Representative Engagement Scenario
Primary metals · Canada
Repair-or-replace assessment on an ageing hot-metal crane
An ageing hot-metal crane has passed its published design life and the owner has received a replacement proposal, with no independent basis to test it.
Discipline:Repair-or-Replace Assessment
Typical situation
The crane is an obvious replacement candidate on paper. The owner's engineering team suspects a targeted refurbishment could carry the asset further, but has no independent condition evidence or cost comparison to bring to the capital-approval process.
Common risk
A replacement decision made without an independent condition basis can commit capital earlier than required — or, in the opposite case, extend an asset that should be retired. Either outcome is difficult to defend later without documented reasoning.
How CAG would approach it
- Carry out a structural and mechanical condition review — girder, end trucks, welds and connections.
- Review inspection history and duty-cycle data against the original crane classification.
- Model refurbishment and replacement scenarios over a common planning horizon.
- Include the production impact of each installation window in the comparison.
- Review the supplier's replacement proposal independently for scope inflation and exclusions.
Potential client benefit
A documented, evidence-based capital recommendation the owner can defend internally — whichever way the decision goes.
Representative Engagement Scenario — This example illustrates a typical type of assignment rather than one specific project. It is not a record of a single client engagement and contains no client, facility or manufacturer information.
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