ALE has performed a unique relocation of a rock crusher in July at Cliffe Hill quarry in Leicestershire UK.

The global heavylift specialists were contracted by Tenova Takraf to relocate a primary crusher, weighing 700t, within the granite quarry operated by Midland Quarry Products.

The route involved transporting the crusher downhill on an 8% gradient. Due to the 17m high center of gravity (CoG), care had to be taken with the transporter calculations in order to accommodate the 1.2m shift in the CoG position between the flat and the 8% gradient. ALE transported the crusher using 54 axle lines of SPMT with additional drive axles.

ALE’s Project Engineer Chris Taylor, who worked on the project, said: “This was a very unique move and required detailed engineering studies. A typical movement on steep gradients is of the order of 200t-300t, so to move a load weighing 700t is very exceptional.

“This is one of our first jobs in the minerals and mining sector in the UK. It illustrates our desire to offer a safe, quality solution for the client which will allow us to springboard into this sector further.”