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7/20/2005
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“Wind” of the Future
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 “Wind” of the Future
Wind Farms. Creating energy utilizing cost effective ………………………wind. What happens naturally, on a daily basis, is now being utilized to create energy.
Buckner HeavyLift Cranes has become involved in what most people believe to be a long time in coming: Using the wind to create energy. Starting in Lamar, Colorado in 2003, Buckner Heavylift Cranes Certified Crane Operator’s have erected 350 to 400 1.5 MW Wind Turbines on 80 meter towers in Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas, New Mexico, Oregon and Oklahoma. Additional and future sites are Montana, California, South Dakota, Maryland, Washington, Winnipeg, Manitoba and New York.
Utilizing Liebherr LR-1400 crawler cranes equipped with 300 plus feet of boom, these Crane Operators have endured intense weather conditions varying from extreme heat to severe cold, long hours, absences from their families and what has been called “isolation” at various remote locations. Even though the Liebherr LR-1400 cranes have heaters and air conditioners, imagine sitting 14 to 18 hours in a small box, all the while keeping your eyes and ears open for anything that may look out of place. While these wind turbines require winds to operate, erecting the wind turbines require different weather conditions. Moderate skies and minimal wind conditions are both factors with this type of lift. Thunderstorms were another obstacle to endure.
The “lifts” themselves consisted of sections of the towers, ranging in weight from 70,000 to 130,000 pounds. The wind turbine cells and gearboxes with weights up to 137,000 pounds. The heaviest turbine cell weighed in at 142,000 pounds, with an additional lift required for the gear box, weighing 90,000 pounds. This wind turbine is located in Medicine Bow, Wyoming, with the turbine cell and gear box sitting atop a 78 meter (255 feet) tower. Currently, Buckner is planning and preparing to execute a lift of approximately 200,000 lbs.
As of August 2005, Buckner has 10 Liebherr LR-1400 crawler cranes on location, erecting wind farms at various locations across the United States and in Canada. In addition to the challenges of the lifts, Buckner HeavyLift Cranes has had ZERO OSHA recordable incidents.
You might say Buckner is “blowing away” the wind farm erection competition!
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