POWER October 2016 - 11

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rigging plan. " An initial plan was proposed
and then modiied through a number of joint
reviews. This resulted in a safe, clean lift that
leveraged the strength of each participant.
There was a total of three sets of engineers.
The original rigging design team that was
provided through the fabricator, the customer
engineers, and a 3rd party engineering irm.
" It turned into a science project, " Porter
surmised. " Not
everyone was
convinced
that the plan would work. We went to the
hardware store and picked up some cheap
pulleys and rope and we did a little mockup
of the construction site to prove our idea
would work. Once we got our rigging idea
approved, we started our actual engineering.
We had a couple of engineering companies
on this project. In fact, we had 12 engineers
altogether. "
After the rigging plan was approved,
Robert needed to ind the proper beam
that could accept a 15-degree offset. He
contacted Lifting Gear Hire and discovered
that the project could be accomplished if
he rented a MOD 110 modular spreader
beam. This particular beam safely allows for
such an offset. Now with a proper rigging
plan and the right equipment, Robert was
able to begin the operation.
15 feet
" In lifting the tube, our pick points were
from each end and the spreader
beam was about 33 feet between each set
of pick points, " Porter said. " We elevated the
tube to 150 feet on the top side and to 130
feet on the bottom side, so it was a pretty
elevated lift. With the stresses that were on
the tube and where the tube was burnt, it had
to be supported in four different locations.
That's the reason we placed two beams on it
and two cranes, as well, so we could support
it in four speciic locations. Otherwise, the
conveyor tube could've easily collapsed or
buckled. "
Adding to overall tension was the slight
uneasiness that Robert and his team felt
during the entire lifting of the destroyed
conveyor tube. The possibility of the tube
collapsing and falling mid-lift was high, but
they managed to avoid this by installing a
few stifing beams at each pick point inside
the tube, which stiffened the tube enough to
where it couldn't collapse easily on it's own.
The Result
Once the engineering was approved and
the rigging selected it was time for Robert
and Steve Vincent, Enerfab Boilermaker
Superintendent to turn the work over to
the crew to make the lift. The conveyor belt
structure was safely lifted and removed in
eight hours. Once the damaged tube was
safely on the ground, repairs were made to
the structural connections on each end of
where the new tube was to go. These repairs
Due to the excellent work they performed,
they were hired to build a new transfer house,
which involved the removing and replacing
of its structural steel. Crafting a new transfer
house took nearly six months in addition to
the work they had already performed. The
project concluded in September of 2015.
" After inding the right equipment to do
this project and doing a little legwork, " Porter
concluded, " we got the facility back up and
running completely at maximum capacity. It
was an interesting job and I enjoyed working
on it. Honestly, we wouldn't have been able
to do without that speciic beam we rented
from LGH. We originally thought we would
have to build one ourselves, but even that
wouldn't have worked. I called LGH and they
informed me of a beam that would accept the
15-degree offset. They were the only place
that had this kind of beam. To be honest, I've
been working with LGH for 18 years and I
will continue to work with them for another
18 years. They were the only place that had
the kind of equipment we needed. If it wasn't
for them, there's no way we could've done
this project. "
Because the lift was so unorthodox, the
was asked to consult on the
manufacturer and designer of the spreader
beam, Modulift®
project. " I did have a number of concerns
Enerfab's lift would've been a concern if the
rolling blocks were connecting to the bottom
slings to each end of the spreader
the
took several weeks. Then Steve and his crew
rigged up to a new conveyor structure that
the owner had fabricated. With the rigging
in place, they proceeded to lift the new
conveyor tube and rest it at a 15-degree
angle which took an additional eight hours
to complete.
with this lift, " said Anthony Culshaw, Senior
Design Engineer of Modulift®
. " But nothing
that would've cause me to advise Enerfab,
Inc. to not perform this lift in the manner in
which they did. The MOD 110 is a spreader
beam that can accept an angle on the
drop link of nearly 20 degrees. I was more
concerned regarding the use of the snatch
blocks, because if used incorrectly, these can
be a very dangerous rigging component.
rather
than being connected above the spreader. As
the lift was carried out with two cranes and
the blocks at the top, they used the blocks
correctly which allowed them to adjust
angle of the tube mid-lift. In other words, it
was a tandem lift which made the lift stable. "
Special Note:
Although it's highly unusual to use a
beam in such a fashion, it was approved
by a representative from Modulift®, the
beam manufacturer, and they informed
the customer and LGH that this particular
beam can be used at a 15-degree angle
given the special circumstances and speciic
purpose. Please be advised to contact the
manufacturer and a qualiied engineer to
create a lift plan if you are attempting a
similar type of lift.
PROJECT CONTACTS:
Enerfab: www.enerfab.com
Modulit: www.modulift.com
Lifting Gear Hire: www.LGH-USA.com
http://www.enerfab.com http://www.modulift.com http://www.LGH-USA.com
POWER October 2016

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