In downtown Bellevue, Washington, the development of a new, mixed-use office building is underway. During planning and early construction, the contractor knew the placement of two air handlers — especially the unit going inside the height-restricted garage — would require assistance from an experienced machinery moving company with the right equipment. 

Omega Morgan’s Seattle team of machinery moving experts not only agreed to deliver heavy lift and placement services, but offered a complete solution by storing the units in our Fife warehouse for transportation on installation day. Then our team got to work planning the two heavy lifts–each with its own challenges–for a world-class solution. 

PLANNING A HEAVY MACHINERY MOVE

After receiving the two air handlers — one measuring 20’x8’x7’ and weighing 13,000 pounds, and the other measuring 24’x13’x11’ and weighing 15,000 pounds — at the Fife location, our heavy-lift team used a 160-ton crane to offload and place them within the warehouse. The units were held in storage until the installation date. 

Omega Morgan’s machinery moving team met with the construction crew a few months before the installation date for the first job walk — and several more times after that — for planning sessions with the site tower crane and safety department, ensuring a smooth operation. The main challenge involved the height-restricted garage, where the smaller air handler would be set. Along with limited height, which ruled out using a crane lift, maneuvering around the garage’s mezzanine required careful consideration and specialized equipment. The second air handler placement, while more straightforward, still involved a 20-foot lift. Our experienced team determined that a crew of four, including one foreman and Omega Morgan’s tri-lifter, could successfully complete the installation.

THE HEAVY LIFT DAY ARRIVES

On installation day, the machinery moving team gathered at our Fife warehouse location to load the air handlers — with help from our 60-ton crane — onto Omega Morgan tractors for transport to Bellevue. 

Upon arriving at the construction site, the onsite tower crane lifted the air handlers off our trucks and set them onto the tri-lifter’s pre-set platforms. Next, our team moved the larger air handler into position on the outside of the building before lifting the unit 20 feet up. With crew members in position on the second floor, we slid the unit off the platform for the waiting crew to skate and jack the handler into place. 

Back on ground level, machinery movers placed the remaining air handler onto the tri-lifter and drove it into the parking garage. Due to the angle of the ramp, crew members had to extend the tri-lifter’s reach to its maximum in order to move the air handler across a 10-foot void. 

Once the unit was moved across, the team skated it off the platform and onto the mezzanine before jacking the unit into place. After the successful installation, the team met with our client, who was impressed with our ability to adjust to the unique circumstances and deliver a job well done.