Cranecorp recently provided vital assets for the upgrading of the WACA’s facilities.
Cranecorp along with BLU electrical services, Caledonia group and All West Engineering were engaged to upgrade the light towers at the WACA stadium.
The replacement of the lighting towers is part of the WACA Ground Improvement Project (WGIP) and saw the iconic lighting towers upgraded with new LED coloured lights, in a massive operation that required the 70 metre high steel headframes to be taken down and transported off site.
The new lights are coloured and able to be coordinated with the colours of Optus Stadium and the Matagarup Bridge for special events.
The light towers were added to the WACA Ground in 1986, standing at around 70m high, each tower supports an average of 136 light fittings.
All headframes were dismantled into three sections, lowered to the ground, then transported to a specialist metal fabrication facility to strengthen and repaint the frames.
The new light luminaires and coloured unibars were then installed in the headframes at ground level at the WACA Ground before being replaced to the top of each tower.
The demolition of one light tower was required to enable the construction of the High-Performance Centre.
These works were to be completed before the start of the 2022-23 cricket season and prior to significant works under the WGIP Main Works contract.
The WGIP is anticipated to create 120 jobs in the construction phase and 250 ongoing jobs when operational.
The WGIP is jointly funded by the Australian Government, Western Australian Government, City of Perth, WA Cricket and Cricket Australia.
The old towers stand at over 70 metres high and posed a number of challenges to the team at Cranecorp.
Cranecorps’ contribution to the renovation was the raising and lowering of the headframes and rotating the headframes onto transportation at site utilising a Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1. The Liebherr LTM 1500 has a lifting capacity of 500t, a maximum boom length of 84m and a lifting radius of 108m.
One of the challenges for Cranecorp was space restrictions around the ground as Business Development Manager David Power explains.
“These lifts had a number of challenges, and these included access to the site and the tight tolerances relating to the location of the cranes. It was difficult to find enough space for the crane set up and the required components on site,” he said.
The Liebherr LTM 1500 was assembled with 63 metres of luffing fly with the help of two assist cranes including a new AT40 Franna and a Grove GMK 3060.
The turnaround time for the project was uniquely challenging as only two lights could be taken down at a time, this meant the project was completed over a six-month period.
“A lift study was created for each individual tower, it showed the exact location of the crane, its configuration and the respective ground bearing pressures.
“Each tower required a different lifting radius and a different configuration for the Liebherr LTM 1500 which posed challenges, it was not a simple set and forget but an ever-evolving project,” Powers said.
Cranecorp purchased additional specialty rigging gear to support the project. The refurbishment was over an extended period of time and although Cranecorp faced a number of challenges along the way including bad weather but the project is now nearing completion at the time of going to press and should be largely complete prior to the cricket season commencing once again.
The project is a key part of the $1.5 billion Perth City Deal, a joint agreement between the three levels of government.
“The upgrade to LED lights is required to ensure the WACA Ground meets ICC light standards and we can continue to host world-class cricket, sporting and entertainment events.”
“It’s an investment that will significantly reduce the running costs of the lights and extend the life of these towers by 25 years,” said WA Cricket CEO, Christina Matthews.
“The WACA Ground is an iconic venue steeped in sporting history, which is why the Government is supporting its redevelopment through the $487 million to the Perth City Deal so that it can be enjoyed for generations to come.
“The new lights will mean the WACA Ground can be lit up in the same colours as the iconic Optus Stadium and Matagarup Bridge, highlighting special events and causes, “ said Minister for Planning Hon Rita Saffioti MLA.
“This is a fantastic project that will allow the WACA Ground to shine in a way it never has before.
“It will help unify it with our other fantastic sporting facilities and icons and ensure that the facility can continue to host world class events into the future,” said Western Australian Minister for Sport and Recreation, Hon. David Templeman MLA.
“The WACA Ground not only brings local communities together, but attracts people from nationwide to come experience what this beautiful city has to offer.
“This is a key example of how the Perth City Deal, a proud partnership of all three levels of government, is delivering the projects Perth needs to grow and thrive – and the new WACA Ground coloured lights fit perfectly with the City of Perth’s new City of Light brand,” Comments attributable to Perth Lord Mayor, Basil Zempilas.
The WACA job was a high profile job in the middle of Perth and clearly demonstrates that Cranecorp is quickly becoming a powerhouse in Western Australia. The business was started in 1997 in the Goldfields by Rick Musarra under the name Goldfields Crane Hire and worked from a single depot in Kalgoorlie. It then expanded into the Northern Goldfields with further depots in both Leonora and Leinster. It continued to expand outside of the Goldfields with depots in the Pilbara, Geraldton and Metro/South West where it now operates under the Cranecorp banner. The acquisition of the Liebherr LTM1500 in 2020 has provided the business with the assets it needs to succesfully support jobs such as the WACA.
Power said “We now have one of the largest and youngest fleets in WA that covers pick and carry cranes ranging from 15 tonne to 40t, rough terrain cranes up to 145t and all terrains up to 500t and we also have access to crawler cranes and heavy lift support equipment through an expanding joint venture with Tutt Bryant.
“Cranecorp is predominantly using Tadano/Demags for slewing cranes with a smaller number of Liebherr and Groves on hand as well. For our pick and carry range we utilise both the Franna and TIDD brands,” Powers said. “The cranes we use are similar to the cranes our competition use however we like to think that the difference that we offer to our customers is the quality of the people that operate our equipment at Cranecorp. This was an essential element in delivering a superior job, both for Blu Electrical and future generations of fans at the WACA for the next 25+ years sitting under the lights in Perth.”