Industrial Case Studies

To support the power industry, a team of skilled Walker Brothers heavy equipment movers disassembled, lifted, and transported old power equipment from an underground substation in the heart of Beverly Hills.

This project presented challenges, but the Walker Brothers team faced each hurdle with knowledge, preparation, experience, and by teaming up with Intermountain Rigging and Heavyhaul, an Omega Morgan Company, for a portion of the work.

In all, they executed the job safely and to the full satisfaction of their customer.

Project at a glance:

• Specs: Numerous power equipment components, each weighing up to 22,000 pounds
• Crew: 3-4 Walker Brothers crew members, 3 IRH crew members
• Equipment Used: 20-ton forklifts with custom hydraulic hoist boom, 8-ton carry deck crane, 40-ton hydraulic crane with custom rigging, dollies, trucks and trailers
• The Task: Rigging and moving old power equipment, including transformers and switchgears, from an underground substation and transporting the machinery off site

High-Stakes Equipment Removal Services

Handling infrastructure that sustains local grids requires extreme precision and safety in every instance. For this project, that need was ten-fold due to a number of unique circumstances.

The Challenges:

1. The power equipment was housed in an underground substation built in the 1950s.
2. All equipment needed to be moved in and out through a single access point.
3. Fully assembled, the power equipment which included transformers and switchgear, was too large and heavy to lift through the access point.
4. Since the project took place in the heart of Beverly Hills, the above ground space for large trucks, trailers, and other essential equipment was limited.

The Walker Brothers team tackled each of these challenges with absolute professionalism, providing actionable solutions.

The Solutions:

1. To maintain above grade integrity while lifting the equipment out of the substation, the Walker Brothers team contracted and engineered temporary structural shoring to ensure safe work below grade.
2. Maintaining the flow of work while moving equipment in and out of the single access point required careful coordination by the Walker Brothers crew. They worked with other onsite contractors and city inspectors to ensure operations moved as safely and efficiently as possible.
3. Walker Brothers and the IRH asset recovery team worked together to safely disassemble the old power equipment so it could be removed from the substation. The largest piece of equipment after dismantling was 22,000 pounds.
4. Through coordination and communication, the Walker Brothers transportation crew successfully managed to stage, load, and move their trucks and equipment in the tight space above the substation.

Heavy Equipment Transport Workflow

To address the scale and scope of the equipment removal, Walker Brothers implemented a coordinated workflow using specialized industrial equipment:

• Logistics Execution: The Walker Brothers team worked with the customer, the city of Beverly Hills, and the local utility company over the course of five years to plan the logistics of the complex equipment move.
• Initial Disassembly and Rigging: Components were prepared for movement, with the largest load calculated at 22,000 pounds.
• Precision Maneuvering: The team utilized a combination of 20-ton forklifts with custom hydraulic hoist boom and heavy-duty dollies to maneuver the equipment out of tight spaces within the substation.
• Vertical Lifting: Using an 8-ton carry deck crane and 40-ton hydraulic crane with custom rigging, the team hoisted the equipment components from the basement onto transport beds.
• Equipment Removal: The Walker Brothers transport team removed all power equipment components off site. Some were taken to special facilities for recycling and disposal, others were taken directly to scrap.

Industrial Machinery Movers Who Deliver Results

At the project’s conclusion, all utility equipment was successfully relocated, the customer was fully satisfied with the work, and Walker Brothers was happy for the opportunity to support the power industry in southern California.