Unusual Rigging & Engineering were involved in two particular projects at Ferrari World, one outside Galleria Ferrari, where three different red Ferraris have pride of place, hung on platforms on the walls as works of art. Placement was critical, requiring not just detailed measurements, but also a system that would enable careful manoeuvring for the final placement of the platforms.
Unusual's project manager, Leon Ingram, devised a hoist system which comprised a run of square truss and a runner beam carrying two hoists for each platform, thus enabling fine adjustments to be made both laterally and vertically.
The bare platforms were first offered to the wall and positioned to enable the bolt holes to be pre-drilled. They were then lowered back to the ground, where the cars were fitted by the Ferrari team. After being given a final 'once over' by the Unusual Rigging and Engineering crew, to ensure they were secure, the platforms and cars, which together weighed 500kg each, were hoisted into position and fixed firmly into place with chemical bolts.
The second project, carried within the same two week time-frame, involved moving two vehicles - a Ferrari F430 and a Fernando Alonso F1 car - out onto the 'TechTransfer' podium, where they can be seen hung vertically from a central post and revolving in opposite directions.
This careful and delicate move required Unusual Rigging and Engineering to build a bespoke frame to lift and support each of the vehicles, the heaviest being the F430 which weighed 950kg. The move was carried out using a 15m high truss grid, which necessitated two truss towers on each of two levels. The grid was fitted with 'I' beams on each side and another 'I' beam on a cross truss, enabling the vehicles to be moved in any direction.
(Jim Evans)
