Bigger tilt walls and new technology prompts contractor to purchase a new Link-Belt large capacity crane

“Our job is to erect the cast-in-place concrete exterior wall panels for a 119,000 square-ft. building. This is somewhat larger than those we have done in the past,” said crane operator Mike Pike. The new warehouse is designed to have a 30-ft. high clearance, rather than the more typical 20-ft. height. This means the 80 exterior wall concrete panels we are erecting are taller, thicker, heavier and also need extra lifting force to break them free from the forms. Many of the panels measured 41 ft. by 20 ft. by 12 in. This proved to be no problem for the LS-278H.

The tilt wall panels are being lifted with 120-ft. of boom reeved with a four-part line, a 40-ft. working radius and a 70 boom angle. The top end loads weigh between 65 to 68 tons each. Padgett’s new crane could pick these up, walk with them and still swing them from 90 to 180 degrees, depending on where the pick up and placement points are for the panels. “With this new Link-Belt 250-ton capacity crawler crane, that’s a piece of cake with the machine’s smooth controls. On top of all that, the visibility from the cab is so good that I have direct eye contact at all times with the ironworkers. That’s

Padgett is literally taking this project from the ground up. For the Dixie warehouse project, they are also fabricating the structural steel in Padgett’s machine shop, across the Ohio river in New Albany, Ind. Padgett also has a Link-Belt RTC-8050 hydraulic rough terrain crane on site to erect the structural steel. “About the only thing that we need from the general contractor is a good solid access road around the perimeter of the building. Even then, if the area is too soft or muddy, we have our own timber mats, and our big machine is stable enough to work from these,” said Fred Shelton, Padgett’s project manager.

Shelton states that with today’s constantly changing tilt wall technology, there is a need for more stable machines with increased lifting capability. It was with this in mind that Padgett chose their LS-278H with the optional 60-in. wide shoes. Each of these 30.5-ft. long track assemblies weighs 62,800 lbs. each, and yet exerts only a ground bearing pressure of 10.22 lbs. per square inch. Fifty-inch track shoes are standard on the LS-278H. “It is vital that we have the right equipment for each different job. But nowhere is this more important than in tilt up work. We have a majority of conventional truck cranes and hydraulic machines in our fleet. They get the job done, but we had to move often and reset to do it. It was to the point that this actually slowed down our operations. Today everyone wants everything done so fast. That’s why we elected to purchase this new 250-ton capacity crawler crane. Now we can handle anything that comes along,” said Shelton.

“Workplace safety is probably the one thing that we preach to our people more than anything else. It is so important to our work. We have been very fortunate to be in this business and never have a serious accident. We want to keep it that way. When everyone knows their job, and does it correctly, we feel that our stressing safety must be the right thing to do. There are so many different federal and state safety groups out there and our own insurance company, too. It just makes common sense to have safe machines and workmen on the job. The secret is not to take shortcuts. It might take a little longer but if you don’t work safe today, you won’t be in business tomorrow,” said company president, Jim Padgett.

This is the first large capacity crawler crane the company has owned and our operator highly regards its tilt-wall erection abilities. “I’d have to agree with his assessment and take it one further,” says Padgett, “the LS-278H is easier and faster to erect and disassemble than anything in its class. Only a few years ago these jobs would have each been a multi-day operation. Now we can do it in about six hours and not need an 80-ton service crane to assist it. The Link-Belt can do it all unassisted. In fact, if we were really pushed for time — as we may well be someday, the way the jobs are coming in today — we probably could move on a site, erect the LS-278H and do a pick. Then we’d tear the crane down and be ready to move to another location the next morning. It would be a long day for sure, and it would require close coordination of the twelve truck loads that it takes to move the crane, but I feel sure that our crews could do it,” concluded Padgett.

Padgett Crane Service is owned and operated by Jim Padgett, who began his business as welding company more than 40 years ago. Padgett usually operates within a 200-300 mile radius from their home office in New Albany, Ind.

Link-Belt Construction Equipment Company, with headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky, is a leader in the design and manufacture of telescopic boom and lattice boom cranes for the construction industry worldwide.