All in a Day's Work

Enlarge Image The Linden-Comansa LC-400 “topless” tower crane is designed to provide a safer, faster alternative to conventional tower cranes.

July 21, 2005 — A Linden-Comansa LC-400 is the first “topless” tower crane to operate on Chicago's lakefront. Erected in early June by Stevenson Crane Service, Inc., the crane is contracted to Adjustable Forms Corp. for Kenny Construction's Museum Park Tower project. Providing a faster alternative to conventional tower cranes, topless tower cranes eliminate pendant lines, allowing multiple cranes to work on a job simultaneously with minimal overlap.

 

According to Stevenson Crane Service, erecting this crane in such a short period of time shaved thousands of dollars off assembly costs. It typically takes two to three full days to erect a standard tower crane; however, this machine was erected to a hook height of 188 feet with 200 feet of jib in one day. “Twenty years in the construction industry, and this is the only tower crane I've seen erected in one day,” said Curt Slipke, vice president of Stevenson Crane Service.

 

This fall, the crane will be jumped to a final hook height of 278 feet, with a capacity of almost 14,000 pounds at a 197-foot radius.