Cranes in Motion
By Seth Skydel
Collaborative Synergy
TNT Crane & Rigging joins forces with other contractors and uses eight cranes to complete an ambitious water pipeline project
March 7, 2024 marked a significant milestone in TNT Crane & Rigging’ s legacy. On that date, the Houston-based company and a team of contractors completed the installation of a more than 1,500-foot water pipeline beneath the Guadalupe River in San Antonio, Texas. The unique and complex lift involved eight cranes.
It all began in October 2023 when J7 Services, LLC, the lift coordination contractor, entrusted TNT Crane with providing crane support for the Alliance Regional Water pipeline project. Over the course of the 16-month long project, TNT worked with J7 Service, Garney Companies, Inc. the general contractor and directional drilling contractor Hardrock Infrastructure.
Choosing the right equipment was critical for the successful completion of the ambitious project. For the task, TNT utilized eight hydraulic all-terrain cranes, including five Tadano ATF110G-5 models, two Grove GMK5165 machines and a Liebherr LTM 1095-5.1. Also deployed were five track hoes and three loaders.
The project’ s scope entailed installing a 36-inch water pipeline beneath the river by horizontally drilling 1,579 feet at a diameter of 54 inches. The standard methods of inserting pipe into a Horizontal Directional Drilling( HDD) hole are typically reliant on equipment like pipe rollers, stands and side booms. However, in the case of this project, the specific angle of the drill necessitated a departure from traditional techniques.
While the unique angle of the drill made conventional methods impractical and posed a formidable challenge, the contractors rose to the occasion. With carefully planned rigging and by coordinating the lift using the eight TNT cranes, the pipe was supported at critical points along its length to conform to its natural curvature and then elevated to a height of 35 feet above the ground.
While a meticulous approach ensured that the pipe could smoothly glide into the hole without encountering any obstructions, the project faced other challenges as well. Leading up the project’ s start, heavy rain only allowed for a tight window for scheduling, mobilization and setup of equipment and to complete the job.
Meeting Challenges
Collectively, TNT and the project’ s other contractors met all the formidable challenges they faced. With the right equipment for the task and a large inventory of mobile cranes located throughout the state of Texas, TNT Crane & Rigging swiftly mobilized resources from San Antonio, backed by support from branches in Corpus Christi, Austin, Dallas and Houston.
Just as importantly, it took a team of professionals to execute the work safely and successfully complete the Alliance Regional Water pipeline installation.
“ The successful completion of this
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January 2026 • www. cranehotline. com