C.E.C., Inc. (C.E.C.) was contracted to replace a heat exchanger which had developed a tube sheet leak and required replacement. The options presented to C.E.C. for the exchanger’s removal were not feasible. As a result, C.E.C. developed a plan which allowed for the heat exchanger to be removed and replaced quickly and with minimal impact to facility production.

This project presented major challenges to C.E.C., including:

• Elevation & conflict concerns while installing extraction structural steel/system while plant in service
• Articulating 33,000lbs exchanger in tight clearance restrictions
• Exchanger & nozzle conflicts with existing permanent piping & structural steel
• Tie-in nozzle alignments to existing connections

C.E.C. responded to these challenges by developing the following solutions:

• Cantilevered exchanger skid beams
• Rolling sled & variable height hydraulic jacking system to clear overhead obstructions
• Step by Step Erection & Extraction/Insertion Construction Procedures

C.E.C. performed this project by removing the entire 33,000-lbs. elevated heat exchanger, allowing for the one-piece removal and installation of the replacement shop-fabricated exchanger without having to cut or remove nozzles or module structural members. C.E.C. utilized a cantilevered beam extraction and exchanger sled 30 feet above grade with steel columns and tie rods to support it.

In order to avoid nozzle conflicts with tight clearance issues, C.E.C. used a rolling hydraulic jacking system for this project. The removal and replacement of the heat exchanger was accomplished within a twelve-hour window of time, thereby minimizing downtime at the jobsite.