When Todd Pitsenburger, rigging superintendent of Duncan Machinery Movers, was asked to move the 38-year-old Marshall Memorial Fountain off its base for repairs-and without damaging the surrounding landscaping or interfering with students walking on the quad-he trusted ALL Crane & Equipment Rental Corp. of St. Albans, West Virginia, for the lift.

Pitsenburger called ALL because he had worked successfully with ALL Crane on previous jobs. He entrusted the job to ALL's seasoned crane experts and their knowledge of the right equipment to plan the perfect pick.

The job on the Marshall University campus in Huntington, West Virginia, entailed lifting the historic sculptural fountain off its base and placing it on a temporary platform near the Memorial Student Center so repairs could be made to the base and the plumbing could be updated. To avoid damaging the fountain's surrounding landscape, a crane with a long boom and enough capacity to lift 6,500 lbs. was required. A 350-ton GMK 6350 was specified by the lift engineer at ALL. The same crane will be called into service again to replace the fountain in March of this year.

For the lift, which took place on January 24, 2008, the crane had to be situated in a parking lot behind the Memorial Student Center to avoid damaging the grass around the fountain. But a pick with a long boom can be tricky. Says Pitsenberger, "The crane operator did a great job. His cautious movements allowed for a safe and efficient evolution."