How do They do That? Hoist a 26k Pound Electrical Transformer From ‘B’ Level to ‘A’ Level

A couple of weeks ago, I began my rounds along the frontage road on the south side of the Children’s Hospital tower inside of the safety fence, which runs parallel to Barton Road.  Near the southwest corner there was a small lift suspended about six feet off of grade. Being the curious type, I took a photo and wandered a bit closer thinking the crane operator would be hoisting the lift up to the fifth floor step in….

… To the contrary, the heavy equipment movers, I learned, were preparing the lift to be lowered through a narrow mechanical vault opening to ‘B’ level.

In the upper right photo, the crane operator is carefully positioning the lift over the opening. Upper left, the lift is slowly lowered toward the edge. The lift disappears through the vault opening in the lower left photo. Success, the lift rests on the basement floor (lower right).

Sizing up the center point of the transformer, which had been lowered from grade into the mechanical room on ‘B’ Level.

A view from the fifth floor of the basement: The ‘B’ level vault access opening on the southwest grade. It is through this opening that large and heavy equipment (such as the electrical transformers) and materials are lowered approximately two stories below.

A wider view as photographed from the fifth floor Children’s Hospital podium of the access (lower left) and the transformers in queue to be be lowered through vault opening.

A closeup of the southwest mechanical vault opening as seen from grade.

The vault opening at grade as seen from level ‘B’ from where this electrical transformer was lowered.

Steady as the transformer is lifted inches off the ground.

Positioning for a tight turn.

With the tight turn made, the lift driver spots the transformer into position to raise it into to the opening up on level ‘A.’

The approach and checking the footing clearance (inset).

Safely on ‘A’ level.

The Video illustrating how the heavy equipment movers hoisted the 26k pound electrical transformer from level ‘B’ to level ‘A’.

The electrical transformer as viewed from inside level ‘A’.

While the electrical transformer sits on the opening, a transformer is being carefully positioned on the concrete pedestal in the main electrical room on ‘A’ level. When completed the room will be filled with approximately 20 transformers.

A Revisit to the Main Electrical Room

On Wednesday, October 31, 2018, I made my way back down to level ‘A’ to check the progress made in the main electrical room.

As I entered the main electrical room, I found more electrical transformers installed on the reinforced concrete platforms.

At the end of the room behind the transformer cabinets on the right, heavy equipment movers were preparing another cabinet to be moved toward the east wall.

Under the center, on each side of the cabinet, the movers placed skate wheels to steady the transformer as it is carefully pushed by the lift.

Inch by inch a very tedious move.