Priest Rapids Dam - Columbia River, WA

Aerial image of the Priest Rapids Dam

This particular project proved to be challenging in its own right. The basic idea was to provide a lift inside the dam to service from the third floor, sitting at ground level, down to the two lower levels that reached the bottom of the Columbia River. This lift, when completed, will be used for moving parts, materials, and forklifts to the other floors for servicing the turbines. Our first task was to get our supplies down to the first floor where large turbines are, generating massive amounts of power from the Columbia River. We then built this lift up to the ground level floor.

The mechanical installation took over a month to complete. As you can see from the photos, the finish work was top notch!

Pace Material Handling provided design application assistance and complete installation of this Material Lift. Pace partnered with Pflow Industries, Inc. for the equipment.

Basic Specifications

  • Pflow Series F 4-post Material Lift
  • Carriage 10’ x 14’ with powered gates on carriage
  • 54’ tall with 40’-6” travel to 3 floors, all with powered gates
  • 20,000 lbs. lifting capacity
  • 18 feet per minute travel speed