provided by: Construction Bulletin The summer construction season brings out myriad of equipment from the ground to the top of sky- scrapers. As buildings add more and more floors in many metropolitan areas around the world, construction equipment must be manufactured to reach higher and use materials that make them lighter for easy maneuvering.
Cranes have always been used on commercial projects, according to Len Kirk, co-owner of Hayden-Murphy Equipment Company, Bloomington, Minnesota. He said that as buildings become taller and more spread out, cranes used on these projects need more tip height and more lifting capacity at the radius.
Manufacturers listened to these needs and continue to add and improve equipment features. For example, at Manitowoc Crane Group, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, product development is driven by a need to constantly improve customers' return on investment, according to Philippe Cohet, executive vice president for MCG, Europe, Middle East and Africa regions. "These cranes will help customers work quicker, smarter and in a more profitable way." Some of the features that MCG emphasizes are
- Making cranes compact and easy to move for simple and quick access to sites
- Making cranes easier to erect and dismantle
- Ensuring easy access to replacement parts
- Designing user-friendly operator and control systems
- Producing ergonomic cabs to make lifting operations safer and more productive
- Maximizing reach and lift performance for better utilization
MCG Group caters to regions
These developments apply to not only the Manitowoc brand, but also to the company's Grove and Potain cranes which have been incorporated into the Manitowoc group. MCG's mission is to cater to its clients in different regions of the world and extends this philosophy by establishing manufacturing facilities in those regions.
At Bauma 2007, Manitowoc unveiled its newest crawler crane, the Model 14000, a fully hydraulic crane with a 200-ton lift capacity, a boom of 260 feet maximum and luffing jib up to 341 feet. The newest, patented control system allows control of six independent closed-loop hydraulic circuits for optimum performance while lifting. Its connection system is standard for easier setup and tear down. The cab offers a 360-degree view for better visibility and improves operator efficiency. Model 14000 is best suited for heavy lift projects, such as bridge building, commercial construction, wind turbines, or industrial plants.
Grove also introduced a new crane, the GTK1100, that suits the large industrial and city center sites or wind turbines. Its best work is when lifting at its maximum height or where there's minimum space for setup. The crane can lift loads over 77 tons and reach a maximum height of 459 feet. It consists of a wheeled carrier and a luffing telescopic boom connected by a 244-foot, six-section telescopic mast. Four spreaders at the top of the mast attach to outriggers at the base to provide stability.
Potain introduced two new additions to its line of self-erecting cranes that offer strong lifting capability, excellent coverage, small footprint, and easy transporting and setup. The Igo T 70 has a telescopic mast that further increases the self-erecting crane's usefulness and efficiency. It has a two section telescopic mast which increases its height with auxiliary sections that can reach between 60 feet and 105 feet. Its lifting capacity is 1.4 tons at its maximum radius of 130 feet.
Lifts offer versatility
The Igo MC 13 crane is equipped with a trailer axle making it highly mobile and maneuverable. Users can tow the Igo MC 13 for easy setup in less than 30 minutes. Maximum capacity is 2 tons with a lifting height of up to 52.5 feet.
JLG, another manufacturer of lifting equipment, offers five brands: JLG, Gradall, Lull, SkyTrak, and Triple-L. The array of boom lifts - articulating, electric, mast-style, towable, and telescopic - provides access to a variety of building locations. Articulating boom lifts (knuckle booms) can reach up and over machinery, equipment and other obstacles and reach positions not easily approached by a telescopic boom lift.
JLG scissor lifts are designed for lifting capacity and provide larger platform work areas to carry heavier loads. The platforms are raised only vertically in various electric and gas-powered models with maximum platform heights of up to 43 feet. Model 1230ES, a compact elevating mast platform, includes a tool/fastener tray and 110-volt air condition outlet. Overall dimensions, 54 inches long by 65 inches high when fully lowered, can fit into narrow passages and fit into most freight elevators and hold up to 500 pounds.
The JLG, Gradall, Lull, and SkyTrak telehandlers have work platform attachments that hold 1,000-pound capacity and mount directly onto the forks. These new platforms install quickly and securely locks in place to enhance a telehandler's versatility and reduce the need for multiple types of equipment on the job site.
The four brands of JLG telehandlers have reaches from 10 feet to 42 feet with maximum lift height of 55 feet. JLG and SkyTrak brands have all-wheel steering; some have load-sensing hydraulics to comfortably control a load. Lull telehandlers feature a horizontal placement system that can move a load 80 inches horizontally at full height without using the boom. The elevating assembly moves from the rear of the chassis to the front that gives greater precision to placing a load.
Buy or rent
Contractors increasingly buy and rent lifting equipment as more commercial projects use them in different situations. Kirk of Hayden-Murphy said many customers will purchase outright while others prefer to rent or rent with option to buy. "By structuring a Rent with Purchase Option from our large inventory, we give our customer the flexibility of short-term or long-term use of a crane with the opportunity for them to capture their rental equity when they do convert to a purchase. If they don't ultimately have enough backlog of work to justify the purchase, they can return it to us and expense their rental payments."
Contractors like the rental options, especially for larger cranes and equipment that they don't want to buy and store. Some contractors will buy skid steers with attachments or telehandlers if their work demands increased use of lifting equipment. With manufacturers' concern for features that are easy to use, hold greater capacity and provide operator comfort, more and more lifting equipment will occupy job sites to ease contractors' projects.
author: By Ivy Chang
Construction Bulletin. Copyright © 2007 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.