Heavy Equipment

[Hay Ewe]

So it took 6 weeks to rig the crane, how long to actually do the job?

[Craneguy]

Originally Posted by Hay Ewe

So it took 6 weeks to rig the crane, how long to actually do the job?

30 days or so.

Practically every component of the crane was a critical lift under the nuclear plant's regulations. It slows things down a lot.

We took it apart in 3 weeks because the job was done, the crew was experienced and the client's attention had moved elsewhere ;)

We once erected the sister crane to this one in 10 days on a job in Malaysia. 100 people in the crew and no paperwork.

[mark883]

Here's the top of a bucket wheel near the Arkansas / Texas border, just off the interestate:



Here's another dragline operating nearby:



Big, but not huge like the classic ones from Bucyrus or Marion.

That coal needs to move to the power plant:



Komatsu I think, possibly from their Haulpak plant, in Peoria IL. That has to piss off Caterpillar, drive down by the river and see a Komatsu factory. A legacy of LeTourneau which makes some big ass electrified equipment.

Check out the L2350:



LeTourneau was the pioneer of diesel / electric drives in construction equipment. Hybrids in the 1940s. Old Tournapull operators usually have exciting stories of them praying (or cursing) that the steering would start working again. Most of them are also deaf due to the use of Detroit diesels.

[Sniper X]

Originally Posted by Dan R

So why was the wire coming off???

If you whack the bucket on the side of the spoil pile, it jumps the shark. He either had bad depth perception, was in a hurry, or drunk because it happened to the same operator twice and the one who came after him once meaning the guy who's fault it was had almost knocked it off again and it finally went when the new shift took over.

[Hay Ewe]

Had a thought about the cable used on those big FO cranes.
So, it has 5miles of cable - that weighs a shit load right.
Spectra / Dynema has been used on BIG yachts rigging (both running and standing) for years now - its much lighter.

Is there a reason they are not using similar instead of the normal wire type rope?

I understand that it can be in a dirty (dusty / oil / weather) etc but for the cost of one of those cranes, it would be a small % I think.

Thoughts?

Hay Ewe

[Craneguy]

I'd have to think about that. They are starting to use composite materials in cranes now, but they are not widespread yet.

Strength is only one aspect. Durability is critical. If a line fails on a sailboat its an inconvenience, if it fails on a crane it's life threatening. Look at the boom hoist cable that failed in New York recently. A laborer was killed.

We looked at using composite materials to make lattice booms. Very light and strong, but we were worried about them being damaged during handling and failing at a later time. Repair is easy with steel, but not so much with carbon fiber.

Hoist ropes work at a 5 to 1 safety factor too, and if you apply that to synthetic rope it rapidly increases in diameter. That would require much larger drums. They also absorb water, so you have a potential issue with sheave (roller) width variances.

We often use synthetic slings for rigging loads. They are very light and easy to handle compared to wire, but are incredibly easy to damage either through rough handling, poor storage or simply getting cut on a sharp edge during lifting. They are also sensitive to heat and chemicals and can deteriorate when exposed to UV for long periods. That's not too much of a problem with slings, but hoist ropes are open to the elements at all times. Replacing them periodically on an expensive sail boat is one thing... On a fleet of large cranes it would be prohibitively costly.

It'll happen one day, but I think it's a long way off, especially in these monster cranes. Too much riding on what is not that big of a maintenance cost.

[HOT DAMN!]

The largest crawler known to mankind is just down the street from me.

[Craneguy]

Originally Posted by HOT DAMN!

The largest crawler known to mankind is just down the street from me.

Yup, this the first one. It's a Liebherr (seeing a pattern here?) LR13000 3,000 metric tonnes capacity.

Here it is up close during the factory open day earler this year:



They went on to do a demonstration lift with it, that earned the respect of every rigging engineer on the planet:



Even the small crane on the end is holding a platform with a 1:50 scale model crane!

[ysr612]

are those weights 25 us or metric?

[Craneguy]

Metric.

900 tonnes on the crane itself, and up to 1,500 tonnes on the superlift tray hanging out the back.



Its a big bitch...

[IMG]img156.imageshack.us/img156/4259/hijsbloklr13000.jpg[/IMG]

[ysr612]

Originally Posted by Craneguy

Metric.

900 tonnes on the crane itself, and up to 1,500 tonnes on the superlift tray hanging out the back.



Its a big bitch...

thanks I could see they were heavy

[Craneguy]

Metric or US tons... It's all the same if it's on your foot. :)

[ysr612]

Originally Posted by Craneguy

Metric or US tons... It's all the same if it's on your foot. :)

2000lb vs 2204.6 lb does feel the same even steel toe boots are only good for about 500.

[andy29847]

This crane was used at the new Carolina Coliseum because they could place all the big steel beams from one spot. I don't remember the name/size, but is was supposed to be 1 of 4 in the world that size.

[Craneguy]

Not sure what that is. Looks like a Manitowoc 18000. Can you read the name on it in the original photo?