Hoisting Prefabricated Home Sections with McIntyre Crane & Rigging

The site was located just east of Whitecourt, near Edmonton, and presented challenges due to its position at the bottom of a steep hill and the snowy weather. Our team carefully assessed the site to guarantee that our cranes could access the area without any difficulties. Despite the obstacles posed by the sloping terrain and snowstorm, our skilled operators safely navigated the cranes to the site, showcasing their expertise and dedication.

Our team brought their 130-ton Tadano ATF 110G-5 crane to the site, with Jay operating it while Nate and Lloyd acted as riggers. The first obstacle they faced was mud, a common issue due to the time of year. However, the crew had taken some precautions during the site orientation to mitigate the muddy conditions. After completing the orientation, they were ready to start the job. The HVAC units were scheduled to arrive after the crane was set up and ready. The team began with two smaller units before lifting the behemoth 16,000lb unit. They made sure that the crane boom didn’t exceed 96ft. The job was completed successfully, and there were no delays.

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The lift was scheduled for nighttime to avoid disruptions to the busy traffic in the area. Our crew arrived on-site early to set up the equipment and prepare for the lift. We carefully coordinated with the client and other contractors involved in the project to ensure that everyone was aware of the lift schedule and any potential hazards.

Once everything was in place, we began hoisting the HVAC units to the top of the superstore. Our 200-ton crane was used to lift the heaviest units, while our 50-ton crane was used to reach the units closer to the side of the building. Our crew worked together to spot and direct the crane operators, rig the new units, and direct the old units onto a trailer for removal.

Throughout the lift, safety was our top priority. We followed all safety protocols and conducted a post-lift inspection to ensure that the site was left clean and free of any hazards. Our regular maintenance and inspections of our cranes also helped ensure that everything was in top condition and ready to perform any task.

On Wednesday, September 13th, at around 5:30 p.m., we received a call about a flipped-over plane on a runway at the Springbank Airport just west of Calgary, Alberta. Dispatch and management made a lift plan and deemed our two 30-ton cranes capable of this job. One crane was our Manitex 30102C, which Nate Tobin operated. The second crane was a Manitex 30100C operated by Kirean Bibo (Beebs). Both operators have worked many hours with these cranes in different scenarios. This project was supervised by our friends at Rangeland Truck & Crane.

When our crane operators reached the site, they were quickly escorted to the runway. The front portion of the plane had sustained heavy damage, but the fire department had taken care of any potential leaks, and the aircraft was deemed safe to lift. Our crew ran through the game plan with all parties present and began the lift. Just on the runway’s edge was a vacant parking lot where a small crowd began to form. Word travels fast, and these people likely wanted to look before driving home; our crew gave them quite a show.

Time was limited, and the crew wanted to get off the runway before dark. Beebs had his hook attached near the wings, while Nate had his hook attached to the plane’s tail. Beebs came up on the line until the plane was high enough for Nate to detach his hook. The crew at Rangeland Truck & Crane turned the plane around so Nate could reattach his hook closer to the wing. Nate came up on line, and Beebs slowly lowered his. Once the plane had its wheels facing down, Nate and Beebs could slowly place it back on the runway. The plane was successfully flipped! Our crew cleaned up, handed the remaining tasks over to the airport crew, and were escorted back to the airport’s gates, where they filled out the required paperwork and recapped the lift before returning to our yard.

By utilizing this lift planning technology we are able to decide what size of crane and which boom configuration is required before we arrive on site. There is a lot of important information that goes into deciding what type of crane to use for each scenario, this includes but is not limited to

• Location of set up
• The weight of the load,
• the centre of gravity of the load,
• the dimensions of the load,
• the radius we have to place the load,
• height restrictions and obstructions in the way
• provide safety precautions related to wind, communications or other site specific hazards

The rigging is also a critical component of the lift plan and can include:

• what size shackles are needed,
• what capacity slings to use,
• Where are the approved lifting locations on the load,
• if you need any special lifting devices to properly lift the load,

All these things are important for a successful lift and are best planned in advance.