When R&F Tissue Mill needed to construct a new boiler house and install a coal-fired 14-tonne steaming boiler, the project combined steel structure erection with a technically demanding 50-tonne boiler installation — under significant space and access constraints. Here is how Reef Rigging planned and executed this multi-phase project.
Project Scope: Steel Framework Erection and Boiler Installation
The project required Reef Rigging to erect the structural steel framework for the new boiler house — deliberately leaving a section of the structure open to allow the new boiler to be craned into position — and then to install the coal-fired 14-tonne steaming boiler on its foundation plinths. The new boiler had a 50-tonne installed weight and required positioning on 560mm-high concrete plinths inside the new building.
Key Challenges: Access, Ground Constraints, and a High Concrete Plinth
Three interconnected challenges shaped the project planning:
- Restricted access for the abnormal load transporter — the low-bed trailer carrying the boiler was 3.5 m wide (abnormally wide), and the on-site access routes were severely constrained by ongoing building construction works.
- High concrete plinth — positioning the 50-tonne boiler onto 560mm-high concrete plinths introduced a significant height transfer challenge, as the boiler had to be raised from the trailer deck to the plinth level under controlled conditions.
- No crane access in the final position — space constraints meant the boiler could not be directly craned onto its final resting plinths. A different approach was required for the final positioning stage.
How Reef Rigging Solved the Positioning Challenge
The team developed a two-phase installation approach. In phase one, the 50-tonne boiler was hand-rigged off the low-bed transporter using a combination of chain blocks and hydraulic jacking equipment, then moved towards the boiler house on railway lines using a specialist jack-and-slide hydraulic pack with ram cylinders. This technique — which avoids the need for a crane in the final positioning phase — allowed the boiler to be moved with precision across the constrained site and into the building footprint. In phase two, the boiler was raised onto the 560mm concrete plinths using hydraulic jacking and correctly positioned for its final connections.
Project Outcome
The structural steel framework was erected in the planned sequence, with the opening maintained for boiler installation. The boiler was successfully installed on its foundation plinths using the hydraulic sliding and jacking approach, without requiring crane access in the final positioning phase. The project demonstrates Reef Rigging’s ability to combine steel erection expertise with innovative heavy equipment positioning solutions on sites where standard crane access is not possible.
Steel erection services and boiler installation services are core offerings of Reef Rigging. Contact the team to discuss a similar project.
Frequently Asked Questions: Steel Erection and Boiler Installation
What is a jack-and-slide system and how is it used for heavy equipment positioning?
A jack-and-slide system uses hydraulic cylinders to push a heavy load along a set of steel rails or skid beams. The load is first raised onto the rails using hydraulic jacking, then pushed laterally using the hydraulic rams in precise, controlled increments. This technique is used when crane access to the final equipment position is not available, or when the load is too heavy or the positioning too precise for standard crane operations. It is commonly used for boiler installations, large vessel positioning, and heavy press installations in confined plant rooms.
Why is the steel erection sequence important for buildings that need to receive heavy equipment?
When a building is being constructed to house heavy equipment, the erection sequence must leave a clear access path for equipment installation. This typically means deliberately leaving a section of the roof, wall, or structure open until the equipment has been craned or moved into position, then completing the structure around it. Failing to plan this sequence correctly can result in the completed building being inaccessible for the equipment it was designed to house — requiring expensive structural modification after the fact.