Liebherr HS 8100.1 Crawler Crane Dredges 50,000 Cu. Yds. in Florida

Feb. 1, 2023 - Brance Diversified Inc. (BDI) relied on its new Liebherr HS 8100.1 crawler crane to dredge the St. John’s River in Jacksonville, Florida.

Built for rugged duty-cycle work, the 110-USt capacity HS 8100.1 spent about two months on a barge while dredging 50,000 cu. yds. with a clamshell bucket.

BDI chose to use its Liebherr HS 8100.1 duty-cycle crawler crane because of the rig’s reliability, excellent clamshell barge charts, and efficient production.

“We chose the HS 8100.1 because of its powerful 523 hp engine, 61,800-lb. line-pull winches, low noise emission, and low fuel consumption,” said BDI President, Lance Young.

The crane’s Liebherr diesel engine complies with Tier 4 regulations, supporting BDI’s commitment to being environmentally safe.

BDI’s HS 8100.1 includes Liebherr’s GrabMatic system, which helps operators in clamshell work.

It helps the operator with optimized grab closing, including level cutting, and shows the crane’s inclination up to 4° on the operator’s monitor. It also records cycles and turnover. “These systems increase safety, minimize rope wear, and significantly increase turnover/production, allowing our customers to dredge larger projects faster and more efficiently,” noted Wolfgang Herzog, vice president of sales – Southeast and Caribbean, for Liebherr USA, Co. crawler cranes and deep foundation machines.

BDI also added a lighting package for night work, as the crane operated for 10-12 hours a day handling materials such as sand and silt. “Reliability and production definitely meet and exceed our expectations,” said Young.