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Interlocking Crane and Curved Monorail Replacement for the City of Providence, Rhode Island Water Department

When Providence Water made the determination that its existing Patented Track monorail and interlocking crane system was structurally deficient, they began the search for a local crane company who could remove and replace the system safely, efficiently, and effectively.

The Challenge

  • As Providence Water is responsible for providing treated drinking water for the City of Providence and its surrounding communities, there could not be any downtime for the chlorine tanks in the area. The existing crane, runways, hangers, and monorail would have to be removed, and the new structure, hangers, crane and monorail would need to be installed while working over and around active chlorination tanks.
  • The new system, custom designed and engineered for the area and application, required new ceiling penetrations in order for proper support and bracing.
  • The curved monorail, which allowed travel out a door and over a loading dock, fit through a tight, weatherproof, cutout in an exterior door. The existing monorail was too low and the top of the trucks would occasionally hit the monorail. The new monorail would need to be raised. As a result, the existing door opening would need to be modified to fit the new monorail size and location.

The Solution

  • Mass Crane and Hoist's team of engineers visited the jobsite several times. During these site visits, they worked with Providence Water to determine their material handling needs and limitations as well as measure the existing system, building, and equipment.
  • A new system, similar to the old but upgraded and improved to meet Providence Water's requests, was designed, engineered and submitted by Mass Crane and ultimately approved by Providence Water.
  • Once the time came for installation, Mass Crane's team of millwrights and technicians worked hand in hand with Providence Water employees to remove the existing system and install the new system, ensuring not only that the project was completed in a timely manner, but that their chlorine tanks and process would not be disrupted or interrupted during the mobilization.
  • The final product is a ceiling mounted, under-running, 2-Ton patented track bridge crane. The system features an interlock (shown above) which allows the hoist/trolley carrier to make a pick under the crane’s 2-axis coverage, then connect and travel onto a monorail, through two (2) 90 degree turns and an exterior door. The door was modified with a brand new custom, weatherproof cutout, that fits the new monorail size, location, and conductor bar while keeping a weather-tight connection when the doors are shut. The second 90 degree turn brings the carrier out over a loading dock for load/unload onto a truck.

In February 2017, Mass Crane and Hoist commissioned the 2-Ton crane and monorail, completing the job with an 125% capacity load test per ASME specification, and handed back over to Providence water for their use. All the work was performed safely and efficiently, and the facility didn’t face any down-time or loss of productivity during the replacement.