Cryogenics (kryos: ancient Greek for cold, frost, ice; genare: Latin for generate, create) is a term describing processes and properties associated with extremely low temperatures. At the cryogenic facilities of the PSI, extremely low temperatures close to absolute zero (-273.15°C) are achieved by means of gas expansion. Helium is liquefied at temperatures around -269°C in this process. The compressors required for this procedure are being replaced with new, more efficient and energy-saving ones. As a result, a large number of the outdated compressors had to be dismantled at the PSI in Villigen.
“As BAUBERGER AG had already solved a tricky problem with no difficulty at PSI a few years ago, it was clear to us who we should contact for the dismantling job,” explains Werner Zoller, project coordinator at PSI, “and we were not disappointed. Our collaboration was extremely successful this time as well.”
The BAUBERGER team dismantled the cooling towers on the roof and dismantled all the pipework before taking the 300-tonne foundations down from the compressor building. First of all, these foundations were sawn into “handy” 25-tonne blocks, so that these could then be removed for disposal. The individual blocks were moved on heavy-duty rollers underneath the lifting gear and then lifted out of the trench. Then they were moved once again on heavy-duty rollers as far as the gate, where they were loaded onto the trucks using the Montylift 36 and carried away for disposal.
Hansjörg Müller, Head of Installation at BAUBERGER AG, is also delighted about the successful job. “In Villigen we completed a very nice, well planned assignment.” he says, “It’s fun to do that.”
Special equipment
- 32-tonne lifting gear
- ORION 1000 vertical platform lift
- MONTYLIFT-36
- Steel plates
Team
Hansjörg, Etienne, Erich
