AL.SK CRANES
AL.SK190 & AL.SK350
Together, we are...
Smarter
Safer
Stronger
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At the heart of ALE’s business are our people: dedicated professionals who work with
our clients to achieve the very best results. We employ imaginative people at all levels
within the company, who focus on developing innovative solutions for the most complex
projects. We challenge conventional thinking, aspire beyond accepted limitations,
and don’t stop until we have the smartest, most effective solution to each and every
challenge. Our Innovation Series is just one example of our insistence on pushing the
boundaries to create solutions that work best for our clients.
ALE is a responsible business with a strong moral core, so the safety and well-being of
the individuals we work with and the clients we work for is our single most important
consideration. Minimising risk to our staff, our clients and members of the local
community is a priority at the highest level of the company, and an ethos that
permeates every aspect of our business.
We haven’t become one of the world’s foremost experts in heavy transportation and
lifting by thinking small. By investing in the latest technologies and employing the
best people in the business, we’ve grown over more than 30 years into a global leader
with a presence across a breadth of sectors and markets. Our flexible approach suits
any project, whatever its size or scale, and our clients know they can rely on us for
commitment, innovation, delivery, service and an agile, proactive approach that
gets results.
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CONTENTS
3Overview
4Design
5
AL.SK190, AL.SK350
6
DESIGN ADVANTAGES
7
Small Plot Area & Reduced Onsite Disruption
8
High Capacity & High Speed Lifting
9
Variable Ballast Radius
10
More Accurate Scheduling for Shipyard Applications
11
Boom ‘Failsafe’ Topping System
12
Simplified Logistics & Assembly
13
OPERATIONAL ADVANTAGES
OVERVIEW
ALE has always been distinguished by its engineering
capabilities. We’re recognised as a world leader in
equipment and solution development, and from the
opening of our Research and Development facility
in Breda, the Netherlands, our innovative product
design has dominated industry news and redefined
the boundaries of heavylifting capability in a
global market.
In the last few years, ALE’s R&D facility has been
responsible for numerous achievements in product
development that include the world’s largest capacity
land based cranes, the AL.SK cranes.
13Assembly
15
Even Ground Load Distribution & Faster
Onsite Relocation
16Ballast
17
Tailing Crane Location
19
Grounding Bearing Pressures & Ground Settlement
21
Slewing Operation & Boom Erection
23
Operating Wind Speeds & Control Systems
24
Steering Winches
26
Safety Features, The Future & Engineering
28‘CASE STUDIES’
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NGL4, Ruwais
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Valero Coker Interchange, Port Arthur
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RRE2, Ruwais
31
Thai Growth, Thailand
32
MFC Project, Sadara
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LPG4, Kuwait
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DESIGN
AL.SK190
ALE first conceived the idea of a new heavylift land based crane in 2006 when it became
clear that there was a requirement in the market for increased lifting capacity. Our clients
were looking to lift increasingly heavy items at larger radii while reducing costs and
construction time and maintaining safety.
With over 30 years in the business, ALE
has forged close relationships with leading EPC
contractors, fabrication yards and shipyards and we
were able to use these connections to gather as much
information about the future needs of the heavy lift
industry as possible.
After close consultation with a number of interested
parties, we defined our objectives
for the project as follows:
A new design of crane with the highest
capacity in the market
That the crane could be configured
differently in size to suit the lift and site
limitations whilst using the space efficiently
To ensure the speed and efficiency
of smaller lifts
To enhance safety, accuracy
and performance
To be able to lift and install a 120m high
column weighing 3,000t
In addition to these high level objectives, R&D’s designs
focused on a number of innovations which would ensure
that the AL.SK was not simply a new crane, but a new
type of crane altogether. For example, by developing
a solution that enables the AL.SK to rotate around the
ballast, the designers were able to provide a high capacity
and improve outreach. Unique honeycomb mats that
distribute load laterally and longitudinally with flexible
connections rather than a fixed ring meant that the AL.SK
could operate without a full ring of crane track. This design
also allows for settlement of the ground under the crane,
as the crane is hydraulically self levelling to maintain the
verticality of the boom. And the use of both strand jacks
and winches would create a combination of lifting options
for maximum flexibility currently up to 5,000t capacity.
