We already know that when you need to pick and set large building materials, you get a crane. But what if the item you need to pick and set is also a crane? You’ll need a crane in that instance, too—although it might take more than one. That was the case at an Alabama lumberyard, where five cranes from ALL Crane Rental of Alabama, a member of the ALL Family of Companies, worked together to install the yard’s new circular lumberyard crane.
These types of free-standing jib cranes are a common sight in lumberyards, where they are used to rapidly load and offload logs from flatbeds and move other material throughout the yard. In Alabama, the circular crane arrived at the location in pieces and was assembled on the ground. Upon completion, it needed to be lifted onto a central platform and welded into place.Also, two legs extending from the body of the crane had to be secured onto a circular track that surrounds the central base and gives the crane its 360-degree sweep. Because these legs were folded up alongside the main body as it sat on the ground, two of the five cranes, one for each leg, were dedicated to guiding them into position on the track as the lift occurred.
Scott Swearengin, sales and business development specialist from ALL, put together a crane package to assist with the installation, which included a rare five-crane lift.
Cranes involved in the lift included a Manitowoc 2250 Series 3, Grove GMK6300L-1, Liebherr LTM 1090-4.2, Link-Belt HTC-8675 Series II, and a Grove TMS500-2. To lift the lumberyard crane, these five cranes were arranged roughly in a circle. The Manitowoc 2250 and Grove GMK6300L-1 connected to opposite ends of the workpiece jib, the Liebherr LTM 1090-4.2 controlled the left leg, and the Link-Belt HTC-8675 Series II controlled the right leg. The Grove TMS500-2 lifted the horizontal brace that had to be secured between the two legs after placement.
“As the 2250 and the GMK6300L were lifting the jib to the top of the base, our operators in the LTM 1090 and the HTC-8675 had to move the legs 45 degrees for placement on the tracks,” said Swearengin. Once placed, the cranes needed to hold the 230,000-pound unit in place for final welding. Completing the job required 16 hours of total hook time.
The cranes needed for the lift were supplied directly from the ALL Crane Rental of Alabama yard. In addition to the equipment, the ALL team also assisted with development of 3-D lift plans prior to executing the complicated project. Swearengin also touted the work done by lift partner Inco Services in coordinating rigging plans and calculating ground bearing pressures.
“It’s rare to see that many cranes working together on a single lift,” said Swearengin. “Everyone came together to make it happen.”
