22 Bishopsgate team completes highest generator lift in the northern hemisphere

5/8/19 : Dan Mills is project manager at the 278m 22 Bishopsgate project. Here he introduced one of the greatest technical lift challenges our business has ever addressed – the safe installation, ahead of programme, of what are thought to be the highest generators in the northern hemisphere.

This is the tallest building in the City, and it’s just a matter of metres below airspace. So with a generator room up at Level 57 and the full range of safety, technical, logistic and meteorological issues to factor in accurately, this is an exceptional challenge.

During the month, we have lifted 7 Attenuators, 6 Silencers, LV Main Switch Gear & Sub LV Boards (in 12 sections) the HV Generator Switch board (in 15 sections), Fuel Pipe drum, Fuel Day tanks and all culminating at the end of the month in the lifting of 6 Generators weighing 16 tonnes each from the ground to level 57.

The sequencing of deliveries has been very carefully managed to suit the installation and take into account weather conditions. We’ve worked with our specialist lifting partners, developed complete lifting plans and safety risk and method statements and worked those through with our principal contractor partners Multiplex and all other parties. It has been a major job and this is the highest series of generator lifts we have ever undertaken, with my team including Construction Manager Dean Edwards, Supervisor Craig Murdock and Logistics Manager Terry Mckean.

We are very pleased to have successfully completed this part of the programme and to have created a new record for our business. This kind of work gives the whole team an extra sense of achievement in delivering with our partners and clients. This really is engineering at the highest level.