Lifting and haulage for the UK's modular & offsite construction sector.
A modular unit only gets built once, in a factory, long before it reaches site. By the time it’s on the back of a low-loader, there’s no redesigning the lift, only carrying it out. Delivery slots are booked weeks out, site access is usually tighter than the module itself, and one late pick can hold up every module behind it. Buzzard runs the crane hire, contract lifting and haulage as one job, not three separate bookings, on modular and offsite projects across the UK.
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The operating environment.
A modular or offsite programme doesn’t behave like a standard build, and a lift plan that treats it the same way won’t survive the delivery schedule. Modules arrive on a manufacturing schedule, not a site one, and often need lifting into position the moment they land, because laydown space is limited. Abnormal loads bring their transport and escort requirements, and the lift sequence has to match the build sequence, or units queue up with nowhere to go. Buzzard coordinates transport and lifting as one continuous process.
One pick, not a rehearsal
A module leaves the factory finished, so the lift plan has to work first time. There’s no redesigning it once the crane’s rigged and the module’s in the air.
Delivery and crane slots that have to match
Factory delivery schedules and crane availability usually get booked by different people. If the two don’t line up, a module sits on a low-loader blocking the access road.
Access tighter than the module itself
Narrow site roads. Overhead cables. Not much room to swing a wide load into position. We check the route and the plot before the delivery date is confirmed, not after.
A sequence, not a single lift
A multi-storey modular build can need forty or more picks in a set order, and one out of sequence holds up every module behind it.
The lift isn't finished when the module lands
Final connections, tolerances and alignment often depend on how cleanly the module was set down, so positioning accuracy matters as much as capacity.
Compliance
LOLER 1998 governs every lift we do, wherever it is. On modular and offsite programmes we also work within CDM 2015, use the module manufacturer’s own lifting data and lift points rather than assuming standard rigging will do, and file RAMS and lift plans in whatever format the principal contractor already uses.
Typical lifts we handle in offsite construction.
Six kinds of lift come up again and again across modular and offsite programmes. Each one brings its own mix of weight, delivery timing and laydown space, and each always demands a plan built around the manufacturing schedule. Get the sequence wrong, and modules queue up with nowhere to go.
01
Modular building units
Factory-built modules lifted into position in sequence, whether that’s two storeys or twelve, on a hotel, education, healthcare or residential build.
02
Bathroom and service pods
Prefabricated pods lifted and set within a structural frame, positioned to the tolerance the connections still to come will need.
03
Plant and rooftop equipment skids
Pre-assembled plant skids and rooftop equipment lifted onto a structure that’s often finished around them afterwards, not before.
04
Volumetric frame sections
Structural steel or timber frame sections built off-site and lifted into place, cutting the trades working at height on the finished building.
05
Site cabin and welfare unit placement
Site accommodation and welfare units positioned before the rest of the programme starts, often on ground that isn’t finished yet.
06
Load-out and delivery sequencing
Coordinating the crane pick with the delivery vehicle’s arrival, so a module isn’t left waiting on the public highway for its slot.
Our services on a modular or offsite programme.
Six services, coordinated as one operation rather than six separate bookings. One project manager, one programme and one point of contact carry the work from planning through to completion, so nothing is lost between the factory, the transport and the crane. From crane hire and contract lifting to specialist haulage of abnormal loads, the same team delivers every stage, matched precisely to the manufacturing schedule.
Contract Lifting
A full lift plan and Appointed Person cover built around the module and its lift points, not adapted from a generic one.
Crane Hire
Crane capacity matched to the module’s weight, dimensions and lift points, not just the nearest crane.
HIAB Hire
ALLMI-trained HIAB operators for smaller components and site materials moving in around the main lift programme.
Haulage
Abnormal load haulage for modules and pods arriving from the factory, with the route survey done before the delivery date is set.
Specialist Personnel Supply
Appointed Persons, lift supervisors, riggers and slinger/signallers who plan a sequenced lift programme, not a single one-off pick.
Plant & Equipment Hire
Rigging equipment sized for a site that’s often still being built around the crane, taking in to account the site’s bespoke requirements.
Modular and offsite FAQ's.
Can you lift modules using the manufacturer's own lift points?
Yes. We work from the manufacturer’s lifting data and drawings rather than assuming standard rigging will do, and we ask for that information before we quote, not after the crane’s booked.
Can you coordinate the crane booking with the factory delivery schedule?
Yes. A module sitting on a low-loader waiting for its lift slot holds up the road and the programme behind it, so we book the crane and the delivery as one job rather than two separate diaries.
Can you handle a sequenced lift programme with dozens of picks?
Yes. A modular build might need forty or more picks in a set order, and one out of sequence holds up everything behind it, so we plan the whole sequence, not just the next pick.
What access do you need for an abnormal-width module delivery?
We survey the route and the site before the delivery date is confirmed, checking widths, overhead clearance and turning space, so the vehicle that arrives is the one that actually fits.
Can you lift bathroom or service pods into a structural frame?
Yes. Pods usually need to land within a tight tolerance for the connections still to come, so positioning accuracy matters as much as capacity.
Do you supply crane mats for ground that isn't finished yet?
Yes. Early-phase modular sites often have unfinished or uneven ground, so we size crane mats and rigging for the ground that’s actually there, not the ground the drawings assume.
Got a modular programme with a delivery schedule to match? Let's plan the sequence before the first module leaves the factory.
One call gets you a crane, a lift plan and a haulage booking, planned as one sequence rather than three separate diaries.