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Inside a 1,000-tonne bridge lift
09/09/2026
Inside a 1,000-tonne bridge lift
What does it take to rig a 1,000-tonne bridge lift? In this episode of the Cranes and Lifting Podcast, host Daniel Dick Cruz is joined by Dynamic Rigging Hire Managing Director Ross Johnson and Cranes and Lifting Editor Simon Gould to discuss one of the biggest lifting operations recently carried out in Victoria. The lift involved 12 spliced steel girders forming a bridge 100 metres long and 16 metres wide, with a total weight of more than 1,000 tonnes. Ross takes us behind the scenes of the operation, from the early planning and sourcing of specialised equipment through to the final delivery of the rigging gear. The conversation covers: • Two 700-tonne lattice spreader beams • 400-tonne adjustable link plates • Shackles with working load limits of up to 500 tonnes • High-performance lifting slings up to 400 tonnes • The manufacturing and testing required for the equipment • How Australian suppliers helped deliver the specialised gear • The pressure of getting everything ready for the lift • How rigging equipment is inspected between major lifts • The importance of traceability and reputable lifting equipment • What happens to the equipment after a major project • Why cranes and rigging equipment continue to get bigger Ross also discusses the growth of Dynamic Rigging Hire, the changing requirements of Australia's heavy-lift sector and where the industry could be heading as crane capacities continue to increase. If you work in cranes, rigging, heavy lifting or construction, this is a conversation worth hearing. Listen now and hear what goes on behind the hook and the load.
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