Rigging Success: Chiller & Cooling Tower Installation at Jersey Hospital

Recently, R. Baker & Son team was faced with the task of installing a new 1200-ton chiller and double cell cooling tower at a South Jersey hospital. The project was referred to us by a trusted mechanical contractor. With limited space in the hospital's existing mechanical room, the task of maneuvering the large chiller and cooling tower components into place and assembling them would be challenging. Furthermore, the project had faced several scheduling delays due to the hospital's needs, adding to the pressure of completing it efficiently.

The Baker team carefully assessed the site, considering every detail of how the equipment would be brought in and assembled, and devised a meticulous rigging plan. Collaborating with experienced riggers and other contractors, we ensured that we had the necessary equipment and materials to execute the plan effectively.

We finally received a firm rigging date, and with pre-demolition completed, including removal of ductwork and sprinklers, we had a two-day window to get everything done. Utilizing a 130-ton crane with an extended jib, we carefully rigged the chiller in five separate pieces into the building. They were maneuvered through the mechanical room on skates past various other equipment and obstacles, and set onto a new seismic housekeeping pad.

The motor section was raised using a field-fabricated gantry and mounted on top of the condenser and evaporator barrels. This assembly was then lowered and mounted on the power and control cabinets.

The cooling tower was to be erected in a small area adjacent to other equipment. We used the crane to sequentially hoist the cooling tower cells, miscellaneous steel, isolation springs, piping, and control valves to waiting mechanical and electrical crews. Despite the compact quarters and tight schedule, R. Baker & Son was able to complete the project right on time.

 

About R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services

R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services, a Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE), in business since 1935, is a premier specialized contractor operating in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, with over one hundred employees and an exemplary safety record (we have been directly involved in six sites that received VPP OSHA Safety Awards). R. Baker & Son is financially strong, with bonding capabilities of over $20 million. Capabilities include industrial and commercial demolition, rigging, machinery- and plant-moving, dismantling, decommissioning, plant and equipment relocation, interior demolition, selective demolition, warehousing, wrecking and razing, millwright, plant reconfigurations, heavy rigging, salvage, environmental services, remediation, decontamination, abatement, and investment and asset recovery.

R. Baker & Son - All Industrial Services
190 Boundary Road
Marlboro, NJ 07746
732-222-3553

https://www.rbaker.com/