Gillespies Crane Services in Australia added its first crawler crane to its crane rental fleet. It is a 350 tonne capacity Liebherr LR 1350/1 lattice boom model.
Commenting on his move into the crawler crane market, John Gillespie, Gillespies Crane Services managing director, told IC, “Our 1997 model Liebherr LTM 1400 was due for replacement and we wanted a larger capacity crane due to increasing client demands for us to make heavier lifts at longer radii. We considered all options with larger capacity all terrain cranes but our road regulations meant that this required removal of the boom and outriggers. We choose the LR 1350/1 for its excellent lifting capacity, compact dimensions, and its easy transportation and assembly on sites. We can assemble the crane in the same time as a large all terrain crane. The LR 1350/1 is now the largest lift capacity crane permanently based in Sydney.”
At the time of writing at the end of 2014 the new crawler was at work on the Barangaroo Project in Sydney. It was configured with 72 metres of S2 main boom with 27 m of derrick mast, 38 tonnes of belly counterweight, 125 tonnes of counterweight on the crane and 180 tonnes on the ballast tray.
The job required the lifting of Super T beams weighing 45 tonnes, plus 10 tonnes of rigging, for a total lift weight of 55 tonnes lifted to a radius of 54 m. At this radius the crane was well within its capacity of 69 tonnes, said Reg Eggleton, Gillespies Crane Services business development manager and heavy lift specialist.
Lend Lease Engineering, Gillespies’ client, was very happy with the outstanding capabilities and the performance of the crane and the operating crew, the crane company said.
Gillespies Crane Services has been in the mobile crane rental business for more than 60 years, since 1950, operating a fleet of road registered cranes that today includes all terrains, articulated cranes and city class rough terrains.