A One Lift Truss and Tower Take-Down

In the Southwest, a 100' diameter wood pellet bin caught fire and collapsed, compromising the 117,000-pound, 215’ long truss and tower conveyor system. At the start of the job, the contractor planned to take the truss down in sections using two hydraulic cranes.

Chris Warshaw, Project Engineer at Deep South, says, “After reviewing the proposed plan, we had concerns about the integrity of the truss once a section was removed and the safety of the workers tasked with cutting the sections from the severely buckled truss.”

The truss design engineer shared Deep South’s concerns, so the Deep South team put together an alternative plan to cut the affected parts of the conveyor system and remove the affected truss and towers in one lift.

Deep South first collaborated with the truss manufacturer to incorporate a rigging system with eight long wire rope slings. Then, using the 1,320-ton Terex AC-1000 (122.7’ boom and 157.5’ luffing jib) and 660-ton Terex Demag CC-2800-1 (157.5’ boom, 157.5’ luffing jib) fitted with a 330,700-pound super lift CWT, crews lifted the truss to a nearby lay down area. The lift and shift allowed the demolition contractor to complete work in the burned pellet bin area, significantly reducing the risk to workers.