Link-Belt lattice crawler cranes tandem lift 116,000-pound bridge beams

Griffin Grading & Concrete LLC of Cordele, Georgia, is utilizing two Link-Belt cranes, a 110-ton 218|V and a 150-ton 238 HSL, as part of a major effort to rehabilitate bridges across Georgia.

Griffin is using the Link-Belt cranes in tandem to replace a nearly 100-year-old bridge in Cordele. Originally built in 1928 and designated as part of the Dixie Highway, this bridge was evaluated and selected for replacement out of a pool of 2,300 Georgia state bridges.

The bridge to replace it, a single-span concrete structure that’s 90 feet long by 40 feet wide, will stand above Georgia’s Cedar Creek and feature two 12-foot lanes, four-foot-wide shoulders, and exterior barrier walls. In line with its objective to invest in cutting-edge technology, Griffin acquired the 218|V and 238 HSL cranes from Link-Belt dealer Atlantic & Southern Equipment.

The cranes are helping construct abutments on the bridge’s north and south sides, first auguring holes of a 16-inch diameter 20 feet deep and then driving 80-foot-tall, 14-inch shell composite steel pile.

Along with auguring and driving pile, the cranes have been especially efficient while working in tandem to place 90-foot-long, 116,000-pound precast concrete bridge beams.

Without needing to move a single crane to either side of the creek as work progresses, Griffin is saving time and money by using both cranes at once. Griffin Bridge Division Manager Darryl Jaquith said the cranes work great together, describing the 218|V as a “workhorse.”

“If you checked the hours on the machines’ use, the 218 would have double the hours of the other cranes,” Jaquith said.

According to crane operator Teddy Webb, a veteran in the field with 50 years of experience, the 218|V is capable of auguring and driving pile effectively while still being mobile and easy to access.

“The Link-Belts handle the auger with leads and the hammer in the 60-foot-tall leads really well,” Webb said. “On the smaller jobs like here, the 218|V is easy to get in and out of and on dirt roads and places like that.”

Webb added that he especially likes a variety of the 218|V’s features such as its line pull controls and its thumb button to control the hydraulic pump. Paired with the crane’s winch functions and controls, he said the 218|V operates smoothly and is easy to adjust as needed.

“It’s just an all-around good machine, and it’s been performing great,” Webb said.

He said the crane’s fine metering and computer systems and cameras, which feature a rearview, side-view, and drum-view angle, are also extremely helpful. Compared to older cranes, operating the 218|V is much simpler and like “night and day,” he said.

“The machine does what they say it will do,” Webb said. “The rig is so much easier to use — There’s no comparison to the old cranes.”

Jaquith said he believes embracing the use of cranes such as Link-Belt’s 218|V and 238 HSL, which offer new and advanced crane technology, is paramount to the future of the construction industry. He said this approach will lead to greater productivity and lower costs.

“With our newer thinking, we may be more efficient, saving money, or saving time while introducing new things,” Jaquith said.