Bigge Power

Bigge Power Constructors has successfully replaced another Reactor Vessel Closure Head at a West-Coast nuclear power plant. Utilizing hydraulic platform trailers, gantry systems and proprietary rigging, the 150 ton high-value replacement Reactor Head was transported, moved inside containment, lifted and set into position after the old radiologically sensitive Reactor Head was removed by the same reverse process.

Bigge first moved the 300,000 lbs. Reactor Head to the containment equipment hatch using a self-propelled platform trailer. Inside of the equipment hatch opening, the floor was elevated, causing a weight restriction for loading. The weight of the Reactor Head and rigging equipment far exceeded the allowable weight limits of the floor. Using a specialized method Bigge developed for a number of similar plants’ conditions in the Eastern United States, Bigge inserted the Reactor Head inside the containment opening without putting a single pound of weight on the interior floor. The Reactor Head was cantilevered through the containment opening using a Bigge Electronic Steered Self Propelled Hydraulic Platform Trailer, with a Bigge engineered and fabricated Cantilevered Handling Device mounted on top. Bigge positioned the Reactor Head under the Polar-Crane hook, which was then attached to the Reactor Head rigging hardware - a custom solution engineered and fabricated by Bigge - and the head was lifted vertically through three floor openings and over the top of many safety-related systems. The unit was then rotated 90 degrees and transported through the unit until it reached the Reactor stand. Clearance for this operation was often less than one inch.

This highly sensitive and mission-critical project took the experience and skillset of Bigge’s expert in-house engineering staff and specially trained crew. The project operated on a 24/7 basis and was completed ahead of schedule with no property damage or accidents of any kind.

Bigge Power Constructors is the leading nuclear rigging company in the United States, with the most extensive experience in the industry for Reactor Vessel Closure Head replacements, steam generator replacements, stator replacements, pressurizer replacements, plant decommissioning and new plant construction. Bigge operates under a NQA-1 quality program and operates worldwide.

For more information regarding Bigge’s capabilities, please contact Gedge Knopf at 510-638-8100 or gknopf@bigge.com.

Lifting for the Hetch-Hetchy

Here we are lifting sections of pipe with a Liebherr LTM1220 for the Hetch Hetchy pipeline in Northern California. This 265-ton all-terrain crane was configured with 163,000 lbs. of counterweight, and was lifting at a 95 foot radius. We’ve been intermittently working on the pipeline, replacing pipes and valves, on an as-needed basis.

The Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct is a 167 mile long system of dams, reservoirs, and pipelines that supply San Francisco and its neighboring regions’ with drinking water.

For any kind of major replacement project to happen, a portion of the aqueduct must be shut down. This means that the outage must be completed quickly, with no deviations from the schedule. During this particular outage, we were setting 50 foot pipe sections that each weighed 33,000 lbs.

Thanks to our experience, planning and organization we were able to complete the setting of these sections on time.

For more information please call or email Wayne Matheny at 510-638-8100 or wmatheny@bigge.com.

Refinery Turnaround Time

Over a period of two months, Bigge provided about 30 operated cranes that worked day and night to complete a first-quarter turnaround at a California Refinery.

Bigge’s team of project managers, engineers, supervisors, and safety professionals were all involved on this very large and time-sensitive project. Bigge also provided rigging support for scheduled maintenance and upgrades on all heavy equipment.

Notably, we used a Liebherr LR1200SX in luffing configuration to provide hoisting for multiple plants which served to eliminate congestion in the area and save money for our customer. We also used a free-standing Peiner SK415 tower crane at an adjacent location to service various plant structures and processes. Using the SK415 freed up space within the site, allowing us to use just this one crane to perform jobs that would have otherwise required three to four cranes.

Bigge has extensive experience working within refinery jobsites and an impressive array of cranes that can tackle any job you need done. Cramped spaces, oversized loads and excessive height requirements are not a problem.

If you would like more information regarding this job, or if you have refinery work you need quoted, please call or email David Peralta at 510-638-8100 or dperalta@bigge.com.

Bigge's Hoists and Tower Cranes

Bigge recently dismantled a tower crane we had provided for the construction of a new hospital in Southern California, after being on-site for over a year. For the job, we are also providing single and dual car hoists.

The tower crane was one of Bigge’s Peiner SK575 models, configured with a height under hook of 254 feet and a jib reach of 229 feet. It was set up within the nine-story building’s elevator shaft. To dismantle the SK575, we used a Demag AC500 all-terrain mobile crane with 154 feet of main boom, 197 feet of luffing jib, and 308,000 lbs. of counterweight.

Though we removed the tower crane, the two Alimak Scando 650 hoists we’re operating are still on-site. They’re placed on opposite ends of the structure so that crews working on the project have more immediate access to whichever side of the building they need to get to.

If you have a project coming up that needs construction hoists or tower cranes, please call or email Jesse Sullivan for more information at 510-638-8100 or jsullivan@bigge.com.

Loading and Offloading at the Port

A Southwestern port has been utilizing a few cranes from Bigge’s fleet. Two of our American HC275 crawler cranes, each with 190 feet of main boom, and one of our Link-Belt HC278 truck cranes have been on-site, loading and unloading materials onto ships.

For about ten days the crews will be using the three cranes to load scrap metal onto the ships for transport. Eventually, our crews will switch gears and offload drilling soil from an incoming ship. This offload will be tricky, and we will have to first lift a 65,000 lbs. excavator into the ship’s hull. The excavator will be there to load the soil into skid-pans that are then removed from the ship and emptied.

We service the entire Southwest region through our Houston office. If you would like more information about our fleet please call or email Mike Tilghman at 713-434-0995 or mtilghman@bigge.com.

Coliseum Change-out

The Oakland Coliseum recently underwent its bi-annual reconfiguration. We had over 40 crew members on-site to remove bleachers and relocate them to their storage area.

This switchover involves removing 77 sets of bleachers from the outfield, with some changes to the infield seating as well. This all had to be done to reshape the rectangular football field into the familiar diamond-shaped baseball field.

Bigge has been a part of this yearly change for almost two decades. If you have any questions regarding this project, or if you have an upcoming project in the Oakland area, please call or email Marcus Leaverton at 510-638-8100 or mleaverton@bigge.com.