SC&RA Job of the Year: Barnhart develops new tools for a semiconductor facility job

Barnhart developed two new rigging tools, the Barnhart Lifting Table and Barnhart Jack Masters, and greatly enhanced the schedule and safety at a semiconductor facility construction site supporting the installation of 150 MEP modules.

In January of 2023, Barnhart was asked if it could support the installation of 150 MEP modules at a semiconductor facility construction site. The customer had planned to fabricate 20 by 20-foot modules on site, and then transport and install them one by one.

While the Barnhart team began developing solutions for this process, they asked the question: Is there a more efficient way to accomplish this?

Investigating further, the Barnhart team learned that this method would cause the steel and pipe installer to make hundreds and hundreds of field welds at a height of almost 30 feet off the ground. Some of the pipes were as large as 64 inches in diameter. After further discussion, the Barnhart team learned that if there was a way to fabricate large areas of the MEP steel and pipe in the building and then lift it to the ceiling, this would allow for the reduction in a significant amount of manpower and working at height. It would also allow for the fabricator to install the longest runs of pipe possible to reduce the number of field welds required.

Engineering new tools

The solution was the development of Barnhart Lift Tables (LT50s) and Jack Masters. The fabrication and implementation of these new tools and techniques were the result of thinking through an entirely new method that would involve lifting these large footprints of pipe and steel, some weighing as much as 250,000 pounds, from grade to a height of 26 feet.

The challenge was developing a solution that was versatile enough to be modified for any footprint needing to be lifted, which meant different weights, different centers of gravities and different obstructions.

Due to the lift table’s holding valves, crews were able to work at height to make up the hundreds of bolted connections to securement plates at the ceiling.

“The Barnhart Lift Tables and Jack Masters gave us the versatility we needed to accomplish this extremely tall order,” said Barnhart’s Compton Latture. “Barnhart’s engineering team collaborated with the piping and steel contractor to analyze each layout to determine weight, center of gravity support points and obstructions.”

Each lift arrangement was unique and required meticulous attention to detail to ensure operation was done appropriately. Once the customer confirmed that a module was ready for lift, Barnhart would first install Jack Masters to lift the module from grade to a height of approximately 40 inches.

Once at height and set to safety jack stands, the Lift Tables would be moved into position. The lift tables were then utilized for the main lifting operation of the modules. In a single stroke, the lift tables would lift a module from a collapsed height of 40 inches up to approximately 26 feet in the air, stopping and side-shifting as needed to avoid obstacles until the module came to its final height for securement.

The challenge was developing a solution that was versatile enough to be modified for any footprint needing to be lifted, which meant different weights, different centers of gravities and different obstructions.

Due to the lift table’s holding valves, crews were able to work at height to make up the hundreds of bolted connections to securement plates at the ceiling. This unique solution made module fabrication easier. The number of welders and scaffolding required was drastically reduced.

This solution also increased safety by reducing the number of manhours that would have been spent working and welding at height. Barnhart’s engineering prowess saved three months on the project schedule, completed 41 MEP module area lifts, and brought two brand new tools to market.