New Technology

By Seth Skydel

On that project— a six-story residential building with a central pool courtyard— the MK63 was a clear game changer. Surrounded on all sides by the structure, with no ground-level access to the pool area, traditional lifting methods weren’ t an option. Instead, the E-Built crew picked the pallets directly from a truck parked on the street, swinging loads over the building and into the enclosed courtyard below.“ We did over 50 picks in less than eight hours,” Watson said.“ It’ s a lot easier and safer than doing that by hand.”

During the lifts, the operator had lineof-sight from the edge of the roof to the drop zone, communicating with crews below by radio to guide each load precisely into place.“ They’ d call off trolley out and cable down,” Watson explained.“ It’ s smooth, precise work— and the crane makes it easy.”

Increased Use

That kind of efficiency is exactly what’ s happening across the U. S. as mobile construction cranes, also known as self-erecting tower cranes, are increasingly used on jobsites.

The Liebherr MK63, like the larger MK series cranes now arriving in the U. S.,

E-Built Crane Service’ s Liebherr MK63 self-erecting tower crane was put to work setting 2,250-pound pallets of pavers inside a pool area at 118 feet. On the six-story residential building with a central pool courtyard, the crane picked the pallets directly from a truck parked on the street, swinging more than 50 loads in less than eight hours.

combines the height and reach of a tower crane with the maneuverability and mobility of a truck crane. Setup takes minutes rather than hours— or in some cases, days.

On the Denver site, E-Built’ s operator rolled in, leveled the crane with a

single button, switched to“ erect mode,” and watched as the crane unfolded itself in a series of 174 precise, automated steps. Proximity sensors ensured every movement was aligned and locked before the next sequence began.

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December 2025 • www. cranehotline. com