348 Series 2 lifts 84,000-pound precast concrete panels

A 300-ton Link-Belt Cranes 348 Series 2 lattice crawler crane assists the construction of a multi-level Publix grocery store in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of Lexington, Kentucky. The main 40,000-square-foot facility will be above a two-story parking garage on the 1.26-acre parcel of land.

Contracted by ISHI PRECAST ERECTORS of Stone Mountain, Georgia, Wells, based in Albany, Minnesota, used the 348 Series 2 to lift a total of 445 precast concrete panels, operating at a 130-foot radius when lifting panels weighing up to 30,000 pounds. The heaviest panels weighed 84,000 pounds fully rigged. This is the first Publix built in Kentucky by ISHI, which has erected precast stores in Tennessee and Georgia.

“The capacity of the Link-Belt helped us carry out the weights well since the access area for this job was so small,” said Carlos Ordonez, Key Principal of ISHI PRECAST ERECTORS. “This was a challenging job. Normally, you have access all around the building, but we only had access on the northwest side of the property.”

Wells operator Roy Kidd said the 348 Series 2 was the perfect machine for the job. In the two months it worked on-site, its impressive boom capacity kept him working quickly and reliably.

“It makes a big difference to have a stout boom when in tight job site spaces,” Kidd said. “It’s a great-running crane.”

From completing pick and carry work to self-assembly, he said the 348 Series 2 was smooth and operator friendly. On top of that, the crane offers a spacious and comfortable operator’s cab, allowing Kidd to focus on the job at hand.

“I won’t lie to you — I love the seats,” Kidd said. “When you sit in a crane all day, that seat matters.”