September 2010 www.cranestodaymagazine.comThe interviewAndrew Rooke on the growth of ManitexNorth AmericaUS construction experts call for long term infrastructure investmentDockside liftingThe latest in transshipment cranes, and newtechnology from the US NavyContents3 www.cranestodaymagazine.com | CRANES TODAY September 2010This month05Comment07Job of the monthALE lifts and skids a huge module inTampico, Mexico09NewsNew Terex truck craneNew AlteccabDulles airport linkJumbo Javelinat Greater GabbardAppointmentsCase studyPeopleThe Back Page74 BackpageA profile of specialist recruiter MPS2541Maestro MarchettiStuart Anderson remembers LuigiMarchetti, who ran his eponymouscrane builder for more than 50 yearsNorth America45 Spending for the futureIn the US, the lifting and constructionindustry is lobbying for a commitment tomuch-needed long term infrastructureinvestment. Myra Pinkham reports52 Job mapNicole Robinson reviews recent jobsin the US and Canada20 London linkAdrian Greeman describes two keyprojects within the upgrade ofLondons Thameslink rail line25 Docking without a dockWill North looks at some of Liebherrslatest cranes for transshipment, anda new lifting device developed by theUS Navy0737People19 The interviewAndrew Rooke talks to Will Northabout the history of Manitex, and itsplans for the futureDocksideSpecial transport29 Wind transportKevin Walsh reviews transportersaimed at the wind energy sector33 Down in the bayouCOVER Alice Attwood profiles Louisiana-based Berard Transportation, andexamines the challenges of working insuch difficult terrain37 Mammoet floats boatsWill North reports on one of the firstjobs for Mammoets new pontoon,launching a frigate for Damenshipbuilders33The Manitowoc family of cranesContact your dealer or visit www.manitowoc.comPremium lifting solutions and dedicated customer supportManitowoc oers a full range of tough, reliable, high-capacity cranes to meet the lifting industrys rigorous demands. All of our cranes backed by Manitowoc Crane Care are designed for quality and performance, ensuring the highest value for your money.Editors view | Comment5 www.cranestodaymagazine.com | CRANES TODAY September 2010At times, it seems as if life is merelyplodding along, that nothing ischanging, while at other times itshard to keep up with the pace of change.For many in the lifting industry right now,it is one of those times when business ismoving frustratingly slowly. Recentresults from some of the companies wefollow most closely have shown the first,very tentative signs of a recovery in theindustry. Looking at the pitiful state of theUS economy though, where as many asone in ten of the working population areunemployed, by official measures, it wouldtake a foolish level of optimism to suggestthat we are on the verge of another boom.In the US, the big political battle for theconstruction industry is to get a plan forlong term investment in infrastructure inplace (p45). A big part of that battle isfinding a way to fund this investment. Thesame is true across the Atlantic. In the UK,the new coalition government is looking tocut as much as 25% from governmentspending. One of the targets for those cutslooks likely to be the new Crossrail linkfrom Heathrow to the City of London, andthe upgraded Thameslink line (p20).Its easy to be cynical, to see calls forsustained investment in infrastructure aspleading for government support for privatebusiness. The reality is though, that thesecalls are coming from the people who knowtheir countrys infrastructure requirementsthe best. Without investment, they knowtheir countrys economy will continue toflounder. They should be listened to.While the politicians are slow to move,and crane sales are only tentatively pickingup, here at Cranes Today, things are movingfast. Just last month, our then editorRichard Howes introduced our new reporter,Alice Attwood. Since then, Richard has left,moving on to a new job for anothermagazine. Ive been given the opportunityto take on editing Cranes Today, as well asour sister titles, Hoist and OCH.Its an opportunity I relish. Over the lastfive years, I think Ive got a pretty goodgrasp of the crane industry. I wouldnt