Port of Miami Cranes

Port of Miami

Champion has worked with Port Miami for over 10 years, providing extensive corrosion protection for their ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, which are consistently being hit with salt spray from the Atlantic Ocean.

Champion was contracted to conduct abrasive blasting of interior portal beams, trolley girders, girder support beams, legs and seaside & landside booms of Cranes 4-6. Our successful work, and great relationship with our customer, led to an additional element in the project scope – with a tight deadline.

Cranes 9-10 were added to the original contract to unify the look of Port Miami prior to Super Bowl LIV, which was being held in Miami, FL, in 2020. (Cranes 9-10 were originally painted black, while the remaining cranes were a white/turquoise scheme.) The last-minute decision by the city of Miami required these two ship-to-shore cranes to be painted within a 6-week timeframe.

The Champion crews worked two 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, to meet the project’s demands. Additionally, Champion had to find a product that could be applied in one coat to cover the existing black paint and provide additional corrosion protection to the crane.

Sequence of Work

Most of the project had to be completed during night hours, due to crane operations and tight scheduling requirements. Cranes 9-10 required climbing access over 175’ and crews had to work within confined spaces and limited interior access in areas over 140’ high. Teams had to work efficiently across all stages, given tight schedules (and the unmovable deadline associated with the Super Bowl event).