Cranes in Motion By Seth Skydel
Crawler Efficiency
Tackling the Toughest Jobs
Link-Belt Crawlers Prove Their Versatility on a Series of Projects
When Davis Erecting Inc. of Greenville, South Carolina, was contracted to place precast concrete panels as part of a $ 170 million, 650,000-square-foot mixed-use development build, the company knew exactly what it needed. On site at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, the company put two of its Link-Belt cranes 300-ton 348 Series 2 lattice crawlers to work.
On the jobsite, the 348 Series 2 crawler cranes with luffing attachments were used to piece together precast panels that cover all 11 floors of the new complex, which includes commercial development, student housing and three levels of parking.
During the construction of the precast building, Davis operator Scotty Adams said the 348 Series 2 was an ideal machine for the job. Adams lifted the panels nearly 150 feet in the air with the luffing attachment, finding the crane’ s multifunction and fine metering features particularly useful.
“ Adjusting the speed smoothly when you’ re getting near the top is great,” said Adams, who has been operating cranes for over 28 years.“ The whole setup is smooth. I barely move my hand and it goes right where I need it to be.”
Davis Erecting, which added the second 348 Series 2 to its fleet in 2023, used both lattice boom crawlers on the University of South Carolina project. Both cranes were fitted with 240 feet of luffing boom and 120 feet of luffing jib.
The Link-Belt 348 Series 2 cranes feature a self-assembling quick-draw cylinder and counterweight removal system to help install two lower counterweights and all 13 pieces
Davis Erecting is using two Link-Belt 300-ton 348 Series 2 lattice crawler cranes to piece together precast concrete panels that cover 11 floors of a 650,000-square-foot mixed-use development.
12 CRANE HOT LINE ® January 2025 • www. cranehotline. com