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 also took a prize in the hauling awards, which is also split by load size (less than, and greater than, 160,000 lbs) and by type(there is a third category for moving). The firm’s prize in this section came for the over 160,000 lbs category, for the emergency replacement of an electricity transformer, for the American Transmission Company in Wisconsin. The power firm needed to fetch a replacement from 40 miles away, before the spring thaw, when heavy transport in the state is restricted. Within 48 hours, Barnhart crews began rigging the replacement transformer. A gantry system removed the replacement transformer and set it onto a 10-line Goldhofer trailer. Once it arrived, Barnhart slid the transfomer into place, on time.


Barnhart planned and fulfilled this emergency transformer move in just ten days.

Edwards Crane and Rigging took the award for the smaller haul. A 24-mile (39km) transport job took Edwards personnel 540 man-hours, and a support company double that, for a 12-hour move in November. The big problem on the move of two 150,000 lb (68t) polymerisation reactors through downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, was height. At a loaded height of 19ft 6in (5.95m), the loads could snag overhead power lines, traffic lights and telecom cables. The company had 16 bucket trucks to raise lines on the way. The reactors were carried on a deck suspended between two six-axle Goldhofer trailers from the manufacturer to a barge terminal.


Crane Rental Corp offloading evaporator vessels off a barge for US Sugar

Crane Rental Corporation won the SC&RA moving award for transporting 20 evaporator and eight separator vessels by barge for a U.S. Sugar processing facility upgrade in Clewiston, Florida. The vessels weighed up to 137 US tons and measured up to 21ft in diameter.

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