Upending and setting of a 200’ tall refinery column in an operating refinery is always a challenge—even when the methods are fairly conventional. But our lift of a 470-ton vessel was very unconventional. In fact, the Barnhart team performed the lift backwards!

Weight, crowded conditions and the fact that the vessel sat atop a 40’ high pedestal made conventional methods expensive and difficult options. It would require a 1200 ton crane with 400’ boom or a lift tower 300’ tall.

Borrowing an old idea from the era of gin poles, Barnhart engineers devised a method of setting the vessel by allowing it to pass through our Modular Lift Tower as it was upended. This kept the MLT at a 120’ elevation.

Normally upending a vessel requires that it be delivered to the foundation top first. But Barnhart’s engineering team recognized that many constraints on this project required a "clean slate" approach. Recognizing that the center of gravity of the vessel was about 1/3 up from the bottom, they saw benefit to the vessel being delivered backwards.The overall travel distance during upending would be minimized.

Competing against some of the largest cranes in the US, Barnhart won the project on a competitive bid that utilized multiple innovations to overcome multiple challenges. Barnhart’s innovative "Back-Up Plan" utilized a variety of our specially-engineered lifting equipment:

• Barnhart’s Modular Tower with adjustable bracing and 40’ tower bents

• Three 450 Ton Strand Jacks provided lifting for the top and bottom of the vessel

• The C-Bar was used to attach to the vessel for lifting and provide proper clearance

• Horizontal travel was provided by our 600 Ton Sliding System atop our 5’ deep girders

A load test was performed on site prior to the vessel delivery. Innovation, quality equipment and experienced personnel all combined to make a successful lift.

Equipment Used in this Project

• Modular Lift Tower: 4-leg Tower
• Strand Jacks