Mammoet USA, in conjunction with several manufacturers and contractors, substantially completed the grass roots construction of a new steel mill in just five months, even though they had to build a bridge to do it.
Mammoet USA engineers, working together with Tenova, completed the build of the Nucor steel mill in Convent, La. Using established Mammoet crane technology and some astounding feats of engineering, the mill was built with modules that were wholly manufactured elsewhere on site, and delivered to the erection location by Mammoet technology.
The largest piece of the project was a 2.5-million-pound reactor, which was constructed by Tenova in Houston and moved all the way to the Nucor site in Convent, more than 300 miles away. In order to move this enormous reactor, a temporary bridge had to be constructed over a levee that could manage the weight of the reactor, while keeping the levee free from harm.
According to Michael Cook, technical solutions manager at Mammoet USA, delivering this large piece was the most difficult part of the project.
“The reactor was 280 feet tall and 30 feet in diameter, a huge piece to say the least,” he said. “Our priority is safety first, and we also had to make sure to meet the client’s deadline so they experienced as little downtime as possible.”
Once the reactor made it to the site, Mammoet used one of the largest cranes in the world — a ring crane capable of lifting 3,200 metric tons — to hoist the reactor 220 feet in the air and place it into a tower, which had already been erected on site. Engineers had to work within confined spaces and with astounding precision to ensure the proper placement of all the necessary pieces. With a constant eye on safety and time, the reactor was moved and put into place in only two days.
“We worked with five separate contractors on this project and had 20 of our guys on site at the peak of the build,” Cook said. “We had multiple cranes on site and worked with manufacturers from all over the country, and we were able to fit all of the pieces together perfectly thanks to precision engineering from all of the teams. By using factory-to-foundation techniques, Mammoet got the Nucor mill major components in place much faster than if they had built everything together on site.”
Turnaround time is important to Mammoet because the biggest thing the company moves is time. In a short five months, the Nucor site went from a field to a structurally complete steel mill with towers more than 360 feet tall. Mammoet will reduce a business’ downtime and complete a project safely and efficiently. Companies are able to complete their projects faster, and start seeing the return on their investment sooner, by utilizing the skills of Mammoet professionals.
Smarter and safer solutions
Mammoet helps clients improve construction efficiency and optimize the uptime of plants and installations. For that purpose, the company provides solutions for lifting, transporting, installing and decommissioning large and heavy structures.
Mammoet’s services are focused on the petrochemical and mining industries, civil engineering, power generation and offshore projects. The logistic challenges in these industries are growing daily. Factors such as remote locations, harsh climates and a strong emphasis on the environment are constantly driving Mammoet toward smarter and safer solutions.
Mammoet provides the following services:
• Engineered lifting and transportation services
• Lifting, transportation and installation of modular constructions
• Factory-to-foundation projects
• Plant turnaround logistics
• Salvage and wreck removal
• Decommissioning of onshore and offshore installations
• Trading in new and used equipment worldwide
For more information, visit www.mammoet.com or call (281) 369-2200.
