Maxim pairs Tadano CC24 and Grove GMK7550 for cold box dismantle

Two cranes, one 243,000 lb module

The rental group fielded a two-crane team for the job: a new 440 ton Tadano CC24 lattice-boom crawler rigged with 255 ft of main boom acted as the main lift crane, while a 550 ton capacity Grove GMK7550 all-terrain took the tailing duties. Together they brought the cold box down in modules, the heaviest of which weighed in at 243,000 lb.

Cold boxes, the insulated towers at the heart of an air separation plant, are notoriously delicate loads. Maxim says managing load stability and avoiding structural stress or deformation drove the engineering, alongside tight clearances and the need to work around live plant operations.

From plant to port on 18 axle lines

Lifting was only half the assignment. Each module was set onto an 18-line Goldhofer PST self-propelled platform trailer and driven to a neighbouring port facility, where the sections were placed in temporary storage. A third party is now handling the ocean leg to a United States aerospace manufacturer that will re-use the equipment.

Winter added a further complication. With snow and ice on site, crews arrived several hours before each shift to de-ice surfaces so the freezing conditions would not compromise safety.

Planning from day one

According to Maxim, coordination between the client, the port facility and the receiving aerospace plant began on the first day of the project, with the lift plan and potential obstacles worked through long before the crawler took the first pick. The company points to the job as proof of its one-stop lift-and-transport offering for energy-sector clients reworking their infrastructure.