Kennards Lift & Shift hired out a new hydraulic cassette type torque wrench to ground engineering and construction company, Retaining Specialists to save time on a major repair project at James Fletcher Hospital in Newcastle.

The torque tool saved hours of work during repairs to a storm damaged, heritage listed retaining wall dating back to 1842.

A major storm that hit the city in June 2007 caused widespread damage to property and flooding of homes.

Repairs to the 150-metre long sandstone and brick retaining wall at James Fletcher Hospital were preceded by substantial geotechnical investigations, heritage consultation and detailed design work.

Retaining Specialists secured the structure with 300 anchors, which were driven through the wall and grouted into the ground behind. The nuts securing the anchors were torqued to 9 tonne (2400psi) in the bottom section of the wall, and to 6 tonne (1500psi) in the upper section.

The hydraulic torque wrench from Kennards Lift & Shift delivered excellent results in securing and calibrating the required tension, according to Retaining Specialists operations manager Kim Dellosta.

He explains that a hollow core jack would have achieved the same result, but would have involved slow and tedious work. On the other hand, the 240V torque wrench was not only easy to operate but also allowed them to complete up to 15 anchors an hour, instead of two or three the conventional way.

The hydraulic torque wrenches from Kennards Lift & Shift wrench are fully tested and certified, which is an advantage for contracting companies.

The cassette model is more compact than the standard square drive torque wrenches, which are also hired out by Kennards Lift & Shift. The torque wrench does not involve the use of bulky sockets, instead operating via a link that is altered to the size bolt in the application, which is particularly effective in tight access areas.

Retaining Specialists had previously used the wrench on a project in Melbourne, and were aware of the benefits. Hiring the tool is a much more economical option than buying it.

Kennards Lift & Shift operates equipment hire centres in Brisbane, Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

Architecture & Design Team

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Kennards Hire Lift & Shift

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