ALE’s R&D team were also keen to ensure that the AL.SK
would de-rig for easy transportation in ISO 20ft and 40ft
shipping containers, and of course, that it was designed to
the latest and most stringent global safety standards.
After a rigorous programme of testing, the AL.SK190
was launched in 2008 as the world’s largest capacity land
based crane. Its enormous success and popularity led to
a second being built and launched in 2011.
The AL.SK190 – named to reflect the measurement
of the load moment based around the point of
rotation, which is the standard industry convention
for measuring the lifting radius of cranes – has a
lifting capacity of 4,300t, a maximum boom height of
almost 200m, and a load moment of 196,000tm. It has
two big advantages: it can perform lifts previously
unachievable, and it can do this while occupying a
very small footprint of just 35m x 55m.
AL.SK350
Due to the global demand for AL.SK cranes and the
requirement for even greater capacity the AL.SK350,
launched in 2013, has now taken its place as the
largest capacity land based crane in the world by
some distance. With a lifting capacity of 5,000t and a
load moment of 354,000tm, this crane will enable the
development of new and groundbreaking construction
methodologies and save our clients time and money
on the construction site by reducing schedule, risk
and cost.
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Design Advantages
DESIGN ADVANTAGES
SMALL PLOT AREA
The AL.SK’s central ballast design eliminates the need to
install a full ring or crane track. Instead, ALE only needs to
install the section required for the project – as little as 45
degrees – creating valuable onsite access routes for plant
personnel and vehicles. This also means the occupancy of
the lifting area can be reduced by up to 45%.
REDUCED ONSITE
DISRUPTION
The large lifting radius of the AL.SK’s
means the cranes can be fully rigged
and operated off-plot, with fewer lifting
positions, resulting in less ground
preparation work. This allows normal
operations to continue onsite while
critical pieces are installed, minimising
disruption and saving clients schedule
time and costs.
Due to their enhanced design, the AL.SK’s are capable
of working at higher wind speeds compared to
crawler cranes or ring cranes resulting in significantly
less down time onsite.
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Design Advantages
HIGH CAPACITY &
HIGH SPEED LIFTING
The unique combination of winches up to 4,000t lifting
capacity (including the option for a 600t quick winch for
smaller lifts) and strand jacks up to 5,000t lifting capacity
means both small and ultra-heavy items can be
lifted efficiently.
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VARIABLE BALLAST
RADIUS
Due to the unique design of the ballast
being central to the cranes’ rotation, our
engineering team can vary the ballast
radius to suite the lift and site conditions.
This can offer benefits of increasing lift
capacity by 100% or reducing the crane
footprint by 75%. It also increases the
outreach exponentially compared to fixed
ring cranes.
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Design Advantages
BOOM ‘FAILSAFE’
TOPPING SYSTEM
The Boom Topping System comprises of a hydraulically
operated chain clamping system that is mechanically locked
during operation as an additional safety system.
SIMPLIFIED LOGISTICS
& ASSEMBLY
The mobilisation and assembly period
is kept to a minimum thanks to the
containerised design and fast-assembly
features such as hydraulic pins and
couplings. This means our specialised
team can assemble the crane in only
four weeks and using crawler cranes
with a maximum capacity of 400t.
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13
Operational Advantages
OPERATIONAL
ADVANTAGES
ASSEMBLY
The AL.SK crane features unique hydraulic pin
connections. These improve safety and save time
when assembling the crane. Furthermore, this design
reduces the wear of pins during service, again
enhancing safety and reliability.
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EVEN GROUND
LOAD DISTRIBUTION
The unique honeycomb design of the
load spreading mats means that the load
is evenly distributed over the whole area
of the mat surface.
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Operational Advantages
GROUNDING BEARING PRESSURES
Utilising specialist load-spreading and hydraulic systems
beneath the AL.SK crane, ground bearing pressures are
kept to a minimum. For AL.SK350, maximum ground
bearing pressures are 20.4t/m2 beneath the 4,000t
ballast system.
The average ground bearing pressure beneath mast foot during medium
range use is around 25t/m2. The actual ground bearing pressures are
dependent upon load case and configuration.
BALLAST
AL.SK cranes utilise locally available
ballast material. This is intended to be
readily available material depending
upon location, for example sand, gravel
or other suitable weights or mass.
