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Gantrail India partner Managing Director Raj Bharath retiring after 18 years of service

Raj Bharath Engineering Solutions Pvt Ltd has been the appointed India partner for leading crane rail specialist Gantrail since the late nineties and has been instrumental in the development of this key market over that time.

Now, after 18 years dedicated service and support with Gantrail, Managing Director Raj is taking retirement.

Speaking of the significant contribution that Raj has made to the ongoing success of the Gantrail brand, Managing Director Malcolm Trigg said “It is a sad day for the Gantrail team as Raj takes his retirement. Since I first met Raj, more than 18 years ago, I have had the greatest pleasure in working alongside him as we have secured a wide variety of notable projects throughout India. His contribution has been remarkable and he has become a very highly respected member of our team.

It’s important to note that Raj’s input was instrumental in helping us broaden our sector expertise throughout India, extending beyond port projects. Just taking a snapshot of some of the high profile clients that Raj has helped us secure, we can look back at projects for ISRO, TATA and DP World.”

Trigg continues “Building on the great position that Raj has helped us achieve, we fully intend to continue to build our presence and involvement with key projects throughout India. It just leaves for me to wish him the very best as he takes retirement and on a personal note, I shall very much miss having such a great friend beside me.”

The departure of Raj, sees Jean-Claude Englebert take position as the main contact for the region. If you would like to make contact with Jean-Claude, his details are below:

Jean-Claude Englebert, Area Sales Manager

T: +971 (0) 4 8808079
F: +971 (0) 4 8812936
M:  +971 (55) 1000773
E: jeanclaude.englebert@gantrail.com

A huge congratulations to Amanda Pritchard and Lee Knowles who both celebrated their 10 year anniversary as key members of the Gantrail team

Earlier this month, Managing Director Malcolm Trigg was delighted to be able to mark another long service milestone for two more members of the Gantrail team.
Amanda Pritchard, Sales Secretary and Lee Knowles, Warehouse Operative, both celebrated a decade of service with the company. Both were presented with a gift from the company by way of recognition of their continued support and key roles they play not just in the UK, but as part of the Gantrail operation worldwide.

Commenting Malcolm Trigg said “It really is very important that we continue to recognise the hard work, commitment and loyalty that everyone in our teams deliver, whether in the UK or across our international operation. The knowledge, expertise and team focus that people like Amanda and Lee demonstrate, is critical to the ongoing success of our business. Also, seeing people reach such career milestones also reassures me that Gantrail is a place where people want to work and choose to stay.”

Bexon Crane Rail appointed sole partner for Australia and New Zealand

Managing Director Malcolm Trigg says “We are delighted to formally appoint Bexon Crane Rail as our sole partner for Australia and New Zealand and we are very much looking forward to the opportunities that this refreshed union will bring.”

With operations throughout the world, Gantrail is a global leader in the provision of crane rail design and engineering solutions. Already having a long and well established presence in Australia, the company has now taken further steps to consolidate its position in the region. A recent announcement regarding the formal appointment of a new distributor for the Australia and New Zealand territory demonstrates the commitment to the market and the long term vision that Gantrail sets out for this part of the world.

Managing Director Malcolm Trigg says “We are delighted to formally appoint Bexon Crane Rail as our sole partner for Australia and New Zealand and we are very much looking forward to the opportunities that this refreshed union will bring. Not only will Bexon help us extend our reach into New Zealand, but as the company has been set up by a long standing partner of Gantrail, we have the confidence to know that the Bexon team already holds extensive expertise and insight into our range of products, services and project partnerships. It’s this continuation of expertise and quality that makes Bexon the right partner for us and it very much represents an evolution of our brand proposition in the region.”

Rebecca Lloyd of Bexon adds “I am very excited to be part of the Bexon Crane Rail team working in partnership with Gantrail, as the exclusive representative for Australia and New Zealand. Bexon are extremely motivated to strengthen and build on links with existing Gantrail customers and extend our support and range of services to all clients. The comprehensive Gantrail knowledge and expertise our team have is invaluable. Bexon can apply our capabilities to a range of applications and we are dedicated to providing a positive outcome for all clients. As part of the larger Gantrail Team, Bexon are looking forward to continuing to work closely together, to ensure delivery of quality products and solutions.”

