Allelys pushes early FEED planning as UK heavy cargo routes grow more complex

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UK heavy lift and specialist transport company Allelys is putting greater emphasis on Front End Engineering Design, or FEED, as increasingly large project cargoes meet tighter transport and site constraints across British infrastructure projects.

Allelys said early engineering allows transport routes, lifting requirements, temporary works and site restrictions to be assessed before projects move into execution. Its engineering scope includes route surveys, swept path analysis, abnormal load permitting, overbridging design, lift plans, lifting frames and risk assessments.

The approach reflects a practical problem confronting heavy transport contractors. Project cargo is becoming larger and more complex while parts of the UK road network present increasing restrictions. Allelys says Special Order permits generally require at least 10 to 12 weeks, while particularly complex route approvals can take more than a year.

For developers, that makes transport engineering something that may need to influence the design of the project itself rather than being considered once equipment is ready to move.

Allelys operates a dedicated consultancy team working on pre tender and FEED studies, including involvement during site design to assess how large components can ultimately be delivered.

That can mean determining whether bridges can carry a load, whether junctions provide sufficient turning space and whether temporary infrastructure is required. In practical terms, designing a site without considering how a 300 tonne component reaches it can be rather like designing a building before deciding where the doors should go.

Recent operations illustrate the scale involved. Allelys transported and installed a 309.5 tonne turbine, 326.1 tonne generator and 221.8 tonne transformer for Hirwaun Power Station. It also handled the discharge and subsequent road movement of a 150 tonne transformer through the Port of Teignmouth for National Grid infrastructure near Exeter.

The engineering focus comes as Allelys expands its physical lifting capability. In August, the company added an Enerpac SBL1100 hydraulic gantry capable of lifting 1,070 tonnes on four legs and reaching a maximum lifting height of 12 metres. The purchase increased its hydraulic gantry fleet to eight systems.

The combination gives Allelys another option for projects where high lifting capacity is required but available space restricts conventional crane operations.