Special reinforced 40’ open-topped containers are
used for the ballast material, filled by standard
mechanical shovel. Weight of each filled container is
100t, requiring around 4,000t of local ballast
(2,800m³ sand).
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Operational Advantages
TAILING CRANE LOCATION
Due to the high capacity of the AL.SK cranes, it is usually
feasible to lift a large petrochemical column with the
column head fiurthermost from the AL.SK crane and to
boom back during tailing to the vertical.
STEERING WINCHES
Steering winches, which are fitted to
the backmast, can be used to prevent
the load rotating on the hook during
lifting operations and avoids the use of
tag lines.
This means that the tailing crane can be located close to the boom foot/base
of the AL.SK, which avoids the tailing crane being positioned ‘on plot’ or in a
location that may require additional ground preparation.
Steering winch
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Operational Advantages
FASTER ONSITE
RELOCATION
The AL.SK’s can be relocated onsite using
either by skidding using existing crane track or
SPMTs. This means the most suitable method
can be chosen depending on the individual
characteristics of each project site, and the time
and cost implications of de-rigging, relocating
and re-rigging the crane can be considered
and minimised.
GROUND SETTLEMENT
Hydraulic Cylinder
A hydraulic cylinder is positioned in each skid
shoe which can compensate up to 400mm in
stroke, having the crane structure supported
on hydraulic cylinders allows our engineers
to calculate the exact ground-bearing load
underneath the crane at any position, any time
during the project. In the event that settlement
takes place it can jack-up the foot of the mast
to keep the crane structure level to reduce
any side loadings which can occur on un-level
ground; The pressure readings in the hydraulic
cylinders are also used to monitor the loads in
the mast foot and is used as an extra
safety feature.
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Operational Advantages
BOOM ERECTION
During assembly, the main boom is lifted and
erected by the main topping system and back
mast, thus avoiding the use of a large support
crane for this operation.
SLEWING OPERATION
AL.SK cranes are capable of slewing up to
28m per hour under load and up to 50m per
hour without load utilising a special design of
gripper units. They also operate as safety
stop when ground settlement or high wind
forces occur. They can lock the crane in
position or be used to slew the crane back
to a safe position.
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Operational Advantages
OPERATING WIND SPEEDS
The design of the AL.SK crane allows for operational
wind speeds at 20m/s. A typical large crawler crane has
an operational wind speed of circa 9m/s with a boom
over 80 metres. This means the AL.SK crane could have
60% less downtime than a large crawler crane in a high
wind environment, thereby maintaining schedule and
reducing cost risk.
CONTROL SYSTEMS
The AL.SK control systems use the
Siemens Programmable Logic Controllers
(PLC) software, which enables remote
access for analysing, upgrading and
problem solving. This can avoid
downtime with real time access offsite.
Wind Speed
Beaufort
m/s
Km/hr
Operational
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14.4
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Design
8
20
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Survival
12
67
241
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Operational Advantages
MORE ACCURATE SCHEDULING FOR
SHIPYARD APPLICATIONS
A combination of increased capacity and radius means
that the crane can be used as an alternative to floating
cranes and crane barges for lifting modules directly from
quay/barge to vessel hulls. This minimises the offshore
installation process and allows for more accurate
scheduling that doesn’t depend on weather and
tidal conditions.
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WIDER REACH FOR HIGH
CAPACITY LIFTS
With a wider radius, the AL.SK cranes
can lift up to 1000t with a 300m rotation,
providing extended reach to areas
inaccessible to crawler cranes. Due to
this extended reach, clients can achieve
significant reductions in equipment on
site, ground space required and
project schedules.
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SAFETY FEATURES, THE FUTURE & ENGINEERING
SAFETY FEATURES, THE
FUTURE & ENGINEERING
SAFETY FEATURES
The AL.SK cranes have been designed in accordance
with the most stringent safety regulations: the
European DIN and EN standards and the America
AWS codes. In order to achieve accreditation, every
stage was checked, witnessed and approved by globally
recognised independent surveyors. Using these strict
criteria ensures the very highest standards of design
and fabrication.
BACK UP OPERATING SYSTEMS
AL.SK cranes are critical pieces of machinery and so
ALE engineers have built in primary and secondary/
emergency backup systems for crucial elements such
as powerpacks, generators and pumps.
