When John Holland began delivering the new Toowoomba Hospital, the scale of the structural works demanded a lifting partner with both capacity and planning depth.
Universal Cranes was engaged to execute one of the project’s most critical scopes – the installation of six volumetric precast stair cores, each weighing around 90 tonnes. With a strong background in heavy lifting, a focus on safety, a large crawler crane fleet and in-house engineering capability, the company brought the kind of experience and expertise suited to lifts of this scale and complexity.
For Queensland Health, the hospital is a major piece of health infrastructure for the Darling Downs region in Queensland. As managing contractor for the design and construction of the new facility, John Holland is delivering a hospital that will feature 538 overnight beds, including 118 new beds, a cardiac hybrid theatre, additional dialysis chairs and an expanded emergency department.
Scott Paton, Project Engineer at John Holland, is a part of the team responsible for delivering the structure of the main hospital building. His role covers planning, programming and construction design, along with subcontractor management, quality and cost control.
“The project adopted a volumetric precast concrete solution for the six main stair cores,” Scott said. “Each core was a 4.2-metre-high box, stacked and coupled together using the Aptus concrete connection system and fabricated locally in Toowoomba by Novus Precast Solutions.”
Each box weighed approximately 90 tonnes. With deductibles factored in, the total lifted weight exceeded 100 tonnes. In total, 51 major lifts were required to complete the six stair cores.
A 600-tonne solution at 45 metres
Universal Cranes deployed its 600-tonne Demag CC2800-1 crawler crane for four of the six stair cores. The lifts were typically completed at a radius of around 45 metres, using the superlift counterweight tray to achieve the required capacity. Patrick Silver, Project and Heavy Lift Manager at Universal Cranes, said the configuration was substantial.
“We ran 78 metres of main boom with a 30-metre back mast,” Patrick said. “There was 180 tonnes of counterweight on the crane and 300 tonnes in the superlift tray. At that radius, we were lifting close to the crane’s upper working range.”
Each stair core consisted of nine stacked modules, with the highest core having 11 modules stacked atop each other. Universal Cranes initially installed the lower four units for each core, then worked around the site perimeter before returning to complete the full height. This meant multiple crane relocations across a constrained site built on the side of a hill.
“The lift itself was significant, but the bigger challenge was the logistics,” Patrick said. “We had to relocate the crane several times. On a couple of occasions, we completely disassembled and reassembled it due to height constraints and restricted access.”
The ground conditions and site layout required careful coordination with other construction activities. Wind also played a role. The large precast elements were susceptible to gusts, leading to periodic shutdowns. Despite this, the lifting program was completed to schedule.
“When we were able to work, we made up time,” Patrick said. “In the end, we were a little faster than programmed on installation, which helped offset weather delays.”
Engineering effort behind the scenes
Behind the physical lifts was a significant amount of engineering. Nicolas Navarrete, Engineering and Growth Manager at Universal Cranes, said more than 200 hours of engineering went into the project.
“Each stair core required an individual engineered lift study, with variations in boom length, rigging arrangements, and the use of specialised lifting equipment such as the RoboRigger,” Nicolas said.
Working with a Tier 1 contractor meant that every lift plan had to be prepared well in advance and formally reviewed. Midway through the project, the scope expanded from half-height installation to full-height cores, requiring a reconfiguration of the 600-tonne crawler.
Scott noted that this level of preparation was critical to maintaining the structural program.
“The stair cores were central to the structural cycle,” Scott said. “By using precast cores instead of traditional in-situ jump form construction, we allowed the suspended slabs to progress without interruption.
He added that Universal Cranes’ planning and lift engineering played a key role.
“Universal Cranes was pivotal in the planning, lift engineering and execution,” Scott said. “They had the right crane for the project conditions and the support fleet required for assembly.”
Bringing in the LTR 11200
For the final two stair cores, site constraints prevented the continued use of the 600-tonne crawler. The upper portion of the site included soil-nailed batters and tighter ground bearing limits.
Universal Cranes mobilised its 1200-tonne Liebherr LTR 11200 telescopic boom crawler crane to complete the remaining lifts.
“The ground bearing pressure was the main driver,” Patrick said. “The LTR sits on outriggers, which allowed us to reduce pressures compared to a traditional crawler track.”
The crane was built in a separate area of the site and then tracked fully rigged into position before deploying its outriggers. This reduced the need for extensive ground preparation and minimised disruption to surrounding works.
“The ability to track the crane fully rigged into a narrow area was a major advantage,” Nicolas said. “You could have found another crane to do the job, but it would have required more space, more preparation and more time.”
“With a conventional all terrain crane, you would have had to completely de-rig and re-rig to move between positions,” Patrick said. “This was a more efficient solution.”
Safety is key
Alongside the engineering and logistics, safety and quality remained a constant focus throughout the project. Universal Cranes is ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Safety and Quality certified. Safety and quality is embedded in every project from planning through to execution. Its systems focus and a safety culture encourages team members to identify and address potential issues early.
Fleet support and execution
The project drew on Universal Cranes’ largest assets. In addition to the 600-tonne and 1200-tonne crawler cranes, the company supplied a 350-tonne mobile crane, a 90-tonne mobile crane, Frannas and other auxiliary equipment to assemble and support the major cranes.
Scott described the overall experience as positive.
“From the operators and riggers through to the lift engineers and heavy lift managers, Universal Cranes was an absolute pleasure to deal with,” he said. “Nothing was too much trouble. They were flexible and ready to adapt to the challenging environment of building on the Toowoomba Range and delivering an industry-first coupled precast core solution.”
For Universal Cranes, the Toowoomba Hospital project combined engineering depth, high-capacity equipment and coordinated execution under tight site constraints. It also demonstrated how early collaboration and detailed lift planning can influence the broader construction program.
As Scott noted, the stair cores were not just heavy lifts – they were structural milestones that enabled the rest of the hospital to take shape.
