The rigging section of the awards is split by contract value: less than $150,000, between $150,000 and $750,000 and more than $750,000. In the small category, Southern Industrial Contractors won an award for the replacement of a steam condenser at the University of North Carolina cogeneration power plant in Chapel Hill. Client Dresser Rand needed a 60,000lb, 20ft long and 8ft diameter, condenser removed from a room that measured only 22ft across. It would then be replaced with a new 80,000lb, 24ft x 9ft, condenser.
Southern used three Lift Systems gantries, with capacities of 100 US ton, 200 US ton, and 400 US ton, along with a turntable, three forklifts, and a 90 US ton Grove crane. Taking the old condenser out, with 12in to spare, was the easy part of the job. When it came time to move the new condenser in, which was 24in bigger and off of its specified centre of gravity by a further 18in, Southern needed to offset the 200 US ton gantry’s leg by 18in under the turntable, and then place the condenser on turntable with its centre of gravity off by 13in. This gave the contractor just 1in of tolerance.
Emmert International was awarded the prize in the middle-value category for its delivery and placement of a low-speed diesel engine at the Clifton Pier Power Station located in the Bahamas. Placing the 908,600 lb (412t) fully-assembled MANN-B&W engine proved challenging because the layout of the job site forced crews to construct a 700 ton J&R lift and lock gantry crane around the engine, then lift and move it while positioned in the entryway. There were only inches of clearance on either side and above the 33ft (10m)-high engine.
Barnhart won the large contract award for its work at the Arkansas Nuclear One power plant. Barnhart used purpose built tailing saddles in tandem with its Rigger Lift 120 forklift to move a pressuriser out on to a Goldhofer trailer. It was moved to the turbine building where it was lifted by an onsite crane and placed in the gondola rail car. The process was reversed for the installation of the new pressuriser.
Barnhart used purpose built tailing saddles and its Rigger Lift 120 forklift to move this nuclear plant pressuriser.
Barnhart planned and fulfilled this emergency transformer move in just ten days.
Crane Rental Corp offloading evaporator vessels off a barge for US Sugar
The only suitable access point was a public boat ramp, so the company custom-built two ramps to bridge the gap between barge and landing.
Crane Rental then drove the 12 self-propelled Goldhofer units, and towed another 12 axles, the four-mile distance to the U.S. Sugar plant.
Crane Rental narrowly avoided disaster with a barge that began to sink while transporting four of the evaporators. Once the problem was discovered, as the barge was being towed, it headed to a nearby port and was kept afloat by continuous pumping. After Crane Rental found another barge, it mobilised a 550 US ton-capacity Grove AT to offload the units. Although it had no room to swing the crane, Crane Rental was able to manoeuvre the barges back and forth under the suspended load until they were all out of danger.
Barnhart planned and fulfilled this emergency transformer move in just ten days. SC&RA No. 4: Barnhart Hauling Barnhart used purpose built tailing saddles and its Rigger Lift 120 forklift to move this nuclear plant pressuriser. SC&RA 3: Barnhart ANO Crane Rental Corp offloading evaporator vessels off a barge for US Sugar Crane Rental Corp offloading evaporator vessels for US Sugar