Precision Meets Power

Replacing a 650-kip reactor head in the Southwest required Deep South’s team to fit a crane into a tight space where others had been unable to do so. The job involved precise execution to build a high-capacity crane over a pipe rack and into a confined space, which called for the assistance of our 800-ton gantry system, 500-ton Liebherr LTM 1400-7.1, and 265-ton Liebherr LTM 1220-5.1.

To facilitate this heavy lift, the team deployed a 1,500-ton VersaCrane™ TC-24000 in Configuration 2 (with 720 kips on the main tray and a very short tail swing). With only inches of clearance between the crane boom and the pipe rack, and low allowable ground bearing pressure, engineers were challenged to design an oversized outrigger footprint to meet the low ground bearing pressure and plant safety specifications.

Utilizing 100-ton turnbuckles to level the reactor head and with just 12 inches of boom clearance, the team successfully lifted the old reactor, set it on a jig stand, then lifted the new reactor off its jig stand to set it into the final resting position.

• Equipment Used

  • Hydraulic Gantries
  • Turnbuckles
  • Liebherr LTM-1400-7.1
  • Liebherr LTM 1220-5.1/5.2
  • VersaCrane™ TC-24000

• Services Used

  • Heavy Lift
  • Daily Lifting
  • Custom Solutions
  • Rigging Services
  • Engineering