Features Archive
Archive of features from the global cranes industryFeatures By Date
May 2017
Top
From loaders to lifters
Paola De Pascali talked with the main manufacturers of knuckleboom cranes about the recent trend of using ‘loaders’ as ‘lifters’ for diverse applications.
USA projects round up
This month we review projects from Texas, Louisiana, New York, Virginia.
Tread carefully
Choosing the right type of tyre for a mobile crane is crucial. Bernadette Ballantyne looks into how owners go about finding the right blend of performance, longevity and price.
Inner city giant
ALE’s giant self-built crane, the AL.SK190, has started working on its first inner city job, performing lifts at the Earls Court development in the heart of London.
Making cranes great again
2017’s big show, ConExpo, took place literally and metaphorically in the shadow of US President Donald Trump. Will North spoke to senior staff from a selection of mobile-crane companies about their hopes for the US market under the new administration and their strategy for the year ahead.
April 2017
Top
A light step towards the future
Manitowoc introduced synthetic rope on mobile cranes at ConExpo 2014. This year, the company showed another new use of materials, with a carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) fly jib. While other companies have previously offered CFRP as an option for pendants on tower cranes and crawlers, this is the first such application on a boom or jib component. Talking to John Benton, principal engineer for Manitowoc’s truck crane and all-terrain line, Will North finds out what this means for the future of cranes.
Time to shine
High-strength synthetic ropes are now being used in multiple crane applications and approval for use by crane companies is growing. Bernadette Ballantyne reports
Small and powerful
Minicranes and larger compact and pick-and-carry cranes are becoming popular all over the world, offering innovative solutions for work in confined spaces. Paola De Pascali reports
Family business
Spanish crane operator Grúas Rigar has relocated one of the three tower cranes at the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona using a Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 mobile crane.
With deadline looming, US faces crane showdown
With the expiration date for OSHA’s delayed implementation of its contentious rule on crane operator certification looming and no progress made on an amendment, National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) CEO Graham Brent has warned that the industry may face the imposition of a flawed regulation.
March 2017
Top
The distant tower
Azvi is using a Potain MCT 88, controlled remotely, in a project to restore the Žeželj Bridge, which spans the Danube River and connects a key stretch of international railway.
Stay in control
Paola De Pascali reviews recent development in remote controls for use in construction crane applications.
Easy lifting
LiftPlanner is a crane program that allows users to create detailed, accurate plans. Sotiris Kanaris finds out more about the software and how it was used to repair a hangar roof in Tustin, California.
Stick to the plan
Software has become a vital tool in detailed crane-job planning. Michael Kölsch, founder and CEO of craniMAX, tells Sotiris Kanaris about the advantages that software can bring to the industry.
Plan online without CAD
A1A Software developed 3D Lift Plan in collaboration with Link-Belt in 2007. Tawnia Weiss, president of A1A Software, tells Sotiris Kanaris that both companies wanted a program that was online and 3D. It is now available for use with a full range of cranes from different manufacturers, and has been adapted for use on iOS and Android devices.
Test of strength
Ensuring that crane ropes and rigging products meet local, international and corporate standards is a vital activity for manufacturers and suppliers. Bernadette Ballantyne reports.
GTKs flock to China
Chinese energy specialist CPIE is putting a fl eet of six of Grove’s unique GTK telescopic tower all terrains to work on wind-turbine jobs. China Power Equipment Installation Engineering (CPIE) has been using its Grove GTK1100 cranes to install wind turbines of up to 3MW in China.
February 2017
Top
Maximum performance
Belgian trailer manufacturer Faymonville will present its trailer range – designed specifically for the North American market – at ConExpo stand G1326.
Unrivalled vehicle solutions
TII Group will exhibit models from its Highway product range at stand G1723 at ConExpo.
Keep both feet on the ground
Nelson Manufacturing Company will launch the new ‘boots-on-the-ground’ version of its boom launch trailer at ConExpo in the Gold Lot, stand G2626.
Synthetic-rope innovations
WireCo World Group will exhibit several products such as the brand-new synthetic hoist rope Lanko Lift S at ConExpo, stand G73012. The bright yellow rope, made by Lankhorst Ropes, consists of 12 braided outer strands made of high-tech material Dyneema.
