At the Port of Port Arthur, Texas, Matthews Brothers Dredging is removing over 5,000 yards of hard clay, sand and debris per day in a 46-foot-deep basin using a Liebherr HS 8300 duty cycle crawler crane. Equipped with a 1,000-HP Tier 4 Final engine, the machine is capable of over 4 million cycles.
Matthews Brothers also utilizes an 8.5- yard TGS clamshell bucket and Liebherr’ s dredging assistant package on their HS 8300. The assistant enables the machine to preset the opening and closing parameters for each bucket, making grabbing easier and more efficient. The result allows for longer life of the cables, reduces general wear and tear on the bucket and helps eliminate costly downtime.
Specially Equipped
The Dutra Group, known for their custom machine orders called Dutra specials, is utilizing a specially equipped HS 8300 on the Mobile jobsite. Customization of their duty cycle crane includes crawler tracks rather than a pedestal mount for easier transport, as well as a wider, raised cab, bigger winches and a lighter boom.
“ Dutra relies on Liebherr to make sure that upgrades and customizations fit into our specifications and needs,” said Dennis Ferguson, fleet manager for the Dutra Group’ s clamshell division.“ These customizations provide us with versatility and increased production and efficiency.”
Before purchasing the HS 8300, Dutra analyzed multiple cost performance studies.“ We were satisfied with the 65-second cycle times per swing, averaging 10,500 cubic yards per day,” Ferguson reported.“ We had been watching production closely and cycle times were right where we projected.”
Easy Decision
Due to their familiarity with Liebherr machines, choosing Liebherr was an easy decision for Dutra.“ We also have their LR 1300 and 895 crawler cranes, and like that when you get into a brand-new machine the controls are very similar,” Ferguson added.“ With the HS 8300, it was a short period between accepting the crane, getting it on the barge, and going to work.”
Matthews Brothers’ trust in Liebherr also stems from their past purchases. Included are an LH 80 material handler and an HS 8200 duty cycle crane that now operates next to their HS 8300.
The company also pointed out the value of the support Liebherr provides.“ That’ s vital when it comes to servicing the machine,” Kellams said.“ One reason we chose Liebherr was the backing they offer. We don’ t have to diagnose any problems on our own because they help us get through any issues we might have.”
The Dutra Group and Matthews Brothers Dredging continue to use their Liebherr HS 8300’ s on projects up and down the Gulf of Mexico coast, and in other waterways performing large scale dredging projects.
In Alabama, the Dutra Group is using a Liebherr HS 8300 duty cycle crawler crane on a U. S. Army Corps of Engineers project, dredging at a depth of 54 feet to help deepen nine miles of the Mobile channel. The customized“ Dutra special” has crawler tracks rather than a pedestal mount for easier transport.