Reducing Downtime by Building Up High

Limited Space Calls for In-Air Crane Assembly

Mammoet has completed the demolition and replacement of five heater furnaces in the center of a congested, 86-year old plant located in Texas City. The dimensional constraints in the refinery made crane construction a challenge as there was no available space to lay down the boom and jib. Mammoet’s ability to construct two CC8800 cranes mid-air and safely maneuver them in such a tight space meant larger sections of the furnaces could be salvaged and installed. This approach helped cut the project’s duration by more than one month and get the refinery back online sooner.

The east CC8800 jib was installed while suspended in the air by two cranes while the west CC8800 jib and the main boom were assembled mid-air above inactive pipe racks. Once completed, the two CC8800 cranes were able to realize more than 50 critical lifts over several months. 

The new furnaces will feed into a single stack and increase the efficiency and production capacity of the refinery. Mammoet’s experienced teams have carried out major petrochemical projects around the world with lifting equipment capable of addressing a broad range of requirements.