Custom Fabricated Barge Stabilizer Supports 1500 Ton Crane

The construction of a bridge is an amazing feat. We likely travel across some sort of bridge structure on our morning commute each day. Building a bridge across a large body of water requires additional equipment and planning in order to establish the foundation structure that will support the bridge. 

An Overview of the Project

Swanton Welding recently completed a unique structural steel project for a contractor building a bridge in the Gulf of Mexico. Our contribution to this project was the fabrication of stabilizing beam that would tie two large barges together to support a 1500 ton crane that would be used to drive in the bridge pilings. This crane would be driving the bridge pilings through the soft soil beneath the surface of the water until it reaches a hard layer of compacted soil or rock. The weight of the crane coupled with the additional weight of the bridge pilings and the action of driving the piling into the earth required a stable platform for this crane to rest upon.

How Did We Fabricate the Barge Stabilizer?

We started with 36” wide x 302# per foot steel beams. These massive beams were processed through our Ficep Beam line, CNC machined, and then applied with full penetration welds. All full pen joints were Ultrasonic Tested and bolts were tightened to 700 foot pounds of torque.

The longest pieces were over 90 foot and the total weight topped 300,000 pounds.

These massive beams that contributed to the construction of a bridge are one example of the structural steel capabilities of Swanton Welding. Our skilled team is experienced with tackling the largest and most challenging of custom fabrication projects to provide solutions that will aid in the construction of your unique project.