May 21 - The Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) has awarded two heavy lift companies its Hauling Job of the Year Awards.

The awards went to Emmert International, Clackamas, Oregon in the Moving category and in the Hauling under 160,000 Pounds (net) category and Mammoet USA, Houston, Texas, in the Hauling over 160,000 Pounds (net) category. 

Moving jobs feature specialised equipment such as self-propelled transported dollies and crawler assemblies. Hauling jobs involve regular licensed tractors and trailers, moving predominantly via public roadways.

The awards were as follows:

Moving - Emmert relocated the historic building Odd Fellows Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah, as the building stood in the way of a courthouse expansion. It was to be moved a block away rather than face destruction. Emmert raised the building 13 inches on solid 4-foot by 4-foot crib block jacking towers to provide sufficient space for placement of 55 Emmert 70-tonne hydraulic dollies on runway tracks underneath the building. Emmert then moved the building by winch truck with steel cables, sheave blocks, shackles and straps. Dollies were rotated in a circular pattern to orient the building for its new home across Market Street.

Over 160,000 Pounds - Mammoet USA made the heaviest ever move in South Carolina when it transported an important power plant component 450 km through the Carolinas. Weighing in at 879,635 pounds (100 tonnes), the stator stood 35 feet by 19 feet by 18 feet high. 

Under 160,000 Pounds (40 tonnes) - Emmert moved classified military hardware across seven US states In July and August 2009. Emmert undertook a 4,170-mile transport of classified military hardware weighing 83,000 pounds (21 tonnes). Emmert crews worked with route runners to ensure the load-measuring 166-feet 9-inches long, 21-feet wide and 17-feet 6-inches wide with a gross weight of 184,000 pounds (46 tonnes) -could travel the proposed route through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California on the 22-day journey.

The movement involved 3,250 man-hours to do the job; the Emmert crew arrived at the final destination accident-free.