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An exclusive series illustrates the highly effective and innovative ways cranes are being used across many industries and vocations.
All-Terrain Cranes
Prillaman’s Crane & Rigging Inc., a family owned and operated crane rental company that serves customers in Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland from its Hampton, Virginia, headquarters, operates six Liebherr ATs, including 110-USt capacity LTM 1090-4.2, 135-USt capacity LTM 1120-4.1, 155-USt capacity LTM 1130-5.1, and 300-USt capacity LTM 1250-5.1 models.
“The main boom length on our Liebherr ATs means we can often reach jobs without having to swing a jib, which saves us a lot of time,” Paul Prillaman said. “In constricted spaces, their VarioBase outrigger system enables asymmetrical configurations and full capacity in all working quadrants.”
Those features work well for Prillaman’s on specialized lifts, such as the work done using a five-axle, Liebherr 1250-5.1 to remove concrete supports for the tear down of portions of Old Dominion University’s Maglev magnetic levitation transit system. They are also proving their worth on cell phone tower jobs and especially for lifts that the company routinely handles at an amusement park.
“We do a lot of work on roller coasters at a theme park under a contract that calls for us to respond 24/7 in a certain period of time,” Prillaman said. “With a truck or conventional crane, we couldn’t navigate the park’s walking paths to reach roller coasters or access a gravel pad below the water in a manmade lake next to a roller coaster that we can drive on without having the AT’s responsive electronic steering and wide flotation tires.
“Recently, in the middle of a holiday weekend, we were called to the amusement park to remove a sweatshirt from the track on a roller coaster,” Prillaman continued. “We were in and out quickly so the ride could be back in operation because the 1120-4.1 AT could reach the site, and easily reach the top of the coaster with its 217’ main boom without needing to swing a jib.”
Trailer-Mounted Cranes
At Innovativ Hoisting, a Connecticut-based compact equipment sales, service, and rental company, the most common uses of its Böcker Trailer Cranes are prefab construction, building restoration, tree work, and roofing.
“One of the most unique applications we’ve experienced was when we loaded one of our trailer-mounted mini cranes onto a barge to install steelwork on a lighthouse at sea,” said Michael Gnazzo, president. “Another time we used one of the cranes to hoist the frame for a stained-glass window on an historic church.”
Seth Skydel is a writer with 38 years of experience covering the trucking, utility, construction, and related markets.