THE FUTURE
push the boundaries of design. With this expertise and
a close working relationship with our clients, we have
a full understanding of the market and develop our
equipment to suit demands for now and the future.
ALE is committed to being proactive to the needs of the
industry: our foundations have not been built on being
an equipment rental only company, we actively develop
solutions to challenges faced by clients and solve them
through innovation.
The AL.SK crane fleet is also being extended – although
our current cranes are the largest capacity to have been
developed since 2008, our commitment to continuous
improvement means our R&D department is already
working on the AL.SK500. This 8,000t capacity crane
– in combination with our 60,000t capacity Mega Jack
system – will break further records in the industry, and
allow the world’s leading offshore fabricators to rethink
their construction methods and develop their own
innovations. In this way, ALE is sparking improvements
across many sectors all over the world.
ENGINEERING &
FEED SUPPORT
Our experience and pedigree in innovative
engineering means we’re well equipped to support
the full process of project development including
early engineering and FEED. ALE has contributed
to many high profile projects at the forefront of
technological innovation. We’re able to adapt – both
in the long term to the industry’s ever-changing
requirements and safety standards and in the short
term as the scope of each project becomes more
defined. We work closely with our clients from
the very earliest stages to establish exactly what’s
required and provide engineering advice, because
working through complex technical and logistical
issues at the beginning helps to eliminate expensive
changes later on.
ALE’s R&D facility continues to focus on improving
current equipment and creating new solutions for the
industry. Having a dedicated development facility gives
our highly skilled engineers a platform from which to
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CASE STUDIES
CASE STUDY
CASE STUDY
NGL4, Ruwais, UAE
Valero Coker Interchange,
Port Arthur, USA
Transportation and erection of seventy
heavy lifts including a deethaniser
column weighing 1,425t, and a
depropaniser column weighing 1,401t,
into a gas plant as part of an expansion
project in Ruwais to incorporate a 4th
NGL train.
ALE received the pieces from heavy
lift vessels and ocean barges at
Mina Zayed port in Abu Dhabi onto
conventional trailers and SPMTs. ALE
jacked the two main columns up 2m
from 1.5 to 3.5m to allow bolsters to be
positioned underneath.
All items were transported across the
port and loaded-out onto the ALE250
and ALE300 barges.
During this phase ALE completed
the ballasting for each barge and
the sea fastenings through detailed
engineering analysis.
In a total of eleven voyages all cargo
was barged to the Ruwais Industrial
Area Harbour where the ro-ro operation
was completed. The two mile route to
site required the 71metre long columns
to negotiate several tight junctions
along route with live facilities either
side.
Using ALE’s 3,000t bolsters during
the transportation of the main
columns enabled potential disruption,
modifications to the road network,
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30
and street furniture removal to be kept
to a minimum. Without the bolsters
major infrastructure modifications
would have been required at
considerable cost, and disruption to
neighbouring facilities.
These bolsters were specifically
designed by ALE to transport the
weights that the AL.SK190 was
designed to lift.
Once the pieces were on site, the
AL.SK190 tailed by the 1,600t capacity
CC8800-1 completed the lifts to install
the two main columns. The CC8800-1
crane was used to lift and install the
items weighing between 250 – 500t,
and the 600t capacity CC2800-1 cranes
were used to lift and install all items
weighing less than 250t.
The main advantage to using the
AL.SK190 on this project was that
the cranes radius allowed the 1,400t
columns to be lifted onto their
foundations from one fixed position;
this particular project required a
77metre outreach to complete the
installations. Another advantage to
using the AL.SK190 was the footprint of
the crane. The base of the crane can be
adapted to use only what is required to
complete the lifts for that project, this
therefore minimises the space required
and allows other construction works in
the lift area to proceed unaffected by
the lift sterilisation areas.
ALE successfully demonstrated the key
benefits of an extended lifting radius
with a series of record-breaking lifts
at an oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas,
USA. Using its AL.SK190 heavy lifting
machine – the first use of this awardwinning crane in North America –
ALE completed a two stage project that
involved lifting 1,338t at 54m outreach.
In the initial phase of the project, the
AL.SK190 was used to exchange coker
drums, removing 6 old drums and
replacing with 6 new drums weighing
up to 471t each. The crane first lifted
a 1,400t derrick structure, which was
positioned on top of the existing coker
drums at a height of 100m, and set it on
the ground. The coker drums were then
exchanged, and the derrick structure
replaced.
