Britlift provides modular spreader for Royal Research Ship

A modular spreader beam is proving a success for Britain’s foremost scientific research vessel.

The Royal Research Ship (RRS) Sir David Attenborough is one of the most advanced polar research vessels in the world. Operated by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), this multidisciplinary research platform is transforming how ship-borne science is conducted in the polar regions.

It provides scientists with state-of-the-art facilities to research the oceans, seafloor, ice and atmosphere. The £200m vessel became famous even before it was built, after the public voted to name one of its remotely operated vehicles Boaty McBoatFace in a poll – a name that was overturned in favour of the greater gravitas of Sir David Attenborough.

The ship operates year-round, spending the northern summer in Arctic. During the southern hemisphere summer, it is based in Antarctica where its duties include bringing people, equipment and supplies to BAS research stations. The 129m long vessel has a 50t crane for loading and unloading good and equipment, which can include vehicles and plant equipment in excess of 30t.

“When lifting vehicles with the crane, we need to lift from four points to ensure stability,” said Andrew Webb, technical superintendent for British Antarctic Survey. “We use spreader beams to spread the load and ensure we can connect to the right points on the vehicle to lift it safely.

“We can be lifting quite heavy plant equipment like loading shovels or dozers. We purchased a new loading shovel that was one the biggest and heaviest vehicles we’ve ever bought and was too heavy for our existing beam.

“We decided to invest in a modular beam as it enables us to easily change the length depending on what we’re lifting. It is very quick and easy to add or remove sections, making it versatile and user-friendly for lifting lots of our vehicles and equipment.”

Britlift supplied the modular spreader beam, which is now in use aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough. Britlift’s Traditional Modular spreader beam is one of the company’s best-selling products, as it is available in a variety of standard sizes to suit most applications.

“On any ship, space is at a premium,” added Andrew. “Having a modular system rather than a set of lifting beams is an obvious advantage. And the real beauty of this modular spreader is that it is very easy to store as it breaks down into 1m sections.”

Based in Dorset, UK, Britlift works with a global client base, providing an end-to-end lifting equipment engineering design service including calculations, design, manufacture, certification, and rig design. The qualified mechanical and structural engineers at Britlift work with the client during the design phase, ensuring the most efficient, effective, safe and suitable solution is engineered, be that a lifting beam or frame, a bespoke handling or lifting tool, complex rig design, or FEA.