Chapter London Bridge: Innovation In The Sky
"From March 2024 to Sept 2024, we accomplished an additional 500 hours of lifting operations with the Vita Load Navigator, compared to the previous 6 months without the Vita Load Navigator,” said Mohammed Jaan, Appointed Person, Pro-Lifting UK.
The Chapter London Bridge project, a 39-story student accommodation tower, recently reached completion. The tower’s construction, considered a student community on the skyline, was erected using an innovative High-Rise Solution proposed by Mace.
This method transformed the traditional on-site construction model into an offsite production methodology, significantly reducing the time needed for completion.
The site's small footprint posed several challenges. There was no room for tower cranes or storage space. WOLFFKRAN tower cranes were positioned on a steel cantilever alongside the building, spanning both pitlanes, while WOLFFKRAN's 355b and 630b luffing cranes were utilized on-site. That meant everything had to be delivered just in time and lifted straight up. Additionally, the vicinity of the network rail and St. Thomas Hospital added further complexity.
While the project was being built, WOLFF Onsite hosted a product demonstration and introduced Mo Jaan to the Vita Load Navigator (VLN). Impressed by its capabilities, he recognized that the VLN would be an invaluable asset for his team, especially in tackling challenging spaces and windy environments. This site was an ideal opportunity to test the VLN's full potential and capabilities.
“There was a very small margin of error for lifting loads, and the proximity of the next building created a wind tunnel effect. The VLN enabled us to control our loads with precision, which made it safer and helped us to stay on target by not turning lorries away.”
According to Mohammed Jaan, the VLN's precise load control within the tight workspace contributed to faster, safer, and more efficient installation of materials. On top of the already mentioned challenges, the 2023/2024 storm season in the UK witnessed a record-breaking 12 named storms, the highest number since the initial season in 2015. This unprecedented occurrence alone served as a compelling reason to deploy the VLN—specifically designed to perform optimally even in the most challenging environmental conditions.
Despite the numerous constraints, the team successfully performed over 3,000 lifts using the VLN. The lifted materials included over 403 HRS panels, omnia slabs, twin walls, solid walls, delta beams, bathroom pods, skips, canti decks, and unitized panel stillages.
Impressed by the sheer speed at which every floor plate went up with a 4–5-day turnaround, Mo Jaan added:
“Without the VLN progress would be a lot slower – we would not have been able to install the floors so quickly, it would’ve been harder to control the loads, and the cost of returning loads would have been high.”
Mo Jaan ensured the lifting team was well-trained and confident in using the VLN. He expertly coordinated the lifting while using the device in different configurations, further enhancing the project's safety. When we asked Mo Jaan if the VLN saved the team any time, he said:
“Yes – too many hours to count. We definitely would not have completed as fast as we have.”
The Chapter London Bridge project demonstrates how innovative construction methods and technologies, such as the VLN, can lead to faster, safer, and more efficient completion of complex projects. The success of this project is already inspiring change across the construction industry. We at Vita Industrial, along with our partner Wolff OnSite, are proud to be a part of this exciting project with Mace and Pro-Lifting UK.