In 2002 we were engaged to carry out the conceptual and detailed design of a new modular jacking tower system for the Chinese refinery construction market, to be owned and operated by No 4 Construction Company of Sinopec. The system uses strand jacks for vessel lifting and guying of the tower and was designed with many new features, including:

• Low level assembly using mobile crane and self-erect/dismantle to full height of over 100m
• Tower luffing capability under full load
• Integral base skidding system
• Reduced sensitivity to ground settlement/rotation under load
• All components readily transportable by road between sites

The new system carried out its first lift in early 2003. It was used to erect a 92m long, 763 tonne vessel in a chemical plant on the outskirts of Nanjing, China. (see below).

Tower system operating sequence: