Friday roundup: boilers, batteries and breaking age bias

Monday

Berard Transportation executed a complex multimodal move involving three massive boiler components travelling from Abilene, Texas, USA, to a refinery near New Orleans, Louisiana. With road access limited on both ends, Berard devised a creative solution by combining overland transport with barge navigation.

The components of the boiler included a 64 tonne superheater, a 184 tonne HP evaporator and a 136 tonne LP evaporator

The cargo included a 64 tonne (141,000 lb) superheater, a 184 tonne (406,000 lb) HP evaporator, and a 136 tonne (300,000 lb) LP evaporator. The team used a range of specialized trailers and self propelled modular transporter (SPMT) to transfer the units onto Berard’s BTI 1945 deck barge near Houston. From there the barge travelled 644 km (400 miles) through inland waterways to a rarely used dock just 4.8 km (3 miles) from the refinery.

“Meticulous planning was essential due to the cargo’s width and the transport vehicle’s length,” said Brett Berard. “We worked closely with marine partners to ensure a smooth and safe journey.” The final leg involved a carefully mapped roll-off through a shallow fishing channel, completing an 789 km (490 mile) engineering feat.

Wednesday

Investigating the way tower cranes are powered reveals surprising news, especially around efficiency or, in most cases, a distinct lack of it.

“What is the most efficient way to power tower cranes?” asked Dr Andrew Deakin, technical director at Dumarey Green Power based in the UK, as he started the discussion at the 2025 ITC tower crane conference in Rome, early June.

Dr. Andrew Deakin giving his insight into the different technologies and challenges of more efficiently powering tower cranes. Photo: Joe Mather/KHL

To help answer this question Deakin interrogated real data, including the actual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions created when powering tower cranes. He looked at a range of solutions, in addition to conventional diesel generators, including battery energy storage systems (BESS), flywheel technology and alternative fuels.

What Deakin found was that there is a staggering amount of wasted energy and inefficiency in operation. He went on to discuss ways to improve things.

Battery energy storage systems can enable small grids to power more cranes or they can eliminate the need for a generator. New technologies combining flywheels and BESS can make it cheaper overall and reduce CO2 emissions by more than 90 per cent. After that alternative fuels will be able to get that last 10 per cent, eventually.

Thursday

Age doesn’t define ability – and new research proves it. As more certification programmes move online, the construction industry is raising questions about fairness for older candidates who may not use computers regularly. CCO in the USA conducted a study of more than 16,000 mobile crane operator candidates to examine whether online proctored testing creates barriers based on age.

Take a closer look at CCO's groundbreaking study evaluating online exams and operator age

The results? Age-neutral. While older candidates were slightly more likely to choose in-person exams, those who opted for online proctoring performed just as well as younger test-takers on core exams. Differences in pacing and modality preferences were minimal, with no evidence of unfair disadvantages.

The study highlights how flexible exam delivery can expand access without compromising fairness. As certification bodies continue to evolve, employers are encouraged to support digital readiness by ensuring all candidates have the tools to succeed.