Bethel was contracted to decommission a Remote Communications Outlet (RCO) near Drummond, Montana and transport the unit to a FAA facility in Red Bluff, California. Bethel mobilized an on-site supervisor to Drummond, Montana, where he oversaw the decommissioning activities. Due to the health risks associated with air travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, the offloading of the trucked shelter once it arrived in Red Bluff was coordinated remotely from Bethel’s office in Anchorage, Alaska. Boom-truck operators based in Missoula, Montana and Reading, California were retained to load and unload the shed from the flatbed truck that transported the RCO shelter.
The on-site supervisor met a local FAA technician at the RCO shelter in Drummond, MT, who provided access to the site and verified that power had been disconnected from the shelter structure. All the antennas and wiring from outside the structure were removed from the shelter using hand tools placed into the structure and secured with the other electronics located inside. Bethel removed the anchor bolts that attach the shelter to its underlying concrete foundation. All penetrations in the structure’s walls were filled with silicone caulk or sealed with duct tape to prevent water entering the shelter during transport.
A boom truck lifted the shelter onto a flatbed truck by hooking straps to eyelets in the structure’s metal base. The trucks remained outside the sites perimeter fence while picking and moving the shelter. Remaining outside the fenced area prevented disturbing any soil or gravel surrounding the shelter, which is known to be impacted by lead-based paint. Once the structure was suspended from the boom, the truck placed the structure on the flatbed truck. The structure was fastened to the flatbed truck with chains to prevent movement of loss during transport.
A freight company transported the shelter by road to Red Bluff, California, where it arrived for unloading. Bethel arranged for a second local crane service to unload the shed and place it at a storage location requested by FAA. The shelter arrived intact and undamaged.
Work performed
- Work Plan Preparation and Approval
- Infrastructure Removal
- Crane and Trucking Tasks
- Reporting
