A support member for supporting a turbine assembly during installation, said support member comprising: a platform comprising a plurality of modular platform components including a first platform component and a second platform component; a linear actuator selectively positionable on an upper surface of said platform; and a column selectively positionable on said linear actuator, wherein said platform, said linear actuator, and said column are sized to support said turbine assembly, said platform, linear actuator, and column, when assembled, being in a vertically stacked arrangement, characterized in that said platform components are nestable by inserting the second platform component through an upper opening of the first platform component and into a lower opening of the first platform component to collectively define a substantially planar upper surface of said platform, wherein the first platform component includes an upper plate, a lower plate, and a plurality of spaced-apart posts that extend between said plates (220, 222), and the second platform component includes an upper plate, a lower plate, and at least one post extending between said plates (238, 240); the upper plate of the first platform component has an outer edge, an inner edge, and a substantially planar upper surface that extends therebetween, such that said inner edge circumscribes said upper opening, and the lower plate the first platform component includes an outer edge and an inner edge oriented such that said inner edge circumscribes said lower opening that is approximately the same size as the upper opening; and when nested, the lower plates (222, 240) are substantially aligned, and the upper plates (220, 238) are each substantially aligned such that an upper surface of first platform component is substantially coplanar with an upper surface of second platform component to collectively define said substantially planar upper surface within the bounds of outer edge of the upper plate of said first platform component; and wherein said column comprises a plurality of modular column components engageable in a mating relationship, said plurality of modular column components comprising an upper component and a plurality of base components that are interchangeably positionable beneath said upper component, wherein each of said column components comprises a handle (280, 297). a platform comprising a plurality of modular platform components including a first platform component and a second platform component; a linear actuator selectively positionable on an upper surface of said platform; and a column selectively positionable on said linear actuator, wherein said platform, said linear actuator, and said column are sized to support said turbine assembly, said platform, linear actuator, and column, when assembled, being in a vertically stacked arrangement, characterized in that said platform components are nestable by inserting the second platform component through an upper opening of the first platform component and into a lower opening of the first platform component to collectively define a substantially planar upper surface of said platform, wherein the first platform component includes an upper plate, a lower plate, and a plurality of spaced-apart posts that extend between said plates (220, 222), and the second platform component includes an upper plate, a lower plate, and at least one post extending between said plates (238, 240); the upper plate of the first platform component has an outer edge, an inner edge, and a substantially planar upper surface that extends therebetween, such that said inner edge circumscribes said upper opening, and the lower plate the first platform component includes an outer edge and an inner edge oriented such that said inner edge circumscribes said lower opening that is approximately the same size as the upper opening; and when nested, the lower plates (222, 240) are substantially aligned, and the upper plates (220, 238) are each substantially aligned such that an upper surface of first platform component is substantially coplanar with an upper surface of second platform component to collectively define said substantially planar upper surface within the bounds of outer edge of the upper plate of said first platform component; and wherein said column comprises a plurality of modular column components engageable in a mating relationship, said plurality of modular column components comprising an upper component and a plurality of base components that are interchangeably positionable beneath said upper component, wherein each of said column components comprises a handle (280, 297).