Author Archives: Meredith Portman

About Meredith Portman

Meredith Portman is a freelance writer who specializes in heavy industry, healthcare and education.

Precise Engineering Results in Minimal Downtime During Outage

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Meredith Portman

Barnhart was recently hired to remove and replace two feedwater heaters at a power plant in Kansas during a planned outage. But it wasn’t going to be easy. The project, which was featured in Cranes Today, had a number of … Continue reading →

Posted in Power | Tagged Barnhart, feedwater heaters, outage planning, powered saddle roller, pull up jacks, Slide System | Leave a comment

CRITICAL BACKUP GENERATORS HAULED BY BARNHART

Posted on February 9, 2018 by Meredith Portman

Barnhart crews from the Memphis branch recently transported two 310,00 natural gas-fired generators to a substation in Tallahassee. The substation serves critical customers including Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and the Tallahassee Police Department, and the move was part of continued efforts … Continue reading →

Posted in Heavy Haul | Tagged Barnhart, City of Tallahassee, GS-800, Heavy Haul | Leave a comment

Heavy Load Turns Heads in Tulsa

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Meredith Portman

Last week, Barnhart’s heavy haul of a massive piece of equipment drew onlookers along the route in Oklahoma. The 317,000 lbs. unit, known as a coker bubble tower, started at a fabricator in Sand Springs. Barnhart loaded it onto two … Continue reading →

Posted in Heavy Haul | Tagged Barnhart, EasTrac, Heavy Haul, Refinery | Leave a comment

COLD WEATHER AND LOAD SIZE POSE A CHALLENGE IN HAUL PROJECT

Posted on January 3, 2018 by Meredith Portman

Barnhart was hired to haul a 435,000-pound turbine to Dexter, Minn., a journey of over 1000 miles that originated in Alberta, Canada. The turbine was brought to the border town of Sweet Grass, Mont. where it was staged on stands. … Continue reading →

Posted in Heavy Haul | Tagged Barnhart, gantries, GS800, Heavy Haul | Leave a comment

Christmas from the Moon

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Meredith Portman

It was 1968, a year of tumultuous events, marked by the shocking assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King. But as the year came to a close, millions raised their eyes to the skies for the hopeful message of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Apollo 8, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, William Anders | Leave a comment

Tips On Choosing the Right Size Crane

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Meredith Portman

To properly size and select a crane for a job many factors must be considered to determine the right type of crane and corresponding capacity. Should it be a heavy lift crane? Boom truck crane? Rough Terrain crane? Weight and … Continue reading →

Posted in Educational | Tagged boom truck crane, heavy lift crane, Rough Terrain Cranes | Leave a comment

PHOENIX BRANCH PLAYS UNIQUE ROLE IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Meredith Portman

Barnhart’s Phoenix branch occupies a unique niche. Nearly 68,000 square feet of its 72,000 square foot facility is devoted to storage of a very specific kind. The facility acts as a response center for the SAFER (Strategic Alliance for Flex … Continue reading →

Posted in Nuclear Power, Storage | Tagged Barnhart Phoenix branch, equipment storage, nuclear power, Strategic Alliance for Flex Emergency Response | Leave a comment

NEW KENTUCKY BRANCH OPENS TO BETTER SERVE CUSTOMERS

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Meredith Portman

Barnhart has opened a second location in Kentucky with a new facility in Calvert City, joining Owensboro in the Bluegrass State. “While we have been providing crane and rigging services and heavy transportation in the Calvert City area for many … Continue reading →

Posted in Chemical, Power | Tagged Calvert City Kentucky, cantilever beam, chemical industry, gantries, power industry, slide systems | Leave a comment

WATERWAYS JOURNAL FEATURES LOCK AND DAM PROJECTS

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Meredith Portman

Barnhart has been busy addressing critical infrastructure needs at waterways across the southeast. Their work on three lock and dam projects, including one featured in a blog last month, was recently profiled in Waterways Journal. These projects utilized both traditional … Continue reading →

Posted in Heavy Lift | Tagged barge crane, heavy lift, lock and dam, miter gate replacement | Leave a comment

Kentucky Project Enlists Services of Big Al

Posted on September 28, 2017 by Meredith Portman

A project at a lock and dam in Kentucky required Barnhart to bring out the big guns, otherwise known as Big Al. Big Al is Barnhart’s barge-mounted heavy lift crane based in the Port of Mobile in Alabama. It was … Continue reading →

Posted in Heavy Lift | Tagged adjustable rigging link system, Big Al, heavy lift crane, lock and dam | Leave a comment