New Tripoli-based Tri-City Erectors was selected to erect the stadium’s lighting towers and other structural steel framing. Robert Fatzinger, founder of Tri-City, explained why the company chose a Manitowoc 11000-1 crawler for much of the job: "It has long reach and high capacity capabilities. We couldn’t bring any cranes onto the inside of the field, so we raised the lighting towers over the outside perimeter and into place."
Tri-City configured the crawler with approximately 140ft (43m) of boom and 40ft (12m) of fixed jib. The lighting towers weighed some 21,000lbs (9,525kg) each and were about 110ft (33.5m) tall. Fatzinger said the crawler worked well because they were able to easily move the crane for each lift, whereas rough-terrain and all-terrain cranes would require frequent resetting of the outriggers.
The Manitowoc 11000-1 has a 110USt capacity and 200ft (61m) of boom. It can be configured with a maximum boom and jib combination of 190ft (58m) plus 60ft (18m). The crane is from Manitowoc’s range of smaller capacity crawler cranes, ideal for job sites where maneuverability is vital.
Tri-City also used a Grove RT540E rough-terrain crane to erect structural steel framing around the lighting towers, and other parts of the stadium’s floor and roof.
"We didn’t have an abundance of room inside the stadium’s footprint where we needed to position the crane to place maintenance walkways and platforms," Fatzinger said. "The RT540E was able to fit into the tight working quarters and we were able to move it around the job site quickly as we worked from the first base to third base sides."
The Grove RT540E has a capacity of 40USt and its four-section, full power boom extends to 102ft (31m). Its 8.6ft (2.6m) wide chassis allows for easy maneuvering on the job site and efficient transport between projects, Manitowoc said. It features a 6.7 L Cummins Tier III emissions-compliant diesel engine and a load-sensing hydraulic system that uses a piston gear pump for crane functions, ensuring smooth operation.
