Hale Steel impress with Insulated Metal Panel/Steel Framing Modular Innovation
Hale Steel incorporates Verton’s Everest series to improve safety and efficiency in lifting operations at a distribution centre construction.
Hale Steel are known for their commitment to quality construction and innovation. Both of these qualities were on display in their impressive construction management on site in Little Rock, Arkansas. Not only did they need to work with massive modular insulated metal wall panels, but they also had to create a fully custom steel frame to manage the installation of these panels – a remarkable example of how they rise to the challenge to exceed their client’s expectations.
Hale Steel had a desire to increase safety and productivity in steel structure and prefab insulated metal wall panel installation. In addition, they wanted to improve and learn for future project planning and delivery. They set themselves the challenge to achieve the following key objectives:
Improve worksite safety
Increase lift productivity and efficiency
More efficient load orientation and placement including the safe insertion and withdrawal of wall panels and steel structures
Increase lifting operations and decrease load cycle times
Enable data streaming of lifting operations, benchmarking installations and crane efficiencies.
In order to achieve these ambitious goals, Hale Steel had to think outside the box. Specifically, they needed to invent a way to securely and accurately lift the huge, insulated metal wall panel modules that would connect to build the distribution center. The panels were 32 feet wide, 60 feet tall and weigh as much as 10 tonnes – dimensions that required original thinking. Hale Steel constructed a steel frame to custom fit these insulated metal panels, hold them securely during lifting and placement, allow tilting of the panels and manoeuvrability for a range of positioning.
To elevate the safety and productivity of the project, Hale also collaborated with Verton, using their gyroscopic modules to lift and precisely orientate the concrete panels remotely. Verton’s world-first wireless lifting technology remotely orientates suspended loads without the need for taglines, removing the need for personnel near or under loads.
Hale Steel combined their innovation with Verton’s Everest 6 lifting beam, decreasing the duration of load cycles, reducing potential damage due to lifting operations, and ensuring unmatched accuracy, with loads arriving at their destination in the correct orientation. Hale understood the challenges of working with the massive panels being used for the project, and so applied innovative methods for picking, lifting, and orientating the panels. By comparison, installing eight modular panels for one of the 14,400 sqf walls would usually take 6 days, but Hale was able to do it in just three days using the combined technology. Importantly, all operations were hands-free, with Verton’s remote control orientation empowering a single worker to direct a 10 tonne panel while standing up to (120’) 35m from the load, increasing productivity and safety.
Verton’s Everest 6 was designed as an integrated lifting beam with a 20-tonne safe working load or working load limit. The Everest 6 self-contained lifting beam is designed to be used as a standalone rigging item and does not need to be used with any other spreader bars or lifting beams. The lifting beam not only allows the panel to be rigged only once at ground level for vertical lifting, minimising hoisting and boom lift use, but it also decreases the amount of work personnel need to perform at heights, reducing fall risk. This ensured safety on site and enhanced productivity and also adjust and stabilise loads in the event of sudden wind gusts, ensuring worksite safety and load control at all times.
In addition, mobilisation of Verton’s Everest 6 was able to be completed remotely and ahead of time, allowing for proper training before the project start date. Hale Steel provided a total project solution from engineering a lift plan through to the supply of the required equipment to allow for an effective and efficient lift.
Verton’s collaboration with Hale was conducted within the given timeframe with minimal disruptions which resulted in excellent feedback from Hale Steel. Verton is delighted that it was able to step in and meet the requirements of such an innovative project.
The company undertaking the rest of the distribution centre project, Gray Construction, was impressed by the application of the combine lifting technology with Hale Steel’s and Verton’s innovation. As an international company with high standards, their ongoing dedication to safety means they are constantly on the lookout for the best solutions to dayto-day challenges.
Hale found Verton’s solutions to provide the productivity and smart technology advantages they seeked. The opportunity to complete jobs faster by removing their people from harms way is an attractive combination that could see them taking up Verton technology in their future projects.
Site Manager for Gray, Matt Brown, was excited and impressed by the innovation on show by the Hale/Verton partnership.
“The ability to have both of our QC team safely able to be on the ground and review the entire assembly of each module before the erection of the module is a benefit that I cannot voice enough,” he said.
“We now understand how flexible this system is and how it can be applied to a multitude of evolutions within our ever constricting timetables.”
Both Hale Steel and Verton are committed to providing superior construction and lifting solutions to their clients. Through robust products and innovation, their goal is to perform beyond expectations and set new standards for excellence.
