Nuclear Infrastructure · Novarka
A 15,500-tonne arch elevated in three synchronized lifting stages using 56 strand jacks engineered specifically for one of the world's most complex nuclear infrastructure projects.
The New Safe Confinement was conceived to permanently protect Reactor No. 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, creating a controlled environment for the future dismantling of the damaged reactor while safely containing radioactive materials for at least 100 years. To minimise work at height and improve construction safety, the 260-metre-wide steel arch was assembled in sections before being elevated through a series of carefully engineered lifting operations.
Rather than relying on conventional construction methods, the project demanded an entirely new heavy-lift solution capable of synchronising dozens of lifting points while maintaining the exact geometry of one of the world’s largest steel structures throughout every stage of its elevation.
We engineered a custom strand jack solution specifically for the New Safe Confinement project, combining 56 synchronized strand jacks, purpose-built lifting towers, bespoke control software and specially modified 20-foot containers housing the jacking equipment. Thirty-two strand jacks performed the primary lifting, while additional units stabilised the towers, maintained the arch geometry through pre-tensioning, and secured the structure at each lifting stage. Continuous monitoring and synchronized hydraulic control allowed the massive steel arch to be raised safely in three successive lifting operations with exceptional precision, setting a new benchmark for engineered heavy lifting in the nuclear sector.
Successfully engineered and executed the synchronized lifting of a 15,500-tonne steel arch using 56 strand jacks, enabling the construction of one of the world's largest movable structures.
Engineered and executed the final 330-metre skidding of the 36,200-tonne New Safe Confinement using a bespoke 116-shoe hydraulic skidding system, safely positioning the world's largest land-based movable structure over Reactor No. 4 at Chernobyl.
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