GGR Group Have Starring Role in Grand Designs Build at Cefn Castell

Lifting specialists GGR Group are the leading provider of UNIC mini cranes and vacuum lifting equipment for hire and sale in the UK. For the past 20 years they have provided cutting edge lifting equipment to the construction industry, helping thousands of contractors complete some of the toughest projects safely and efficiently.

In winter 2013, GGR’s 6 tonne capacity UNIC URW-706 mini crane and an operator were hired to assist with the glazing work on the Cefn Castell project. The project had some challenging aspects and so the contractors turned to GGR to take on the trickiest glazing tasks. GGR’s proven lifting expertise was vital in order to prevent delays and meet the tight project deadlines.

“Architects and contractors are no longer restricted by the way a building is constructed, glazed, refurbished or maintained thanks to the ground-breaking equipment we’ve brought to the UK over the years” comments GGR’s Managing Director Gill Riley, who recently won European Rental Person of the Year.

Access into, or around, buildings has always been a major obstacle for many contractors who need a quicker, more powerful method of lifting compared to traditional gantry and pulley systems. GGR’s fleet of UNIC mini cranes are the ideal solution—they’re lightweight, compact and can lift up to 10 tonnes to undertake lifting tasks inside and on top of buildings, or wherever space and access are restricted.

The equipment used at Cefn Castell needed to be compact enough to access the site via a track that passed underneath a 3.6m high railway bridge, and as lightweight as possible to prevent weakening of the cliff top. The URW-706 is one of the most powerful mini cranes on the market, boasting 6 tonnes of lifting power; with its compact dimensions and weighing in at just 7.9 tonnes this mini crane was the perfect choice for the project.

Building in such an exposed location meant that the structure needed to be extremely robust to weather the 100 mph winds; triple glazed, reinforced insulated glass was used to protect against the punishing elements. The mini crane spent two days on site installing the glass to two levels, using a 750kg capacity, dual circuit DSZ2 glass vacuum lifter to lift 3.6 metre tall glazed units weighing up to 500kg each, and a multi-functional Glassmax hoist to install roof lights.

“Our equipment has helped glaze and construct some of the most prestigious and challenging projects in the UK, including a number of Grand Designs projects, and iconic residential developments such as the Wentworth Estate, Chelsea Harbour and the Beetham Tower, through to larger, more high-profile projects such as the London Olympics Aquatic centre, The Shard, The Strata ‘Razor’ Tower and, more recently, London’s Crossrail stations” adds Gill. “We are very happy to have been able to help this unique and challenging build to run smoothly. The finished result is truly impressive. Contractors feel reassured that when they use our equipment or our full contract lift service, their project is in the safest hands”.

With hire depots in Long Crendon, Manchester and Glasgow, GGR has been a catalyst for improving lifting safety standards in the construction industry since 1995 and has recently won Hire Company of the Year at the Hire Awards of Excellence.

Hire equipment & services:

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• Hire depots in Long Crendon, Manchester, Glasgow