WorldWide Drilling Resource

14 OCTOBER 2013 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® In with the New Adapted from a Terex Corporation News Release Exploring the universe has been the dream of humanity for centuries, but only a reality in recent decades. We cannot explore space without a vast infrastruc- ture of people and equipment behind this exploration. As the vehicles used to explore space change, the supporting structures must also evolve to the next generation of technology. These structure changes are where heavy lifting and rigging is required. It's also where Cocoa, Florida-based Beyel Brothers, Inc., the parent company of Beyel Brothers Crane and Rigging, plays an important role in helping to build the structures for the space program. Beyel Brothers traces its roots to New York, 100 years ago where Dan Beyel, the great-grandfather of today's owners, started his hauling and rigging business with a horse-drawn carriage. In the mid-1970s, company operations were moved to Florida, so the company could expand its services to include rig- ging and hauling work for the aerospace industry. They entered the market at the right time - the end of the Saturn V program and the beginning of the space shuttle program. Shortly after moving south, the company got its first taste of an impor- tant mission. "We helped to remove the launch tower of the Saturn V Rocket," recalled Steve Beyel, vice president of Beyel Brothers, Inc. The company was also instrumental in helping erect many of the structures to sup- port the space shuttle programat theKennedy Space Center. This included installing an overhead crane in the late-1970s in the shuttle’s VehicleAssembly Building (VAB) - a crane they dismantled earlier this year. The company recently purchased a new Terex ® AC 350/6 all-terrain crane with its first mission being to remove the VAB crane. Its 400-ton capacity class and long main boom design made this the perfect hydraulic telescopic all-terrain crane for removing the VAB's overhead crane. "We bought our first Terex crane in 1989, a 35-ton Terex 335 truck crane that had a 94-foot boom," explained Beyel. "The AC 350/6 was purchased to fit the niche between our 300- and 500-ton cranes and because it has a long, 210- foot main boom." Steve Ake, regional business man- ager for Terex Cranes added, “The AC 350/6 also has the highest lifting capaci- ties in the 220- to 385-ton range.” Beyel Brothers mobilized the AC 350/6 crane, boom and 257,000-pound counterweights in only seven truckloads. Offering a top speed of 53 miles per hour, the AC 350/6 got to the jobsite quickly, which was a timesaver. Once inside the VAB, Beyel Brothers’ crew set up the crane in four hours. "The boom pinning system on the Terex crane makes it much easier to telescope the boom," said Beyel. Also aiding in crane rigging, the AC 350/6 features a self-rig- ging counterweight system. Crews worked to remove the over- head crane from the 526-foot tall build- ing, the largest single-story building in the world. One critical pick was to remove the more than 50-ton drum and cable trolley assembly. Working at a 40- to 45-foot radius, the AC 350/6 all-terrain crane effortlessly lowered the assembly to the floor of the building. "I liked the crane’s smoothness and how quiet it In with the New cont’d on page 16.