PORTA GANTRY Helps Place Patagotitan Replica in the Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum sought Ritelift's assistance in installing replica bones for their latest exhibit, which features the Patagotitan Mayorum, the largest animal ever to walk the earth. They used the REID PORTAGANTRY to help position the colossal creature’s skeleton.
Ritelift are a leading supplier for lifting, material handling and safety equipment, all for hire and sale for a wide range of industries. Located in South and East London, they provided high quality equipment so that them and their customers can get the job done safely and efficiently.
The Patagotitan Mayorum was unearthed over a decade ago on La Flecha Ranch in the Chubut Province of Patagonia, in the southern part of South America. A farmer was looking for some of his livestock that had escaped where he discovered a large bone sticking out of the ground; a bone which later led to the discovery of over 200 others. The bone which was later discovered to be a thigh bone was 2.38 metres in length, making it the largest bone to ever be unearthed. The creature is believed to have walked the earth in the Early Cretaceous period, over 100 million years ago and is 37 metres in length from the tip of its nose to the base of its tail – the length of half a cricket pitch. It is believed to be the largest animal to have ever walked the earth.
The Natural History Museum, a scientific institution, brought in the help of Ritelift when they need to meticulously place each one of the 500 plus replica bones and fixings within their new exhibit showcasing the animal. Ritelift used three of our PORTAGANTRY systems along with a selection of chain hoists and a fleet of Vertical Mast Lifts. Whilst the lifts were used to position the workers next to the skeleton, one of the PORTAGANTRY helped lift the bone pieces into position and fix them into place. The other gantries where in place to help keep the skeleton in place whilst the bones were being positioned.