Rising to a Rigging Challenge: Custom Tank Installation in North Philadelphia

The Project Scope

As part of a major rigging project in North Philadelphia, R. Baker & Son faced a complex installation challenge: rigging, completely assembling, and setting 12 large fiberglass cylindrical tanks, each with a 17,000-gallon capacity. The tanks were to be delivered and anchored to waiting concrete pads in the rear of the facility. The agitators, blades, motors, and instruments shipped separately and would be assembled on site.

Coordinating Custom Equipment Delivery

The custom fiberglass tanks were fabricated and shipped on schedule from North Carolina, arriving on 12 separate wide-load tractor trailers. Each tank measured approximately 12 feet wide by 20 feet high, requiring careful logistics and planning for safe transportation and installation.

The tank agitators were custom-designed and fabricated to mix process slurry within the fiberglass tanks. These stainless steel agitators were manufactured in Alabama and shipped separately to the site. Due to the horizontal positioning of the tanks during transport and the risk of the agitators shifting in transit, the two components couldn't be shipped together. This meant the agitators and tanks would be assembled together for the first time on site, in a vertical position, in Philadelphia.

The Installation Process Begins

Once on site, R. Baker rigging crews deployed an 80-ton hydraulic crane with an extended jib to lift each tank into its vertical position directly from each tractor trailer in an assembly-line fashion at the building's large opening. The process appeared to be progressing smoothly—until a critical issue emerged.

A Show-Stopping Challenge

The problem became evident as crews lifted the 20-foot agitators with monolithic hubs to position them above and into the waiting tanks. The stainless steel hubs on the 4-inch stainless shaft were 1 inch too large to fit through the tanks' center top 16-inch reinforced flange. This was a complete show-stopper, preventing the agitators from being installed in the tanks and the tanks from being moved into the building.

Problem-Solving and Quick Action

Working collaboratively with the agitator manufacturer, R. Baker sent detailed photos with exact measurements to assess the issue. After careful analysis, the team agreed on a solution: remove or grind down corner sections of the agitator hubs to reduce the cross-sectional area, allowing the agitators to fit inside the tanks.

R. Baker immediately brought in a specialty stainless steel contractor the next morning to set up an on-site workspace. The contractor carefully ground down the hubs, rounded them, and polished them to like-new condition, ensuring both functionality and appearance were maintained.

Completing the Installation

As each 20-foot agitator shaft and hub was modified to fit properly, the R. Baker team assembled the agitators, 25-horsepower motors, and tanks together in sequence before moving them into the building in a safe and timely manner.

Once the tanks were transported from the front of the building to the rear and positioned on their pads, a second R. Baker team worked on centering each tank into its exact position and anchoring them with large epoxy anchors. After the tanks were securely set in place, crews mounted the agitator blades, baffles, and all associated instrumentation and lighting to complete the installation.

Successful Project Completion

Working in a coordinated sequence between various teams, R. Baker was able to complete the work on time, safely, and with quality results. Through effective collaboration with the client and vendors, the team successfully solved a problem that had stopped the project in its tracks and got everything back on schedule.

R. Baker & Son - Rigging & Demoliton Contractors
190 Boundary Road
Marlboro, NJ 07746
732-222-3553

https://www.rbaker.com/rigging-contractors.php