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Project Overview
Nordholm Companies completed the relocation of a Harbor Industrial 100-foot gauge container crane in Long Beach, California. The project required the development of a customized transport system capable of moving a large container crane through an active industrial environment with severe clearance restrictions. Using engineered transport beams, hydraulic lift systems, and precision-controlled heavy haul equipment, the crane was safely relocated while maintaining continuous control of both load stability and travel path.
The LogistiCs Challenge
Moving a 100-foot gage container crane is a major undertaking under normal conditions. This move presented an additional problem—the crane was nearly 50 feet too tall to pass through the required route. The solution required more than simply moving the crane. Nordholm had to develop a way to reduce the crane's transport height while maintaining control of the structure, managing the loads, and navigating extremely limited clearance. With the highest portion of the crane removed and repositioned, the team created the clearance needed to move
engineered SOLUTION
Nordholm developed a coordinated system using custom bracing, hydraulic skid systems, and partial disassembly to make the move possible. The crane's apex was lifted from the structure and lowered onto the trolley girder. This reduced the overall transport height enough to navigate beneath the bridge.
Then another challenge surfaced: The available barge had been damaged.
Rather than stop the operation, Nordholm adapted the moving system. Additional skid systems were used to distribute the loads safely across the barge deck and dock structure. This is where experience matters. The solution wasn't simply a piece of equipment. It was an engineered system built around the conditions of the job.
Equipment Built Around the Move
Custom Engineered Moving Equipment
Project-specific rigging, support structures, and transport components developed to address the unique site constraints
Hydraulic Lift System
High-capacity hydraulic lifting equipment used to transfer, support, and control the crane during all phases of the move.
No two heavy moves are the same. Nordholm combines hydraulic systems, custom supports, structural bracing, and specialized transport equipment to build a moving system around the load and the site conditions.
Hydraulic Power & Steering Systems
Remote-controlled hydraulic steering and power units allowing operators to accurately position and navigate the crane through restricted clearances.
Hydraulic Dolly Transport System
Self-contained heavy haul transport dollies providing precise load carrying capability and maneuverability in confined industrial environments.
Transport Beams & Rocker Beams
Engineered structural beam systems designed to safely distribute crane loads into the transport platform while maintaining stability throughout the relocation.