Crawler used for parking garage construction

3 June 2021

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A Liebherr LR 1300.1 SX crawler crane from Structural Unlimited’s fleet was used for the construction of the new Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters (CHKD) Mental Healthcare facility parking garage in Norfolk, Virginia.

Huntersville, North Carolina-based Structural Unlimited was tasked with construction of the nine-storey parking garage. The first floor of the parking garage is 19ft 10.5in (6.06m) high to accommodate ambulances.

The construction began in January 2021 and was completed in April. The 330USt (300t) LR 1300.1 SX crawler crane, fitted with carbon fibre pendants, was used to lift and set concrete wall panels in place for each level of the parking garage.

It was operated up to 12 hours a day, handling the precast wall panels that weighed between 50,000 to 90,000lbs (22.7t to 40.8t). Each panel was lifted and placed side by side and then welded together. The crane was selected for this job because of its ability to make a pick-up of 90,000lbs at 110ft outreach.

Structural Unlimited was faced with the challenge of making sure the luffing jib tip remained underneath the Liebherr tower crane working on the same jobsite. The LR 1300.1 SX was equipped with 95ft of main boom and 125ft of luffing jib.

The company, established in 2009, currently owns four Liebherr LR 1300.1 SX, all equipped with carbon fibre pendants.