A Blazing New Build

Precision Picks Bring a New Fire Station’s Living Quarters Together

Building the living quarters of a new fire station came together one piece—and one carefully planned lift—at a time.

For this project, Mountain was tasked with setting 12 pre-assembled modular units that would make up the station’s new living quarters. These weren’t empty shells. Each unit arrived fully finished with electrical, plumbing, HVAC, insulation, and drywall already installed, meaning every pick required extra care to protect the finished product.

Using a Liebherr LTM 1230, our crew handled units weighing anywhere from 10,000 to 35,000 pounds at a 78-foot radius. A 26-foot spreader bar and six-point pick configuration were used to distribute the load across each module.

Dialing In the Lift

While the units were built to be ready for installation, their varying weight distribution created a unique challenge for the crew. With electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and other finished components located throughout each module, the center of gravity wasn't always where it might appear from the outside.

Chain falls were incorporated into the rigging to account for different pick-point lengths and give the crew the ability to fine-tune each lift. In some cases, a unit had to be carefully picked, assessed for balance, set back down, and re-rigged before making the final lift.

Weather added another layer to the planning. Because the modules were already insulated, drywalled, and finished, even a small amount of rain had the potential to compromise the units. The crew had to closely coordinate each pick with weather conditions to make sure the modules stayed protected throughout the installation.

With careful rigging, constant adjustments, and plenty of coordination, all 12 units were successfully set in place—bringing the new fire station's living quarters one big step closer to welcoming the firefighters who will call it their home away from home.