Moving the ground tile — Part 2

Once the tile is lifted, it needs to be carefully driven across to the final storage location. This was done by simply driving the lorry with the HIAB (vehicle-mounted crane) over the final location. This was very risky for the tile. The lorry does not have extra-soft suspension and there is no shock-absorbency in the lifting rig. The move was complicated by the (comparatively) rugged terrain and the fact that the breeze was stiffening.

Still, we managed to move it without losing any components and then set it down onto a prepared pallet which would act as a storage base.

The HBA tile touches down on its storage location.

At this point, the tile remains very fragile, so it needs to be secured right away. A tarpaulin was quickly placed over the tile to contain the parts and provide the inner layer of protection. Then a timber frame was put in place to provide structural stability.

Shoring timber is applied to support the tile.

Once that has been done, then the external covers are applied and the system pegged down. The lids are stacked alongside and are also covered and secured.

Nearing completion. Additional covers are applied and tile lids are stored.

Some additional clearing and securing was then done and now the tile is in a safe state to endure until possible requirement during the main HBA build, or even perhaps the future expansion of the KAIRA system.


Photos: D. McKay-Bukowski