Down under for Ommelift

An Ommelift tracked platform has helped solve an access challenge for a bridge inspection in Australia.

Inspectors in northern New South Wales needed to view the underside of a road bridge spanning a river. They required an access platform that was light enough to lower using a mobile crane, yet also had the ability to drive across – and operate on – uneven and boggy terrain.

The solution was the Ommelift 2750 RXBDJ battery-diesel hybrid crawler-mounted boom. Its compact dimensions and 5050 kg weight meant it could be safely lowered off the bridge using a 20 tonne mobile crane.

Capable of driving, setting up and working on gradients of up to 35%, the Ommelift was able to traverse boggy ground and loose shale, before setting up on the edge of the gravel river bed. The inspectors used large outrigger pads in order to spread the load, ensuring safe set-up and operation.

The 2750 RXBDJ is the largest spider in Omme Lift’s RX range. Its articulated pantograph boom design enables working flush with a vertical wall. It provides a maximum working height of 27.5 m, zero tail swing and maximum outreach of 15.5 m. This working envelope enabled the inspector to access the entire bridge from one set-up position.

The inspection team procured the specialist machine from Monitor Industries Pty Ltd, the official Ommelift dealer in Australia and New Zealand.

Monitor Industries is the exclusive importer, hirer and distributor of specialised aerial access equipment for Australia and New Zealand. It brought the first ever spider lifts into Australia in 1998.