Skip to main content

Heat Exchanger Removal and Replacement

During an outage at a Texas refinery, Barnhart was asked to provide rigging systems and crew to remove and replace four heat exchangers. The exchangers ranged in weight from 11,000-12,500 pounds and were up to 19 feet long. Barnhart proposed using their Moving Counterweight Cantilever System (MOCCS), which is designed to make cantilevered operations more efficient and easier to perform.

Barnhart used the MOCCS system with two riggers. With the MOCCS, the counterweight moves along the beam to balance the load. The gear box and counterweight are remote controlled, which reduces crane operator risk.

The MOCCS configuration had to be changed from single to double beam during the removal of the exchangers. Portions of the existing concrete saddle structure had to be demoed due to the diameter of the exchanger head.

Once the exchangers were removed, they were placed onto a trailer. Barnhart had provided the client with a five-day schedule but the team was able to complete the project within two days.