Why modular construction companies are swapping cranes for mobile column lifts

Modular buildings have been revolutionary for the construction industry.

Companies are seeing huge savings in time and costs, as well as big improvements to their safety and efficiency.

But off-site construction comes with its own challenges — especially when it comes to loading and delivery.

Traditional cranes can be costly and time-consuming. They need advanced training and co-ordinated teams, as well as strict safety measures to reduce risks and lift safely.

That’s why more and more factories are switching to a simpler solution: one that’s faster, easier, and more cost-effective.

Here’s how a mobile column lift can help:

 

How does it work?

Mobile column lifts were designed to lift heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

But with a simple adaptor fitted to the lift, they can be used to raise a heavy object with a flat base — including the modular building units used in off-site construction.

Using a rubber-top infill plate to create a flat lifting surface, each mobile column lift can raise up to 5,000kg per column.

And with a maximum configuration of 8 columns working together, you can lift modular buildings up to 40,000kg in total weight.

That covers the basics. But these adapted column lifts aren’t just an alternative — they’re often an improvement over traditional cranes.

Here’s why:

 

Lower investment

No matter what type of crane you use, it’s a significant investment for your factory.

Cranes come with a huge amount of metal and machinery — and an overhead crane needs a serious installation.

That means significant costs upfront, and a longer time before you see a return on your investment.

But with a set of mobile column lifts, you can get the same lifting power at a fraction of the cost of a crane.

(And that’s before you start to think about the costs of maintenance and staff training, which are all higher with a more complex piece of kit.)

 

Saving space

Most cranes are a fixed installation — and they’re not small.

You need to dedicate a portion of your premises to the crane itself. And when the crane isn’t in use, you’re not getting any value out of the space it’s taking up.

But when you lift modular buildings with column lifts, you’ve got a mobile installation that’s never set in stone.

You can change the location along with the layout of your factory, or even store the column lifts out of the way when they’re not in use.

That means more flexibility for your premises and how you use it — and more space in your factory you can put to good use.

 

Speed and simplicity

Cranes can be complex tools — and your teams need extensive training to operate one safely.

They often use a single lifting point, which means modular buildings need to be carefully centred and balanced before they’re loaded onto a delivery truck.

But with a set of column lifts, lifting and loading becomes much easier and faster:

You’ll have at least 4 points of contact to lift any building, creating a stable and balanced lift that doesn’t need the same careful calibration.

It’s also a static lift, rather than a suspended one — without the potential for swinging or sideways movement that can cause safety issues with a crane.

But most important:

It’s simply faster and easier to get your buildings on your trucks.

By lifting the modular building from the edges with a space underneath, your teams can reverse a flatbed truck under the base of the lifted building.

Instead of bringing a weighty building to a stationary truck, you’re bringing a truck to a stationary building.

And the result?

Your teams can quickly load modular buildings for transport and delivery — without the added risks and complications of a crane.

 

Need a simple solution?

We’ve been a leading supplier of mobile column lifts for vehicles for over 40 years.

And with our new adapted column lifts, we’re helping modular construction companies, too.

So if you’re looking for a new way to load modular buildings in your construction company — one that’s faster, simpler, and more cost-effective — start a chat with one of our lifting experts to see exactly what we can do.