Had to pick between a friction crane and a tower crane for a tight job site last Tuesday

So I got this call for a steel building going up behind an old strip mall downtown. No joke, the access lane was maybe 14 feet wide with power lines overhead. I was set on bringing my 50 ton friction rig because that's what I know and trust. But the site super kept pushing for me to rent a tower crane and set it up inside the footprint. I went with my gut and used the friction crane with some tricky swing angles and a spotter on both sides. Took two extra hours to get the first beam placed because of how tight it was. But by the end of the day we had all the columns up and the lines were clear. Has anyone else dealt with a job where your regular gear barely fits but you still make it work?

2 comments

2 Comments

keith26425d ago

Man I feel you on that. I had a job last fall where I needed to set a 30 ton HVAC unit on a rooftop behind a hotel and the only way in was a narrow alley with a low overhang. My 40 ton friction crane barely fit (had to deflate the tires a bit to squeeze under the canopy) and I had to boom down and swing in this weird S-curve around a dumpster that was bolted to the ground. Took me three tries to get the hook over the roof edge without hitting the parapet. My spotter was sweating bullets the whole time but we got it done in about four hours and the client was thrilled. Sometimes you just have to trust your gear and your gut, you know?

irisg5725d ago

I read somewhere that a friction crane's ground pressure is actually lower than a tower crane's base load in tight spots, which might explain why @keith264 and you both made it work without sinking into the dirt.