Big lifts needed for seaside redevelopment

Main contractor Allenbuild has lifted two steel transfer trusses, with a total weight of 167t, as part of the £14.5M redevelopment of the Floral Hall Gardens site in Southport.

The large steel sections, fabricated by James Killelea, will form the roof structure for a column-free conference centre, while above they will support the frame of a six-storey hotel.

The largest truss measured 29m x 4m, weighed 94t, comprised four main booms and 22 internal members, and required 3,770 bolts. The second, weighed 73t and consisted of more than 70 individual steel members.

Due to be completed by the end of this year, the Floral Hall development will transform the seafront at Southport. The project includes a casino, conference facilities, a four-star hotel, a new public plaza, as well as new bars and restaurants.