23 June 2026
Tutt Bryant Group, Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift

Inside Australia’s Complex 100m Bridge Lift

Tutt Bryant 100m North East Link Mega Lift

When it comes to complex infrastructure projects, precision, planning, and teamwork make all the difference. Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift (TBHLS) successfully delivered one of Australia’s most complex bridge installations – successfully lifting, transporting, and placing a fully assembled 100-metre bridge span over a single weekend closure.

A Lift Defined by Scale

The bridge span stood out as a truly demanding feat of engineering:

100 metres long
16 metres wide
Over 1080 tonnes, including rigging

Constructed from 12 spliced steel girders, the entire structure was assembled adjacent to a live freeway – before being transported and installed within a tight weekend shutdown window.

Solving the Engineering Challenge

The complexity of this project extended well beyond the lift itself. The TBHLS team developed a fully integrated solution that accounted for:

Lifting, tracking, slewing, and precise placement
Limited working space next to live traffic
Strict time constraints tied to a full freeway closure
Seamless coordination of transport and crane operations

Central to the operation was the use of Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs). TBHLS deployed a 48-axle line configuration to safely move the assembled span from the build area into position – one of the most critical and complex stages of the project.

New Capability, Built In-House

Supporting this move was a newly expanded capability within Tutt Bryant:

A range of heavy-duty support beams and stools, purpose-designed to interface between the SPMT deck and the bridge structure.
Engineered by TBHLS in-house team, this bespoke solution ensured loads were safely distributed across the transport system throughout the move.
Having the full engineering, transport, and lifting capability under one roof enabled a seamless, coordinated approach – critical to delivering within the narrow weekend timeframe.

Precision in Motion

The final lift utilised two SANY SCC8000A 800T crawler cranes in a dual pick-and-carry configuration.

Each crane operated in close coordination:

Controlled lifting at varying radius
Simultaneous luffing adjustments
Coordinated forward and backward travel
Precise slewing to final position

Each SANY featured 48 metres of main boom, plus full 350 tonnes superlift. Crane One lift at a radius of 15.5 metres, then luffed down to 16.25 metres before travelling about 15 metres forward before placement of the load. Simultaneously, Crane Two lifted at 17.75 metres, luffed up to 16.5 metres and travelled about 15 metres backwards. Both cranes were required to stop and slew to adjust the span position along the travel path.

TBHLS personnel involved in the lift and shift were Ben Neilson – SPMT Project Manager, Carl Rigby – Project Manager, and Matthew Fussell – Victoria State Manager, along with crane technicians, operators and riggers.

Behind the Equipment: A Powerful Fleet

The SANY SCC8000A cranes brought significant capability to the project, including:

Cummins QSX15 engine
A maximum lifting moment of 12,016 tonne-metres
Advanced safety systems, including fully automated load moment indicators, boom angle limit and closed-circuit monitoring
Flexible boom configuration to suit complex lift requirements

Combined with high-performance rigging supplied by Dynamic Rigging – including two 700 tonne Maxirig lattice spreader beams, shackles, and high-modulus polyethylene (HPME) slings from United Sling Co. Western Australia.

Collaboration at Its Best

This lift brought together the expertise of:

Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift (TBHLS) heavy lifting and engineering teams
Skilled crane operators and riggers
Specialist partners including Dynamic Rigging and United Sling

The collaboration between all parties ensured every detail was executed safely, efficiently, and to the highest standard.

Raising the Bar for Complex Lifts

This project showcases what’s possible when engineering innovation, heavy lifting capability, and operational experience come together. For Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift, this is another example of delivering complex infrastructure solutions with precision, safety, and confidence.

With the clock ticking, TBHLS successfully lifted and placed the bridge span, demobilised equipment, and cleared the carriageway – all within the weekend closure, ready for traffic to resume on Monday morning.

Learn more about Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift capabilities.

Click here to watch the footage.