Link-Belt lattice crawlers drive pile as part of flood prevention project

Link-Belt Cranes lattice crawlers were fundamental to a $32.5 million flood prevention project near Minneapolis. Contracted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), S.M. Hentges & Sons of Jordan, Minnesota, leads the work.

Tasked with replacing the Rush River Bridge, constructing a new overflow bridge, and partially reconstructing and raising Highway 93 up to 12 feet higher as part of the project, Hentges called on three Link-Belt lattice crawlers, a 150-ton Link-Belt 238 HSL, a 110-ton 218|V, and a 110-ton 218 HSL, to manage the job.

The machines operated on each bridge and drove close to 9,000 feet of piling as part of the foundation work. Shane Dobbe, a crane operator with Hentges, said the cranes were well-equipped for driving pile and highly maneuverable.

“They drove piling for two or three months straight under roadbed,” Dobbe said. “These machines are all really good for driving pile, and they don’t add a lot of ground pressure.”

Along with driving the 24-inch piling into piers, weighing close to 52,000 pounds, the 238 HSL crawler set bridge girders at around 75,000 pounds for the job. When the work was done, the 238 HSL and the 218s tore down quickly — a noted advantage of Link-Belt machines.

“I’ve been on Link-Belts for a long time. I like how they tear down,” Dobbe said. “They’re fast.”

He added that he appreciates the 218|V’s ability to transport with carbody and no track weights for its efficiency. As for the 238 HSL, it handles setup and teardown just as seamlessly, assembling and disassembling in a few hours.

“Setting up and tearing down the 238 is really user-friendly,” Dobbe said. “It’s pretty hard to get it wrong.”

Photos courtesy of S.M. Hentges & Sons Inc.