System integration and automation company, Zenith Tech, this week, completed a Wisconsin state trail project, with the help of a Tadano crawler crane.
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The Tadano GTC-2000 telescopic boom crawler crane assisted Zenith Tech in completing the 83.7m Glacial Drumlin State Trail job (a trail that runs between milwaukee and madison).
The GTC-2000’s main purpose was to work on the trail that needed “rehabbing”.
“These types of jobs are especially rewarding because so many people use the trail for recreational purposes,” said Zenith Tech Construction Manager Steve Firari. “It involved rehabbing a pedestrian/bike bridge that was built on an old railroad bed across Rock Lake near Lake Mills. The piers were failing, so we essentially built new ones to make it more sound and safer.”
The 15.58m-long and 7.32m-wide GTC-2000 can carry up to 156-tonne and also has a 26mm hoist rope with 13.9t line pull. The crawler crane also includes a counterweight capacity of 25-tonne.
“We considered alternatives, but nothing gave us everything we needed like the Tadano did,” said Firari.
“We pulled the tracks in to walk the path, then put them back out to full width once we got to the pad that we built for it to sit on. An added advantage was that we could put the tracks on, then walk it back to the site with the boom extended out in front. It would not have been feasible to walk it back and put the crawler tracks on because there just wasn’t enough room.”
GTC-2000 Operator Keith Keskimaki spoke to the main function of the crane.
“Our main use was driving piling 85 feet (26 m) into the ground with a vibratory hammer,” said Keskimaki. “We also moved a template and other materials as needed. The Tadano had plenty of capacity in every situation. The load charts are right there on the in-cab monitor, and you can scroll through to choose the length of boom you want and find the sweet spot to pick the capacity you want.”
Fellow GTC-2000 Operation Nate Stewart found the crane easy to use and familiarise with.
“It’s nice and smooth, and fast when you need it to be,” Stewart said. “It was very easy to learn and get used to. I like that you can also slow it down if you need to without changing settings by using the throttle in the joystick.”
The setup was completed with ease and efficiency, too. The delivery of the GTC-2000 was completed by crane rental company Reynolds Equipment, according to Zenith Tech Equipment Manager Kyle Ehley.
“Setup is fast and easy, and we knew it would be going in because this is our second time renting a 2000 from Reynolds Equipment,” Kyle said.