sayI know everything there is to know (noteven a significant chunk of what there is toknow), but I have found plenty of expertswho are always happy to help me. I hopethat will continue, that I will be able to putforward the industrys concerns, and thatCranes Today will continue to act as theforum for industry discussion.We have another new starter thismonth, too. Kevin Walsh is joining us asfeatures editor. Previously, he has workedon a couple of well known UK constructiontitles, so some of our readers andinterviewees will know him already. Ihope you will all give him, and our newreporter Alice Attwood, the same,fantastic, level of support youve given mein my time reporting on the liftingindustry.Will North Editorwnorth@cranestodaymagazine.comThe paceof changeFind out more about our range of products and read daily news at www.cranestodaymagazine.comSeptember 2010Issue 429EDITORIALEditor Will NorthTel: +44 (0) 20 8269 7779wnorth@cranestodaymagazine.comFeatures Editor KevinWalshTel: +44 (0) 20 8269 7861kevin.walsh@cranestodaymagazine.comReporter AliceAttwoodTel: +44 (0) 20 8269 7781alice.attwood@cranestodaymagazine.comSALESGroup sales manager Martin McCarthyTel: +44 (0) 20 8269 7848mmccarthy@worldmarketintelligence.comSales executiveAlex HillTel: +44 (0) 20 8269 7720alexhill@worldmarketintelligence.comClassified sales executive Kate HearnTel: +44 (0) 20 8269 7743khearn@worldmarketintelligence.comWeb sales executive Emma HeathTel: +44 (0) 20 8269 7746eheath@worldmarketintelligence.comJournal administrator Natasha Denneyndenney@worldmarketintelligence.comJournal fax: +44 (0) 20 8269 7803ADVERTISING AGENTSItaly: Anna De Bortoli, Ediconsult InternazionaleTel: +39 02 477 100 36 Fax: +39 02 477 113 60milano@ediconsult.comJapan: Sho Harihara, Yukari Media IncTel: +81 6 4790 2222 Fax: +81 6 4793 0800ymi4886@cello.ocn.ne.jpChina: Xianbiao Zhou, CMTMTel: +86 10 642 636 04 Fax: +86 10 6428 5925zhouxb@cmtm.com.cnPRODUCTION AND DESIGNPublishing manager Dan Gardinerdgardiner@worldmarketintelligence.comSenior designer Natalie KyneTechnical designer Nick StenningOnline designers Dan Rogers, David CooperProduction Jo BurtonSUBSCRIPTIONSTitle customer servicescs@progressivemediagroup.comSubscriptions hotlineTel: +44 (0) 845 155 1845 (local rate)Fax: +44 (0) 20 8269 7277subscriptions@progressivemediagroup.comCranes Today subscriptionsProgressive Media Publishing, Progressive House,2 Maidstone Road, Foots Cray, Sidcup, DA14 5HZ, UK.subscriptions@progressivemediagroup.comSubscribe online at www.getthatmag.comGroup CEORuss MilburnCranes Today, World Market Intelligence Ltd,Progressive House, 2 Maidstone Road,Foots Cray, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 5HZ, UK Progressive Media Publishing Ltd 2010ConferencesWebsiteSome of our other productsCranes TodayChinaHoist and OCHmagazines Buyers GuideRiggingYearbookSINGAPORE2010CranesAsiaMiddleEastCranesThe job involved the lifting andpositioning of a living quartermodule and deck at anoffshore yard in Tampico for DragadosOffshores Litoral project.The lifting and pulling componentsof the job were driven and controlledby two computers on site. The2,000t, 27.6m high top module of theliving quarter platform was lifted 25metres using eight 500t HLS5000units, keeping the module levelthroughout, a job which took theteam eight hours.The lower deck (1,800t with a deckheight of 19.1m, with 23.35mmezzanine height) was pulled usingskid shoes to an area below the uppermodule of the superstructure. Pullingwas conducted using four 70t SLS700units across a 68 metre distance, thispart of the job took 5 hours.Later the top module was loweredby approximately one metre, fittingthe modules together to create thesuperstructure.A fleet of 300s and 500s Weightorweighing jacks were used at variouspoints of the project, with 4,000t and20,000t capacities respectively. 