Trans-Alaska Pipeline Equipment

摘要

The construction of the 800-mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline in the 1970s was a remarkable achievement in many ways. With year-round effort, including working through horrendous winters, in terrain that was often highly challenging and mostly far removed from civilization, the pipeline was completed in just 40 months. As notable as the pipeline itself might be, the equipment used to build it was also quite noteworthy. Thousands of machines and vehicles were deployed, many of them highly specialized units developed specifically for the project's unique conditions. Some of the specialized machines were used to construct thousands of support structures that elevated the pipeline above the permafrost: 19 massive percussion drills bored holes for piers; and 34 personnel lifts, built by Insley on converted HC560 hydraulic excavators, were used for structure erection and the installation of pipe.