When a prominent Nottingham landmark—once a HMRC building and now part of the University of Nottingham’s Castle Meadow Campus—required replacement of its distinctive tensile fabric roof, the specialist subcontractor turned to Hoist & Winch Ltd for a technically sound lifting and lowering solution. Resembling the iconic O2 Arena in London, the building’s original roof had reached the end of its 30-year lifespan and was in urgent need of replacement.

Tasked with safely and evenly lowering the ageing roof to ground level and raising the new covering to its final position, the roofing subcontractor enlisted Hoist & Winch to provide a complete hoisting solution. Following a series of on-site meetings and technical consultations with project designers and roof installation teams, Hoist & Winch devised a fully integrated package of lifting equipment and expert support.

At the heart of the solution were 12 Yale/CM Lodestar electric chain hoists, each with a 2-tonne safe working load (SWL). These 110V top-hook suspension hoists were paired with 30-metre power feed and control cables. The hoists were operated simultaneously in groups of four, suspended from specially engineered lifting beams. To ensure precise operation, Hoist & Winch designed and supplied three bespoke, free-standing control stations capable of managing the hoists either individually or in synchronised groups.

Supporting the main lifting operation, Hoist & Winch also delivered a mix of 15-tonne and 6.3-tonne SWL William Hackett lever hoists. These were critical for de-tensioning the old fabric prior to removal and re-tensioning the new membrane during installation.

Crucial to the project’s success was the in-depth technical consultancy provided by Hoist & Winch. Their team offered comprehensive guidance on key factors including lifting legislation compliance, lift planning and management, transformer design and sizing, load cell selection, and the specification of appropriate lifting tackle. They also ensured all lifting systems underwent thorough site testing and examination before operations began.

“The outcome was the safe and successful removal of the original fabric roof and the installation of its replacement as part of a finely controlled, smooth process,” commented Andy Allen, Director at Hoist & Winch. “The client appreciated the professionalism and technical clarity we brought to the table. It’s in projects like these—complex and critical—that our team truly shines.”

The success of the Nottingham project left a lasting impression. The specialist roofing subcontractor subsequently re-engaged Hoist & Winch to adapt the lifting system for a new project and leveraged insights from the Nottingham job to win a multi-point lifting contract in Copenhagen.