The RT875E rough-terrain crane, manufactured by Grove , is being used to help erect the steel beams for the addition and also deliver building materials, such as pallets of glass panes to workers.
The relatively small footprint (just over 17 ft wide with outriggers fully extended) of the RT875E, combined with its reach were the main reasons this crane model was chosen for the job. The crane is configured with its swingaway extension, which offers a total of 184 ft of reach.
The remodeling project consists of removing two angled, glass atriums, which were not energy efficient. They trapped so much heat that the building had to be cooled, even in the middle of Wisconsin's cold winters. In addition, because of the design of the atriums, a large amount of potentially revenue -generating space was completely underutilized.
Madison-based Findorff Construction, the contractor on the job, deconstructed the atriums and is now building out the two areas to create 15,000 sq ft of rentable commercial space where the atriums once stood. The building is located in a bustling city center across from the state's capitol building.
Job superintendent Greg Sweeney said traffic, pedestrians and adjacent office buildings made crane choice and placement challenging.
"It was essential to keep the crane off the street to avoid blocking traffic," he said. "So, we needed to find a crane that would fit into a small space between two buildings, but also offer the reach we needed to pick and deliver materials."
The RT875E from Manitowoc's Grove brand has a 75 USt capacity. It's four-section, full-power boom variable reach from 41 ft to 128 ft. Its 33 ft to 56 ft offsettable, bifold, swingaway extension increases maximum tip height to 192 ft.
Findorff rented the RT875E from Reynolds Transfer, which purchased the crane from American State Equipment in Milwaukee, Wis., U.S. It will be on site for eight months.
The RT875E comes with a standard graphic display load moment and anti-two block system with audio-visual warning and control lever lockout. These systems provide electronic display of boom angle, length, radius, tip height, relative load moment, maximum permissible load, load indication and warning of impending two-block condition. The standard Work Area Definition System allows the operator to pre-select and define safe working areas. If the crane approaches the pre-set limits, audio-visual warnings aid the operator in avoiding job site obstructions.
