Canadian-based Irving Equipment Ltd. (IEL), along with U.S.-based sister company Irving Crane, have serviced one of North America's largest refineries, Irving Oil, for more than 60 years. During this time, IEL has developed safety policies and operating procedures for working in a refinery setting. Providing value-added, innovative solutions for heavy lift, heavy transport, specialized rigging and pile driving is a standard practice for the company.
Recently, IEL designed a cantilevered lifting beam for a project changing out heat exchangers located deep within a steel structure. In the past, the customer had two options for replacement. Option No. 1 was to partially deconstruct the area housing the exchanger, allowing a crane to access it from above. Option No. 2 was to work with tradesman to install a rail system under the exchanger so it could be slid out and picked up by one crane on the front end, slid out even farther and then picked up on the back end with a second crane before being brought to the ground. Both of these options were expensive, required a large in-plant effort, were disruptive to other work in the area and had a higher risk for an accident.
With the cantilevered lifting beam rigged to a single crane, the beam is "stabbed" into a tight space over the load. With a coordinated movement of the crane boom and paying out cable with the hydraulic winch on the beam, the crane block can be shifted forward to maintain its position over the center of gravity of the system. Next, the crane operator reverses the "stabbing" action and pulls the exchanger out, saving unnecessary trade work to remove the overhead structures or using additional cranes. Schedule and cost savings with this method are quite significant. Although cantilevered lifting beams are not a new concept, the engineers at Irving Equipment have come up with several unique features for this design that are currently in the process of being patented.
Irving Equipment's cantilevered lifting beam reduces plant pre-work and outage times, eliminates mid-air exchanges between cranes, boasts a 16.5-ton capacity at the tip, allows for adjustment of the beam configuration for different-sized loads, and allows for constant communication between the crane and beam operators. The remotely operated beam can be controlled from either the ground or from within the structure and uses wireless inclinometers to ensure it stays within design parameters during the lift.
In the past, demonstrating the details of complex projects was limited to drawings or models on a screen. Through the use of photogrammetry and augmented reality technology, Irving Equipment's customers have now been introduced to an entirely new experience -- one where they can physically walk around the jobsite and explore conceptual proposals. Drones are used to capture image data of the site, which can be processed into a 3-D set of data known as a point cloud. This point cloud can be imported into IEL's custom in-house planning software, CraneCADâ¢, and allow the engineers to produce an accurate lift plan in the context of the customer's site. This lift plan can be exported into a hologram that can be viewed using Microsoft Hololens augmented reality goggles.
Irving Equipment recently secured an order to build the cantilevered lifting beam for a project at Irving Oil by showcasing this technology. The company was able to demonstrate to the client in a boardroom setting how the cantilevered lifting beam would benefit the project. The detailed model of the structure combined with the CraneCAD models of the crane and rigging arrangement gave the client the confidence needed to proceed with the plan.
For more information, visit www.irvingcrane.com or call (800) 561-2726.
