Bovis Lifts 12t EcoLodgee Huts with Enerpac Cube Jacks at Futuroscope

With two cranes already on site, Futuroscope Poitiers was looking for an alternative method of lifting over 100 newly assembled EcoLodgees visitor lodges onto special trailers for transport to the neighbouring park. Heavy lift transport and logistics company Bovis had the solution: lift the 12t, 10m long huts from underneath using Enerpac cube jacks. This allowed production line assembly of the EcoLodgees to continue uninterrupted using one of the nearby tower cranes.

With over 50 million visitors since its opening, Futuroscope is one of the most popular theme parks in France and the only one of its kind in Europe. It covers 60 hectares of greenery and offers 25 original experiences, including the EcoLodgee cabins. An EcoLodgee hut is an alternative to the park’s hotel, a great accommodation for people who want to discover nature and support ecotourism.

A trailer reverses into position underneath an EcoLodgees lodge held by four Enerpac SCJ-50 cube jacks.

Each EcoLodgee hut is assembled next to the park, resting on integrated legs 800mm above the ground. Bovis had to find a safe method of lifting the huts to the required height of 1700mm. This would then allow special trailers to be used to transport the EcoLodgee into the Futuroscope park.  NGE, a subcontractor to Futuroscope, asked Bovis to lift the huts without the need for another large crane, as a tower crane was already mobilised on site. The solution was to use four compact Enerpac SCJ-50 cubic cylinders and a split flow pump to lift the EcoLodgee huts to the correct height. The operation was successfully completed over several weeks, with four EcoLodgee huts being lifted onto trailers each day.

Enerpac SCJ-50 Cube jacks raise an EcoLodgees lodge for transportation on to the Futuroscope site.

“We had about 100 EcoLodgee huts to lift,” explain Jérôme Lebrequier, Industrial Project Manager and Cédric Nau business manager, Bovis Centre. “The Enerpac cubic jacks proved to be very efficient. They took up very little space on the EcoLodgee production line and only required two engineers to operate, making the whole project very cost-effective. Using the cube jacks has enabled us to eliminate the need for a second crane and also to make our work safer.”

The Enerpac SCJ-50 cube jack uses a basic lifting frame and self-aligning lightweight steel blocks, as well as automatic incremental locking, to provide a stabilised, high-capacity lift. It is a safer, more controlled, more efficient, and environmentally friendly alternative to climbing jacks used with tropical hardwood wedges. The minimum initial lifting height of 558 mm increases flexibility and reduces start-up time for operations.

Featured Title photograph

An EcoLodgees lodge being prepared for transportation showing a nearby tower crane.

Source Enerpac