Lifting sections of the world's largest ferris wheel using (unsurprisingly) the world's largest crane - the 5,000 tonne ring crane - there were concerns about the crane's stability so close to the edge of the reclaimed Bluewaters Island.

A 3D FEA model of the ring crane mats and reclaimed island showed predicted settlements and safety factors to be within acceptable limits, allowing the lifting operation to go ahead without costly temporary support measures.

Highlights

• 3D FEA model of ring crane base, mats and reclaimed fill of Bluewaters Island.

• Simulate ring loads for different lifting configurations.

• Provide output of crane settlement, tilt and stability for comparison with allowable values.

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