The derrick lift performed by the
AL.SK190 was the first time a complete
derrick assembly consisting of triple
drill towers and cutting deck, had been
removed and replaced in a single piece.
The lift required a complex tackle
arrangement with a twelve point pick
up only possible with the AL.SK190
crane. To successfully complete the
project without the need to shut down
the coker the AL.SK190 was rigged
outside the boundaries of the coker pit.
This also enabled the completion of the
project with no permanent equipment
in the refinery having to be dismantled,
and the coke pit wall did not have
to be removed.
In addition to the AL.SK190, ALE
utilised an 850t tailing gantry and sixty
axle lines of SPMT to complete the
HCU installation. ALE also supplied
all of the engineering calculations and
related support.
The 4,300t-capacity AL.SK190, which
won the Innovation and Development
Award for End Users at the 2010 ESTA
Awards of Excellence, has a load
moment of 190,000tm, a 141m main
boom and a 32.1m ballast radius, and
also features a 600t quick winch system
for lifting smaller items quickly.
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CASE STUDIES
CASE STUDY
CASE STUDY
RRE2, Ruwais, UAE
Thai Growth, Map Ta
Phut, Thailand
ALE’s AL.SK190 was required on site at a project within the
Ruwais area, UAE, at a refinery expansion project for a new build
residual fluidised catalytic cracker unit (RFCC).
This project saw a total of ninety-two lifts, including seven
in four separate locations with the AL.SK190. During these
lifts the 1,600t capacity CC8800-1 was used as the tailing
crane for the AL.SK190. The first of the seven pieces included
an 1,100t reactor, a 1,200t main fractionator column, and a
1,900t regenerator.
In addition to serving as the tailing crane the CC8800-1 crane
also completed sixteen lifts independently.
ALE completed a series of lifts as part of
the Thai Growth Project in Map Ta Phut,
Thailand. With weights ranging from
73t up to 813t, twenty-five items were
transported, lifted and installed in just
twenty-two days.
The Thai Growth Project originally
specified a large crawler crane from
three positions, with the lifts taking
place over a three-month period.
However, the AL.SK190’s recordbreaking capabilities reduced this to less
than one month, achieving significant
cost and schedule savings for
the client.
Due to its high outreach capacity,
the AL.SK190 was able to perform all
required lifts from a single location,
avoiding the expense and time
associated with de-rigging, re-rigging
and re-locating. Columns could be lifted
over the new structure, enabling other
structures and pipe racks to be installed
ahead of schedule. The AL.SK190 also
required minimal ground preparation
for the 25t/m2 loading under the mast
foot and 20t/m2 under the ballast.
Key installations included:
• A 85m x 8ø column with a total lift weight of 850t and an installation
radius of 114.4m
• A 75m x 8ø column with a total lift
weight of around 700t, which had an
installation radius of 70.6m
• 50m x 6ø column with a total lift
weight of 250t and an installation
radius of 110m
The project also made use of the
AL.SK190’s unique Quick Winch system.
Depending on reeving, the block speed
goes up to 750m per hour. The winches
are equipped with 2500m of cable each,
which means the fully reeved hook
block can reach the ground with mast
lengths of up to 200m.
The twenty-five items lifted as part of
the project weighed a combined 4,230t.
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CASE STUDIES
CASE STUDY
CASE STUDY
MFC Project, Sadara, KSA
LPG4, Kuwait City, Kuwait
ALE completed one hundred & sixty-one installations at a
chemical plant in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia.
Transportation and Installation of De-ethaniser tower weighing
1,315t was completed at a refinery in Kuwait.
To complete the installations which were to the Mixed Feeder
Cracker (MFC) ALE utilised the AL.SK190, the LR1800 - 800t
capacity - as a tailing crane, and the CC2800-1 600t capacity
crane. The pieces installed ranged from 25 – 1,329t.
Planning for the installation of the tower began almost a year
prior to the operation. The transportation presented the biggest
challenge with route surveys and route modifications required
the tower was then transported by SPMTs. On site the lift
and installation by the AL.SK190 crane took twelve hours to
complete. ALE was selected to complete the lift because of the
AL.SK’s ability to independently install the structure.
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WORLDWIDE HEAVY TRANSPORTATION AND LIFTING