Remove, Repair and Reinstall Cranes

Location: San Antonio, Chile
Client: Port City of San Antonio
Project: Crane Removal, Repair and Reinstall

On February 27th 2010 in the Chilean port city of San Antonio, two container cranes were unloading a container ship when an 8.8 earthquake struck.  The earthquake was centered only a short distance from the city causing the operators to abandon the cranes. The ship was ordered to leave port and put to sea to avoid being tied to dock and suffering tsunami damage. Unfortunately the cranes were not boomed up and one spreader was still attached to a sea-can on the ship.  The operator made a hasty retreat and the ship was forced to push its way past the cranes causing extensive damage to both cranes.

GRT was commissioned to mobilize crews & equipment and go to Chile in the spring of 2010. Its job was to stabilize the cranes, then move the cranes to a lay-down area on the port and repair them to working order. Experience, innovation and a lot of hard work is what it took to bring these two container cranes back into working condition.

Repairs to the cranes included:
⦁    Section replacements on both booms caused by severe structural impact damage.
⦁    Flame Straitening of both booms which were both severely bent
⦁    Realignment of the boom rails.
⦁    Complete rebuild of one of the boom tip platforms and repairs to the other.
⦁    Section replacements on 3 of 4 legs on one crane due to severe twisting damage.
⦁    Replacement of one portal beam on one crane due to twisting damage.
⦁    Complete rebuild of the back reach platform on one crane.
⦁    Replacement of all cable, Boom hoists, Main hoists and trolley drives.
⦁    Rebuild of some trolley platforms due to impact damage.

GRT's crane services include emergency response and quick mobilization, preventive maintenance, crane repairs and modification, as well as, new crane assembly and installation.