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 Framatome ANP, performed the following nuclear reactor vessel head (RVH) replacement work involving heavy lift and heavy transportation, assisting in the achievement of a WORLD RECORD 25-day, 6-hour and 3-minute refueling outage.

• Engineered and fabricated a lifting and skidding device to move the RV head with the CRDM’s attached
• Designed devices to hold the CRDM’s in place while rotation of the RV head occurs
• Designed devices needed to handle an RV head with tight clearances to the elevated (approx. +40’) Containment equipment hatch
• Installed specialized Bigge lifting equipment in Containment including a through-hatch runway system and an in containment gantry lifting system
• Transported RVH and CRDM assembly on platform trailers
• Removed the existing RV head from Containment
• Moved into Containment, rotated, lifted and set the new RV head assembly

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

• Engineered unique solution to RVH with CRDM’s attached
• Handling, skidding, and rotating RVH with CRDM’s attached
• Containment hatch opening elevated approximately +40’ above grade
• Containment hatch opening with only tight clearances to the RV head

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