Johnson Arabia has completed the installation of 18 precast concrete girders as part of the UAE’s highway bridge expansion project on the E75 road between Al Faya and Saih Shuaib in the country.
The lifting operation involved individual girder loads of up to 62 tonnes, with each beam required to be installed at a height of approximately 10 metres and an 18-metre working radius. The work was further complicated by the location of the crane beside the E22, the main road connecting Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, while the girders were being installed on the elevated E75 roadway above.
Meticulous crane selection
Johnson Arabia was appointed as the lifting contractor and selected a 400-tonne Liebherr LR 1400 crawler crane for the operation. The selection followed an engineering assessment of the loads, working radius, site constraints and restricted operating schedule.
“Precise crane selection and lift sequencing were essential to safely delivering the operation within the site and time constraints. The crane had to be positioned next to the main road to perform lifts for the expansion of another road bridge above it,” said Sreethu Thulaseedharan, Engineering Manager at Johnson Arabia.
Before lifting began, Johnson Arabia carried out several site visits and coordination meetings with the contractors and road authorities. These were used to establish the lifting plan, crane positioning, equipment requirements, access arrangements and sequence of lifts.
The project schedule also had to be aligned with limited nighttime road closures. The crane’s position beside the E22 required detailed planning to ensure that the required lifting capacity, height and radius could be achieved without interfering with the surrounding road network.
Ground preparation and crane positioning were particularly important because the lifting base was on the lower E22 roadway, while the installation work was taking place on the E75 bridge structure above. The arrangement required the crawler crane to operate within defined parameters while placing the heavy precast elements accurately onto the bridge.
With the operation taking place beside a major transport route, risk controls were incorporated into the planning and execution process. Coordination between Johnson Arabia, the contractors and road authorities was maintained throughout the lifting programme.
The 18 girders were installed over five days. During the first three days, nine beams were lifted and positioned towards the Abu Dhabi side of the project. A further nine were installed over the following two days in the opposite direction towards Al Ain.
Meeting timelines
All lifts were completed within the approved nighttime road-closure periods, allowing the E75 installation programme to progress without extending the planned closure windows.
“The operation required detailed preparation because the lifting activity had to be carried out from the E22 while installing structural elements on the E75 above. Coordinating the crane position, lift sequence and road-closure periods was central to completing all 18 girders safely and within the planned timeframe,” Thulaseedharan said.
The project highlights the engineering and logistical requirements involved when heavy lifting forms part of a live road infrastructure programme. In this case, crane selection, site preparation and sequencing had to be considered alongside traffic management and restricted working hours.
The operation demonstrated the importance of matching crane configuration to site geometry, particularly where lifting points are constrained by existing infrastructure and where access for assembly, positioning and demobilisation must be tightly controlled.
The completion of the girder installation provides another example of the specialist lifting requirements associated with UAE road and bridge construction, where large precast elements often have to be installed within tightly controlled access and closure windows. Johnson Arabia’s involvement covered the planning and execution of the lifting operation, from initial site assessments and coordination through to final girder placement.
