Crane Hot Line August 2024 | Page 17

Self-Erecting Cranes systems also help improve safety with intuitive menu navigation that guides users through the assembly process.

“ Modern Liebherr self-erecting cranes are also equipped with advanced drives that can operate at maximum speed without revving, allow for precise and stepless crane operation, enable load placement at minimum speed and require less power from public power supplies or generators,” Stalter related.

“ With a modern control system combined with a telematics unit and our service LiDAT, users can have access to machine data, enabling remote diagnostics or evaluation of lifting cycles,” Stalter added.“ Another significant benefit is that self-erecting cranes can be controlled with a radio remote controller so the operator can rig the load single-handedly with less communication required.”

“ Ease of operation has always been at the core of our self-erecting crane development,” said Castenetto.“ We have also developed cranes with our power plus system for added lifting capacity, our T-Link solution to record operational data for better fleet management and the ability to address an unstable jobsite supply with our power match technology.”

Many Applications

The most common application for self-erecting tower cranes, according to Mike Heacock, vice president of sales at Morrow Equipment, are four- to eight-story mixed-use buildings that may have underground parking garages with retail space at street level and then five or six stories of apartments or condos. Other applications are apartment buildings, hotels and office spaces.

“ Self-erecting cranes are ideal for these projects as they can be placed very close to the structure being built,” Heacock said.“ They also work well with common building materials so wood, steel stud, concrete and light structural steel structures can be safely and efficiently constructed with them. More unique uses for self-erecting cranes are building additions, roofing projects and tank farms.”

At Prime Steel Erecting, a Liebherr 125K self-erecting crane proved to be an asset on a project that had difficult logistical hurdles to overcome.“ Due to on-site constraints, erecting a new building addition from multiple locations around the existing building footprint could not happen,” explained Robert Hunter, project manager at

Prime Steel.“ After many options had been reviewed, we looked at the possibility of using the 125K to erect the new penthouse level addition.

“ After solving an elevation issue and adjusting the crane’ s height on stationary mats we were able to get the clear height needed and erect the new penthouse,” Hunter continued.“ Having the operator control the machine from the existing roof was also a huge benefit as we were not erecting in the blind from over 100 feet below on the street.”

For Heacock, the value of self-erecting cranes is obvious.“ On any project with a hoisting duration over a month, and which does not need the strength or extreme heights offered by a large top slewing or luffing tower crane, self-erecting cranes offer high productivity in a very small, cost-effective package,” he said.

Terex self-erecting cranes feature the company’ s power plus system for added lifting capacity.

The Saez HT47 self-erecting crane has four different jib lengths with the jib horizontal and is easy to transport.