Wastewater Treatment Plant Modifications, Dry Pit Pump Hoist - Town of Dyer, IN (2011)
It used to take three men, 30 minutes to pull a pump motor, and it now takes just one man, 10 minutes with a significant improvement in operator safety. Sometimes even small projects can be very rewarding once completed. This was certainly the case on a project for the Town of Dyer at their Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The existing, dry pit influent pumps for the plant were located in a pit, about 20 feet below the basement floor level inside the Treatment Building. There was an existing hoist system for lifting pump components for maintenance and repair operations, but the centerline of the crane rail beam was offset about five feet from the centerline of the three pumps. Directly over the centerline of the pumps were the stairs down to the basement floor level, which had originally dictated the offset of the crane rail. When pump motors were pulled for maintenance, they could only be pulled at a lift angle, instead of a direct vertical lift, making lifting operations difficult and potentially unsafe.
NIES Engineering, Inc. was asked to come up with an alternative lifting solution to improve lifting operations and safety for Plant Operators. The solution was to install a wall cantilever jib crane, with a 2 Ton electric operated hoist and hand geared trolley, inside the 20 feet deep influent pump pit at a construction cost of $44,500. The jib crane can swivel, in a 180-degree arc, to make a vertical lift on any of the three pumps and then set the pump down to allow a vertical lift up to the basement floor level by the existing hoist system. For most routine maintenance operations, making the second lift up to the basement floor level is not required. The project also installed floor grating systems down at the pump level to improve operator access around the pumps.
According to Plant Superintendent, Jeff Dzurovcak, "the lifting system and grating improvements have dramatically improved pump maintenance operations. It used to take three men, 30 minutes to pull a pump motor and it now takes one man, 10 minutes with a significant improvement in Operator safety." Very rewarding indeed.
Key Points
- Improved Safety
- Cost Effective
- Rehabilitation
- Increased Efficiency
