Barnhart tackles projects year-round. But those in the winter can sometimes be particularly challenging.
Barnhart was hired to install two chillers and evaporators at a university in Indiana in winter. They received the load from oversized trucks using a 200-ton crane to offload the units. They were then to slide the units through a wall opening and rough set to pad.
Barnhart set up their 500-ton slide system to slide the units through the opening. But keeping the slide system free of snow and ice was a constant challenge. The day prior to mobilizing to site there was a major snow and ice storm at the job site with temperatures well below zero. The crew had to contend with weather issues for the entire project.
Floor loading capacity was another challenge, as the capacity was 200 psf around the pads and the work area was above a basement. Barnhart was able to work around these issues using a 38' long super slide track which allowed us to span from outside the building directly to the set location pads. This track was able to span the floor with loading capacities of 200 psf. The strength characteristics of the 38' super slide track eliminated the need for support/cribbing in the floor area.