Aqaba Port

Aqaba Port

Project Details

End User

Aqaba Ports Corporation

Operator

Aqaba Port Authority

Contractor

MAG Engineering & Contracting Co

Loads

2000 tonne container cranes

Key Benefits

Close liaison with contractor and consultant meant potential for problems over design were avoided.

The presence of an experienced Gantrail Supervisor on site ensured a timely completion of the installation was achieved.

The establishment of a positive working relationship with our customer and the consultant provided for a successful project.

Aqaba is strategically important to Jordan as it is the country’s only seaport. The container port needed to be expanded to cope with a significant growth in traffic. The overall plan was to extend the berth to increase the number of vessels able to be docked at a time. It was also decided to introduce large cranes that will be able to load and unload larger vessels.

As the new cranes were significantly heavier than the existing cranes it would be necessary to install a larger crane rail on the existing quay. There was also the challenge of accommodating a wider span on the new cranes so a new beam was to be installed by MAG Engineering. This beam will support a new crane rail, landside of the existing rails to allow for the wider span of the new crane. MAG Engineering placed a subcontract with Gantrail for the supply of the rails and fixings system for this new rail which included 396 metres of A120 together with Gantrail 9220/20 Rail Clips, 396 metres of Gantrail MKVII rail Pad, all supporting soleplates bolt pockets, anchor bolts, grout and welding materials etc. Also included in the order was provision for Supervision by experienced Gantrail Site personnel.

AIMS

One of the main aims was to minimise disruption of the operations of this important port. To achieve this the civil work was carried out in stages along the quay. Later the Crane Rail was installed in one continuous phase.

TIMESCALE

The timescale for this project was quite tight. Gantrail worked with MAG Engineering and the Consultants Cullen Grummit and Roe to complete the design phase and afterwards worked with both parties during the civil works to give advice where needed, attending meetings on site. It was necessary to keep to schedules as the arrival of the crane was already planned.

INSTALLATION

Installation of the rails was carried out by MAG Engineering under the supervision of Gantrail who also completed the welding of the rail joints through their own qualified welders using the Aluminothermic Welding Method. Gantrail supplied all the materials for the welding including the equipment.
As mentioned above, the need to complete this work without disrupting the operations of the port was paramount. At one stage serious consideration was given to working in sections but, whilst this was beneficial during the civil work phase, it was agreed that completing the installation of the rail in one continuous phase would be far more efficient. Bringing together a team of very experienced personnel made this possible and all the work was completed on time.

ROI

Extending a quay and installing a new crane requires a major investment by the Port Authority. The Crane Rail System, whilst in value when measured against the overall cost, may seem a very small part, is critical to the whole operation. Employing the services of a specialist company such as Gantrail ensures a smooth transition and can greatly reduce the time on site to complete the installation thus saving a considerable amount of money.

Perth Arena | Opening Roof

Perth Arena Moving Roof

Project Details

End User

Perth Arena Sporting and Entertainment Complex

Operator

Venues West

Contractor

BGC Contractors, Vector Lifting

Loads

2000 tonnes

Key Benefits

Provision of a much needed indoor sports and entertainment complex. The sliding roof has been incorporated to accommodate the Hoffman Cup; a world class tennis event played in Western Australia as a lead into the Australian Open.

Drawing  upon their experience of similar projects around the world, the Gantrail design team supplied technical expertise – 89 kg Railtrack and Gantrail 9220/20 clips to secure two rails each side of the Arena for a sliding roof.

This world class entertainment stadium was designed by Perth company Cameron Chisolm and Nicol and was constructed by BGC Western Australia.

Aims

  • To design and build an Entertainment and Sports Arena complex in the City of Perth Western Australia.
  • It will have a seating capacity of 12,000 people for sporting events and 14,000 for concerts.
  • Incorporate a retractable roof which will give an open air facility for sporting events.
  • Attract world class performers and international sporting events.

Timescale

Design was released in 2007 and went through rigorous engineering consultation regarding the capacity of 89 kg rail, the 9220/20 Gantrail weldable base clips and the MKVII Gantrail reinforced rubber pad due to the excessive winds Perth can generate. With the help of the engineering and design staff at Gantrail this was given the go ahead in 2008 for installation.

Installation

The project consisted of;

The rail was joined using an aluminothermic welding process and installed by Vector Engineering in December 2008.

Outcome

The Perth Arena is scheduled to be open in 2011 giving Perth Western Australia a state of the art, world-class sporting and entertainment Arena.