ABRIDGE TOO FAR?
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You see that bloke in the foreground with the yellow stripes on his sleeve? Well that's where the Hawk would be standing, at a safe distance. This is the Palfinger PB4 bridge inspection unit in action on Hong Kong's bridges linking the island of Lantau with the new Chep Lap Kok Airport.
The unit was chosen because it can operate between the stay cables. It has an eight-tonne hydraulically controlled coun terweight, is designed for passengers, has optional threedimensional manoeuvrability and two separately controlled slewing mechanisms. Seen here mounted on an MAN 8x4, the P84 can inspect up to 64m of bridge from one position. It has a horizontal reach of 26m below the bridge, a working depth of 30m below the road surface, and a maximum working height of 28m above the road surface. Pretty much every angle covered,