80,000 lbs.
Boiler Move
Air Skid Case Study
The Situation
Standard Cartage Co. lead a large project involving the movement and installation of eight 80,000 lbs. boilers in O’Hare International Airport’s heating and refrigerating plant. The boilers heat the entire airport, even during Chicago’s coldest winters, and are a critical part of the airport’s operation. Trying to find a way to position and maneuver these large boilers through the plant’s existing structural steel, various catwalks, and fire sprinkler systems proved to be a challenge since a crane system would not be viable.
The Solution
Low Down Height
The low down height of the air casters allowed for the boilers to be used with a custom skidding system using six of Airfloat’s 30” Air Skids.
Maneuverability
Using Air Skids gave operators the freedom to control the boilers with maximum precision, making it possible to carefully move the load around tight spaces.
Floor Load Limit
The floor of the heating plant had a load limit of 200 lbs. per square foot, making a wheeled solution not possible without cracking the concrete – leading to the use of air caster technology.
The Result
By utilizing air caster technology, Standard Cartage Co. was able to overcome their obstacles of a low floor load limit and a tight, existing workspace. Moving the 80,000 lbs. boilers could be done with just 4-6 workers maneuvering the load. Utilizing Air Skids allowed Standard Cartage to spend less time worrying about how to put the boilers in place and helped ensure a safe working environment with the Air Skids’ low down height and on-the-ground operation.
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