Enerpac jacking systems lift 18th-century windmill

Dutch contractor Bresser has deployed Enerpac jacking systems to lift a 250-year-old, 280-tonne hexagonal tower windmill in the Netherlands, as part of flood protection measures.

Still operating as a functional grain mill, the building is one of the last few remaining of its type in the Netherlands. Situated near Waardenburg Castle in the municipality of West Betuwe, the 14 m-high structure needed to be raised 800 mm following a recent dyke reinforcement project along the nearby River Waal – with the prospect of wind flow to the mill’s sails being blocked.

Bresser initially excavated the soil 1.6 m beneath the mill, with 18 new foundation piles installed around which a new reinforced concrete ring beam was poured to distribute the forces from the mill evenly. To jack-up the windmill, Bresser used a climbing jack method involving 12 double acting, 50-tonne capacity Enerpac cylinders positioned on the reinforced concrete ring beam and controlled by an Enerpac EVO system to provide synchronised lifting and load management.

Precise, synchronous cylinder stroke control provided by the Enerpac EVO system, ensured the windmill remained at its exact original angle, preventing structural stress and disruption to the mill’s internal machinery.

This story was originally published by Project Cargo Journal. Read the full story at Project Cargo Journal →