Transport Spotlight

By Mike Larson

The impressive single-boom portal crane, called“ Big Blue 70,” weighs 1,200 tons, stands 155 feet tall and can lift 175 tons.

After Big Blue has been tested and certified at a shipyard in Seattle, Berard will barge it about 21 miles to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, where it will help maintain submarines, including future Columbia-class models.

Big Blue was designed and sold by Konecranes and manufactured for Konecranes by Wisconsin Heavy Fabrication.

Though Wisconsin Heavy Fabrication has no connection with The Manitowoc Company, it sits on the same site where Manitowoc built submarines during World War II and manufactured cranes for decades after that.

Challenging Project

Konecranes chose Berard to design and manage Big Blue’ s transportation from Wisconsin to Washington state based on the heavy-haul transport company’ s 80 years of experience, full range of capabilities and proven performance.

“ Last year, we moved four 25-ton portal cranes for Konecranes,” said Berard Transportation’ s Chief Operating Officer, Braedon Berard.“ Our success on those jobs led Konecranes to rely on us for this one.”

On this move, Berard was responsible for planning, engineering and executing every aspect of the project.

It selected the sailing route from Manitowoc, through the Great Lakes, Soo Locks, Welland Canal and St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean, down the entire East Coast of the U. S., west through the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and Panama Canal and north up the Pacific Coast of Central and North America to Seattle.

Above: Two Berard MBS modular beams and 48 axle lines of SPMT offload the Konecranes shipyard crane in Seattle.

Below: Berard engineered, manufactured and installed the sea-fastening supports that held the crane securely in place during its voyage.

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June 2026 • www. cranehotline. com