A fleet of Link-Belt crawler cranes is being used by State Service, an EPC contractor, at an offshore drilling platform site near Ingleside, Texas, US, to handle steel components for large modular constructions.
The equipment, consisting of two 300t 348 Series 2s, two TCC-800 telecrawlers, two 500t 548 rigs and a 238 HSL, lifts steel structures weighing as much as 600t.
These structures are designed to endure harsh weather conditions, including high winds and turbulent waters.
The cranes are capable of raising steel platforms measuring over 100ft² and 10ft high to a height of 50ft above other sections of the drilling rig.
This operation forms part of State Service’s modular construction process, which is intended to enable faster project delivery and provide oil and gas clients with more flexible solutions.
State Service manager and rigging superintendent Thomas Angleman said that the reach of the cranes is a priority in modular construction.
Angleman added: “With this work, the footprint of the crane is critical. Where the modules are closer together, you can use a 100t to 300t crane rather than something bigger. The smaller crane usually is more manoeuvrable and quicker to get into more accessible locations around the site.”
State Service uses its fleet of 348 Series 2s, 238 HSL, and TCC-800 telecrawlers to build modular components for a liquified natural gas plant off-site.
Completed modules are then transported with self-propelled modular trailer transporters onto barges and taken to a permanent site nearby.
Typical modules are 60ft tall, with lengths between 120ft and 200ft and widths from 24ft to 40ft. The modules are positioned up to 15ft apart.
State Service maintenance supervisor Ted Little cited the advantages of the TCC-800’s telescopic boom for accessing the modules.
Little said: “They move really well through the yard. We do a lot of picking and carrying, and we run a lot of equipment from one end to the other over a local 10-acre site.”
Little also noted the Link-Belt LMI touchscreen system for its ease of configuration and troubleshooting, as well as the usefulness of the camera system.
Delivery of the cranes was managed by B-C Equipment Sales of Corpus Christi, Texas.
