In support of an alkylation revamp, an industrial customer needed acid coolers, an acid settler, and various piping components transported to the plant and then lifted into place.

The 66'-10" long, 4'-10" diameter acid coolers weighed in at 125,000-pound while the 83'-4" long, 26'-6" diameter acid settler weighed 680,000 pounds.

Barge and Roll Off

Deep South received the acid coolers, acid settler and piping components from an ocean-going vessel at the Port of New Orleans. The vessels were lifted onto a waiting barge and then hauled to the client’s established roll-off site. The acid settler was then rolled off the barge to an 18-axle-line, double-wide Scheuerle SPMT for transport to the site. Once onsite, the settler was moved to a 12-axle-line Scheuerle “Split” SPMT-SL with a single wide 6-line SPMT following for power pack support due to limited clearances from overhead structures. The acid coolers were moved with a 12-axle-line Scheuerle SPMT.

Cantilever Connections

Once ready for placement, the acid settler was lifted and tailed up over a pipe rack with an 1,800-ton VersaCrane™ TC-28000 in configuration 4/8 (273' boom, 400 kips main cwt, 1,080 kips aux. cwt) with a 750-ton VersaCrane™ CC-9600 in configuration 6 (200' boom, 406 kips main cwt, 508 kips hinge cwt. The acid coolers were lifted using a 1,500-ton VersaCrane™ TC-24000 in configuration 5 and placed under a difficult-to-access platform with a Deep South-designed cantilever beam system (instead of a traditional jack-and-slide), which cut the lift and set time in half.

The cantilever beam system makes it easier to access tight areas that overhead cranes cannot. The system has a compact counterweight design allowing for a decrease in required headroom, customizable rigging attachment points for a multitude of applications, beam extensions available for increased reach, and wireless operation. Dual configurations are available for increased capacities.

The project was completed safely and on schedule.

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About Deep South: Deep South Crane & Rigging is a leading provider of heavy lift and transportation services, serving a diverse range of industries. With a focus on safety, innovation, and technical expertise, Deep South delivers reliable solutions for complex projects while maintaining the highest standards of workforce protection. The company strives to equip its customers with the best tools to complete the task at hand and is home to the VersaCrane fleet.

The firm offers a complete range of services, from bare crane rental to turnkey heavy lift and transport solutions, serving clients across North and South America. It operates out of seven locations, including Baton Rouge, LA; Lake Charles, LA; New Orleans, LA; DeQuincy, LA; Beaumont, TX; Houston, TX; and Catlettsburg, KY. Sister company DS Americas operates out of Bogotá, Colombia.

Recent recognition includes: 2024 Industry Business Roundtable (IBR) Safety Excellence Award in Crane and Rigging, and 2023 IBR Mentor Award; 2023 and 2024 Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance (GBRIA) Safety Excellence Award; 2023, 2024, and 2025 Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association (SC&RA) Crane & Rigging Group Safety Award; 13 consecutive years included in Louisiana Workers' Compensation Corporation (LWCC) Safest 70; 2023 and 2025 Texas Mutual Platinum Safety Partner Award; Marathon's 2024 Exceptional Partner Award; and the 2025 Specialized Carriers & Riggers Foundation (SC&RF) Workforce Ambassador Award