Northern Strands was awarded the supply of ropes, attachments, wirelock and specialty equipment for the WIPP (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant) project in New Mexico. 

The WIPP website describes the project as follows, "WIPP was constructed for disposal of defense-generated TRU waste from DOE sites around the country. TRU waste consists of clothing, tools, rags, residues, debris, soil and other items contaminated with small amounts of plutonium and other man-made radioactive elements. The waste is permanently disposed of in rooms mined in an underground salt bed layer over 2000 feet from the surface.

The $75 million shaft sinking is integral to increasing ventilation to the WIPP underground. When completed, it will be WIPP’s largest shaft at 26 feet in diameter, reaching 2,275 feet, with drifts, or passageways, being excavated at the 2,150-foot level to match the rest of the WIPP underground that will eventually connect to the shaft."

The scope of supply includes the sinking rope, stage rope, clam rope, and emergency hoist ropes along with all the shaft sinking rope attachments. Due to their wide range of capabilities, Northern Strands was also able to provide the sinking bucket chains, plumb bob lines, load cells, as well as specialty installation and maintenance equipment including maneuvering glands and a double down sheave.

Northern Strands is now a proud supplier of Straightpoint products! Since 1976, Straightpoint's solution-based systems have been at the top of industrial weighting and load monitoring technology.

With UK headquarters, a US subsidiary, and global dealer network, the simple to use, cost-effective product range has enhanced safety for engineers and rigging professionals worldwide for 40 years. 

The engineering team design and manufacture a broad spectrum of first-class products to capacities in excess of 1,500 tonnes to include:

• Tension 'Link' load cells 
• Telemetry load cells
•  Shackle load cells
•  Dynamometers
• Crane scales
• Compression load cells
•  Load pins
•  Software solutions

                                                                                                                    

The Straightpoint team pride themselves on the development and distribution of world-class load monitoring, weighing and force measurement systems. 

Straightpoint’s wireless Windows-based software, and full line of accessories allow for the simple and easy, acquisition and analysis of force and load monitoring data.

All Straightpoint products are fully tested and available for next day dispatch in an aluminium flight case (or wooden crate for large capacities) with full documentation including multilingual manuals, certificates of calibration/proof test and CE conformity. 

World-class calibration and repair services are offered for all models as well as other manufacturers’ load cells. Straightpoint products are utilized within many industries worldwide:

• Shipping and marine
• Mining
• Transport
• Health and safety
• Entertainment
• Crane and rigging
• Salvage and decommissioning
• Oil and gas
• Construction
• Power generation
• Utilities
• Topsides
• Break bulk
• Military