers for just about any application involving lifting, pulling, pushing, bending, load testing or clamping.
The porta powers are available in a variety of capacities, heights and strike lengths. Threaded collar and base-mounting holes enable them to be secured easily.
Manifolds, with hex or quad ports, are fitted with quick-release couplers, so not all ports need to be operational. Hand pumps and electric pumps are available in a range of sizes. Kennards Lift and Shift has hire centres in Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
A specialist equipment division of the Kennards Hire group, it has a wide range of labour-saving equipment specifically designed for lifting, moving and positioning applications. Staff are fully trained and able to provide advice and solutions for jobs of all difficulties.
