Bigge Crane & Rigging Co.

Since 1916, The Leader in Crane Sales & Heavy Rigging
for Industrial, Commercial and Governmental Applications

Bigge Power Constructors, as subcontractor to Westinghouse, performed the following nuclear reactor vessel head (RVH) replacement work involving heavy lift and heavy transportation.

• Engineered custom solutions for the plant’s head and Containment circumstances
• Fabricated lifting and skidding devices to move the RVH heads
• Ensured devices account for RVH with CRDM’s attached
• Ensured devices account for extremely tight clearances through equipment hatches with the RVH only 2” in diameter smaller than the equipment hatch
• Installed specialized Bigge handling equipment at Containment consisting of a platform trailer, specialized cantilever beams, lifting gantry, A Frames and wheels
• Removed the existing RVH from Containment
• Moved into Containment, upended, lifted and set replacement RVH with CRDM’s attached
• Transported RVH and installed Duratek container and trans-loaded for road travel to disposal

Bigge Constructors successfully dealt with the following challenges on this project.

• Engineering unique solution to RVH accounting for CRDM’s, tight clearances and the at-grade equipment hatch access
• Bigge created an industry-first cantilever lifting system which placed no load on the Reactor
• Building floors and coped with the lack of space for a through-hatch runway
• Handling and lifting RV heads with CRDM’s attached, approximately 150 tons
• Beating the critical path schedule while achieving low dose and safety

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