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Columbia-Snake Repairs get a Lift from Manitowoc 888 by Staff Cranes Today, June 30, 2011

Essex Crane Rental has lifted the tallest lock gate in America to aid repairs at the John Day Dam on the Columbia River using a barge-mounted Manitowoc 888 crawler crane.

As part of a wider repair and maintenance contract being undertaken by contractor Advanced American Construction along the Columbia Snake River system, the 113ft, 1,000USt lock gate was removed and replaced in four separate lifts.

With the largest navigational lock gate section weighing just over 286USt, the difficulties inherent in lifting from a barge required the operator of the 888 crawler to use the Ringer attachment to reduce the load radius and enable lifting from the small barge.

To add stability during each lift the barge used a self-contained ballast system to transfer water between its hull tanks, which also helped secure its bow within six inches of the dam, a critical aspect of the lift.

Configured for a 661USt lifting capacity when used with the Ringer attachment, the 888 was rigged with 700USt of counterweight and 250ft of main boom to give the crane the reach to remove and replace two 65USt components from the lock tower roof 130ft above the barge.

Advanced American Construction's project superintendent, Kainan Bodenlos said: "This job had several sizable hurdles that we had to overcome to make this project a success. Essex Crane's customer support was extraordinary. When we encountered challenges, Essex and Manitowoc worked closely together to ensure we didn't lose time on the job."