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Lift Planning and Engineering - Mobile Cranes

The following projects highlight the specialized lift planning and professional engineering services provided by 2DM Associates, Inc. for lifting projects utilizing mobile cranes.


Manitowoc 2250

Refinery Equipment Lifts and Installations

Shown at left is one of numerous equipment installation lifts made by a number of different contractors at Marathon Petroleum's Robinson, Illinois refinery over the course of an engagement with Marathon that ran from 1992 through 2019. Services provided by 2DM Associates included design of spreader bars and other below-the-hook lifting devices, review of critical lift plans, calculation of crane ground bearing pressures and analysis of crane mats, and analysis of underground pipes and structures.


4100W Ringer

Manitowoc 4100W Ringer® Installation

This project at Rockwell International's Rocketdyne facility in Santa Susana, California, required the lifting of numerous vessels, the heaviest of which weighed about 120 tons. Based on the geometry of the lifts, the contractor, Bragg Crane & Rigging, chose a Manitowoc 4100W Series 3 Ringer as the primary lift crane. 2DM Associates engineered the installation of the Ringer at two locations in the plant for these lifts. The location shown at left required the analysis of a pit wall and the design of shoring to support the wall. The second location required the design of drilled piers and grade beams to support the ring. 2DM Associates also reviewed all of Bragg's rigging procedures and provided on-site support during each lift.


Two-crane lift of turbine

Lifts of Turbine Generator Components

The rigging contractor, Crane Rental Corporation (now a part of Maxim Crane Works, L.P.), was tasked with unloading a set of turbine generator components from rail cars (shown at left), hauling them into the plant, and setting them on the pedestal. 2DM Associates performed detailed planning of each two-crane lift. Due to very constricted space at the pedestal, each lift plan required the preparation of step-by-step drawings to illustrate the lift and to check clearances between the load and the crane booms. Evaluation of the rigging and ground bearing pressures under the cranes rounded out the services provided on this project.


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As of October 1, 2019, 2DM Associates, Inc. is no longer providing professional engineering services.