The 85-ton (80-metric ton) Link-Belt 85|RT rough terrain crane is the definition of reliable, offering smooth controls, excellent job site mobility, and impressive capacities at radius.
The 85|RT displayed these abilities while assisting in foundation construction work at the Barack Obama Presidential Library in Chicago.
The 85|RT was purchased by W.E. O’Neil Construction of Chicago from Link-Belt distributor Stevenson Crane, Rigging & Heavy Haul of Bolingbrook, Illinois. The 85|RT was selected for the job site because of its capacities and maneuverability.
W.E. O’Neil crane operator Keith Gesiakowski said the 85|RT functioned flawlessly both when making required lifts and while navigating the busy job site.
“With the 85|RT, it engages right away,” Gesiakowski said. “I can set the controls to the speed that I want, thanks to the fine metering controls available through the Pulse 2.0 display.”
He added that the crane’s controls are the smoothest he’s seen in a long time, stating that the crane’s capacities sold themselves immediately while lifting and setting 5,000-pound steel bundles at a radius of 120 feet. He said the 85|RT’s V-CALC (Variable Confined Area Lifting Capacities), which allows the crane to be set up with an asymmetrical outrigger pattern, made it easy to place the crane into tight spaces on the site.
“Being able to preview 360-degree, real-time charts on the Pulse computer display was really helpful for setting the crane up to make lifts from confined areas,” Gesiakowski said of the 85|RT’s V-CALC mode.
He said that the 85|RT came to O’Neil packed with standard features like 142 feet of fullpower grease-free main boom, a 20-degree tilting cab, a multi-view camera system, LED lights all around, and, of course, Link- Belt’s Pulse 2.0 RCL system, all of which combined to help make the job seamless.
Construction of the library on the 19.3-acre campus is scheduled to be complete and open to the public in the first half of 2026.
