Plain sailing for Clements
4 March 2022
Harnessing wind power invariably crops up in discussions about eco-friendly sources of energy. And it’s a concept with a long and successfully heritage.
Clements Plant & Access Hire of Coventry recently provided equipment to help with the first phase of repair work on a 400-year old Warwickshire landmark in a challenging location.
A Dingli BT24ERT 24m lithium boom lift was hired to local firm Arden Construction to remove the sails from the Chesterton Windmill.
An inspection of the 17th century structure had found that one of the timber sails was showing signs of deterioration. With the machines on site, the decision was taken to remove all four sails and centre stocks.
The requirement was for an access platform with a long telescopic boom and a large 454kg capacity basket to carry two operatives and tools. The Dingli machine’s three-day operating capacity meant that the job could be carried out without the need to recharge.
The boom lift worked in tandem with a 60-ton crane supplied through ABA Crane Hire. The structure, built on raised ground and protected by a retaining wall required the machine to be positioned 10m away. It therefore needed to extend close enough to allow two operatives to complete the work.
The process involved unbolting the wooden sails from the centre stocks. The crane steadied and supported each of the 500kg components as they were carefully removed.
