Case Studies

Broadweigh load monitoring technology has helped RISE Pacific bring real-time lifting data into a major water infrastructure project in Sydney, demonstrating how entertainment rigging expertise can be applied to highly complex industrial environments.

RISE Pacific’s background lies in entertainment rigging, where complex lifting, suspended loads and temporary structures are part of everyday working life. It was through this sector that the company was first introduced to Broadweigh — a wireless load monitoring system widely used across live events, theatre and entertainment.

But as RISE Pacific has grown, the company has found new ways to apply the technology outside its original setting. One recent project, involving the removal of a century-old suction manifold from Sydney’s water infrastructure, showed how valuable real-time load data can be in environments where the stakes are high and the lift is anything but straightforward.

BACKGROUND

West Ryde PMP-09, is a pumping station within Sydney’s clean-water network. RISE Pacific was tasked with removing a large suction manifold connected to two mains pipes, with valves positioned above each.

Clancy Simpson of RISE Pacific explains: “The pipework was around 100 years old and we suspect it was probably made in situ. We had to get it out in one piece because it was being used to fabricate the new one. If you cut it up, or you get one axis wrong, the new pipe doesn’t go back together properly. The fabricators needed the original as a template so the flanges would match and the replacement would miss the surrounding concrete and pipework.”

The work took place one level underground, where the mains entered the pumping station. It required around a month of planning, followed by a week of set-up and preparation on site. The main lift was completed overnight within a controlled shutdown window.

“The mains were shut at about 4pm and by 1.10am we had the pipe out and they could start repressurising the system,” says Clancy. “It was around 12 hours all in all, but it had to be done around the peak flow times. They had filled up the reservoirs around the area so the water towers could support the flow while the mains were isolated.”

THE CHALLENGE

Although the manifold weighed approximately 2.541 tonnes, the weight itself was not the main challenge. The difficulty lay in the way the pipe had to be manipulated through the space.

With a gap of only around 1.5 metres, with extremely tight clearances around the existing infrastructure, it was not a simple vertical lift. Clancy says: “The first challenge was: can we actually get it out? We modelled the different concepts and, thanks to the 3D model, we could work out the phases of the lift that had to occur. But when you get to the actual phase, and you’re twisting and rotating the pipe, it’s very challenging to plan for that in your head.”

He continued: “It wasn’t as simple as knowing the total weight. You can achieve a lot by knowing the load, but when you’re trying to manipulate and move it, the question becomes: what is the distribution? What’s on each rigging trolley? How is that changing in real time?”

The age of the infrastructure created a further challenge. The manifold had to be separated from the valves without transferring excessive force into the surrounding pipework.

“Clancy added: “The fitters undid the bolts and drove wedges in to separate the flanges. Because it had been together for so long, there was a lot of friction in the joint. You don’t want to put too much load on the mass of the pipe and end up straining the valve or damaging other infrastructure. Without an accurate way to know the load, you can easily damage something else.”

THE SOLUTION

RISE Pacific used Broadweigh load monitoring to provide real-time visibility of the load throughout the operation.The team deployed seven Broadweigh load cells in total: three on each rigging trolley, plus auxiliary points. This allowed them to monitor the total weight of the manifold and, crucially, the distribution of that weight across the lifting points as the pipe moved. Although the existing gantry crane had a capacity of around 12 tonnes and included load-limiting functions, this alone was not enough for the complexity of the operation.

Using Broadweigh with LOG100 software, RISE Pacific was able to see the load data live on screen. The system displayed both the total load and the percentage distribution across the different lifting points, with the information represented visually as a bar graph.

“The benefit of the software was that we could calculate it in real time,” says Clancy. “We had the total weight and the three rigging trolleys, but we were also getting a lot more feedback visually. We could see the percentage distribution and understand how that impacted the rest of the lift.”

Alarm thresholds were also built into the system, giving the team immediate alerts if any agreed parameters were reached during the operation. This allowed the team to work within defined limits and respond quickly if the load moved outside the expected range.

For RISE Pacific, using Broadweigh has become standard practice on complex lifting projects. However, in the water and infrastructure sectors, the approach remains relatively unusual.

“We started using Broadweigh because we were in the entertainment industry and that’s where we were exposed to it,” Clancy says. “But as our company has grown and developed, we’ve taken Broadweigh and applied it to other problems. It’s not used traditionally in this industry, so in these cases it’s really novel. For us, it’s standard. We wouldn’t do a job like this without the technology.”

THE RESULTS

The suction manifold was successfully removed in one piece, within the planned shutdown window and without damage to the surrounding infrastructure.

For RISE Pacific, the key benefit was the ability to make decisions based on real-time information rather than assumption. Clancy says: “The key thing we utilised was being able to visualise the actual lift case as well as the distribution of the load. The carry forward is: how does that impact the rest of the lift? What other parameters are we working with? Broadweigh gave us that information in real time.”

The project was later presented at a safety summit for the water sector, attended by project managers, safety engineers, safety personnel and contractors from across Sydney Water, WaterNSW, metro water supply, regional water organisations and major builders.

The response was extremely positive, with attendees impressed by the way RISE Pacific had brought technology from entertainment rigging into a very different safety-critical environment.

“We presented it at a safety summit for the water supplier and government body,” says Clancy. “They saw the way we were bringing technology in and using it differently, and they wanted to share that across the group. People were impressed and entertained by it, but they were also interested in how the same systems and processes could apply to their own work.”

Clancy concludes: “In pursuit of solving the problem, you have to think outside the box. Broadweigh might not be traditionally used in this industry, but it gives you the data you need to understand what is actually happening during the lift. That changes the way you manage the risk.”