DC Crane Service, Inc. of West Palm Beach, Florida rented a new Link-Belt 85-ton 85|RT rough terrain crane from Florida Link-Belt distributor Kelly Tractor for work on the Everglades Restoration Act project.
The $10.5-billion restoration project is part of an ongoing, 35-year effort to maintain and protect Florida’s drinking water as it connects the Florida Everglades to the Kissimmee River and greater River of Grass ecosystem in South Florida. DC Crane is able to travel the distance from station to station with full counterweight—19,200 pounds— on the 85|RT.
“We chose the 85|RT because of its mobility,” said DC Crane Service co-owner Dan Connor. “We needed something big enough to do the work, but small and nimble enough to drive from station to station. We can retract the boom all in and drive the five miles from station to station.”
The 85|RT supports general construction at each station, handling construction materials like tall formwork and rebar cages for columns, scaffolding, and large dumpsters. Culvert pipes four feet in diameter and 25 feet in length are placed at up to a 60-foot radius. The 85|RT hoists 18,000-pound concrete pipe sections running from the newly constructed canal into the station with 95 feet of boom extended.
“I like the fine metering system on the 85|RT because when I’m setting the 18,000-pound pipes, I want my hoist line to go much slower than I normally use it,” said operator Alex Goode. “It’s nice having fine metering, which allows me to control the speed of the hoist line.”
The base of each station measures 60 feet by 80 feet. Each station comprises 16 columns spaced evenly apart. The 85|RT works with a full 142 feet of main boom extended, and Goode typically works between 45 feet and 115 feet of radius.
“Because the columns are hard to see around, the hoist line camera is very useful when they only need half an inch of cable on the ground,” said Goode. “It’s pretty common to be in the blind when we are lifting the rebar cages behind existing framework, so a camera like this is important.”
Reprinted from Marine Construction Magazine Issue V, 2023.
