A hydroelectric power plant had to replace six intake gates that were originally installed in 1949. Barnhart was hired to install the new gates, which weighed 76,000 pounds each. The intake gates were brought in by trucking transport, backed over the bridge to the intake deck, offloaded, self-tailed using the 400 kip Tri-Block (pictured above) and then set into designated docking stations.
The crew first prepared the intake gate to be offloaded from the transport trailer that was backed over the intake deck bridge and positioned close to Barnhart’s crane.
A special paint coating that could not be scratched or damaged was applied in the manufacturing facility to the new gates. Barnhart’s engineering team and Memphis fab shop designed and built customized clamps to hook onto the intake gate after being wrapped with a rubber softener to prevent any damage. The clamps worked as designed, and no scratches or damage occurred.
The customer’s overhead crane picked the gates from the docking station and took them to their designated location on the intake deck.
All gates were offloaded, tailed and set into the proper location without any issues. The installation of all the gates was completed on time to the satisfaction of both the Corps of Engineers and the customer.