Alternative Lifting Methods - Telescopic Hydraulic Gantries

2DM Associates, Inc. has been performing lifting planning and engineering with telescopic hydraulic gantries since the firm's inception in 1986 and the gantry experience of David Duerr, P.E. dates back to 1977.

Early Telescopic Hydraulic Gantry Use

2DM Associates president David Duerr, P.E. has been engaged in lift planning and engineering with hydraulic gantries since 1977. The gantry system shown at left handling a nuclear steam generator was owned by Williams Crane & Rigging, Inc., where Mr. Duerr was employed in the mid-to-late 1970s. This experience predates the emergence of hydraulic gantries as commercial products in the early 1980s.

Conveyor Section Installation

2DM Associates performed the lift and marine engineering for this lift of a conveyor section using a hydraulic gantry system on a free-floating barge. The planning of this lift required a determination of the maximum likely motions of the barge during the lift and work with the gantry manufacturer to assure that the system could safely perform the lift.

Spent Fuel Shipping Cask Transportation

2DM Associates provided complete engineering services to the transportation contractor for the first-ever movement of irradiated fuel from one nuclear power plant to another for reuse. Shown at left is the use of a hydraulic gantry system to transfer the shipping cask from hydraulic platform trailer to rail car. This use is a very common application of hydraulic gantries in the construction industry.

Reactor Vessel Lift for Offloading

2DM Associates performed the lift planning and engineering for this reactor vessel lift using hydraulic gantries on a barge. As the barge was only partially grounded (only the bow was supported), concern about barge movement during the lift necessitated special consideration of possible horizontal forces and gantry stability.

Lift Systems PowerTower Hydraulic Gantry

In addition to gantry lift planning, 2DM Associates also has a long background in the design of hydraulic gantry systems. The PowerTower is a boom-type telescopic hydraulic gantry manufactured by Lift Systems, Inc. of East Moline, Illinois. 2DM Associates performed all structural engineering for the design of every PowerTower model produced to date by Lift Systems. This work initially required the performance of extensive research to establish appropriate design loads and the most efficient analysis methods to assure consistent strength of the structural components of the booms and boom locking devices.

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