440 Tonne Vertical Structural Test Bed

Bell Industrial is proud to have designed and constructed its own 440 Tonne Vertical Structural Test Bed, providing a unique in-house capability for the proof load testing, structural validation and certification of lifting equipment.

Designed to accommodate lifting equipment that cannot be practically tested on conventional horizontal test beds due to size or geometry, the facility enables the testing of everything from small lifting attachments and spreader beams through to large heavy lift beams and custom-engineered lifting devices.

With extensive experience in lifting equipment design and structural load paths, Bell Industrial can replicate real-world loading conditions, including multi-leg sling configurations, varying sling angles and worst-case loading scenarios that are difficult or impossible to achieve using conventional test weights or cranes.

The test bed also provides significantly improved access for inspection throughout the testing process, allowing close observation of the structure under load and accurate measurement of deflection at critical locations. Controlled hydraulic loading enables proof loads to be applied incrementally, with structural behaviour monitored and recorded at each stage of the test. This level of control and inspection is difficult to achieve when proof load testing with cranes and suspended test weights.