7 www.cranestodaymagazine.com | CRANES TODAY September 2010ALE has completed lift work in Tampico, Mexico,using a hydraulic lift and skid system and providingweighing services for a total weight of 92,945t.Job of the month | NewsExperience the Progress.Top capacities in all lifting classesVariable boom systems for diverse requirementsEfficient application due to optimized transportation componentsComprehensive comfort and safety featuresWorldwide customer support by manufacturer LR crawler cranes from Liebherr.The GroupLiebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbHP.O. Box 1361D-89582 EhingenTel.:(0 73 91) 502-0Fax:(0 73 91) 502-3399www.liebherr.comRoundup | News9 www.cranestodaymagazine.com | CRANES TODAY September 2010Terex has launched its first truck-mounted crane with all terrainsuperstructures, the Roadmaster 8000,that demonstrates how modular designand an international supply chain isallowing the company to offer newproducts from similar components.Terex product marketing manager,Arndt Jahns, explains that the crane wasdesigned in response to customerdemands for an all terrain superstructureon a commercial carrier: We were theonly manufacturer that could offer ourcustomers an all terrain superstructurewithin a width of 2.55 m. It offers the bestlifting capacity in its class.Terexs US plant in Waverly has builttruck-mounted telescopic cranes for sometime, all with welded four plate squarebooms. This new crane was designed, atleast in part, at one of Terexs French plants,Montceau-les-Mines. It is almost 25%stronger than any of the previous range.The crane is a product of Terexsinternational network of production plants,with the firm promising to makeincreasing use of those plants in future.Jahns says, The superstructure is built inZweibrcken and the outriggers inMontceau-les-Mines. The first step will beto sell the crane in Europe, but we couldmanufacture this type of crane overseas.We can mount the superstructureand outriggers on any suitable truckcarrier, at one of our own plants, or itcan be mounted in the customers yard:its a simple task. We prefer to deliverthe whole cranewe can order carriersfor less if we buy a lotbut somecustomers may want to mount themon their own carrier.The new crane was launched atJournes de Levage (JDL, Lifting Days)in Paris on September 9-10. TheRoadmaster 8000 features a choice of mainbooms: 59.4m (from the AC100/4L) or 50m(from the AC100/4), for a respectivemaximum system length of 81.7m or 77m.The manufacturer is aiming squarelyat the taxi crane market, pointing out thatit is fully roadable on a five axlecommercial carrier and is useable as aone-man crane.Jahns says, Its good for customerswho dont, all the time, need off roadcapability. On residential job sites,where the ground is prepared, you dontalways need an all terrain. But on thecapacity side, it is the same as an allterrain crane.It will be used for more long distancejobs, in emergencies, or when customersre-hire to other rental companies.Terex launches newtruck mounted craneAltec has announced the release of a tilt cab optionfor all riding seat crane models.The option allows the operator to adjust the angle ofthe cab from 0 to 20 degrees above horizontal, withhydraulic power.The product aims to ensure operators will enjoybetter vertical visibility and less neck strain duringwork applications, such as setting cross arms ontransmission structures. Additionally, the tilt cab islocated forward of the centerline of rotation,providing better horizontal visibility when rotatingthe crane clockwise.This increased visibility and reduced operatorstrain gives Altec the potential to meet or exceedcustomers requirements, relative to the boom truckcrane work applications.Altec tilt cab option now available10News | RoundupCRANES TODAY | www.cranestodaymagazine.com September 2010The deal ensures the security of 76 jobsat Sparrows, the Aberdeen-basedoffshore lifting specialists, while alsocreating a number of new positions.The contract marks a 40 year unbrokenrelationship between firms, and will seeSparrows provide all crane and liftingengineering services on BPs 26 UKoffshore installations, and 4 onshoreterminals until 2015.The contract secures 76 jobs atSparrows in the BP core team, on andoffshore, and is likely to create a further 6-10 jobs at the firm. In 2009, additionalwork such as maintenance, modifications,and repair work, resulted in the equivalentof a further 52 full time employees atSparrows, and the workload for 2010 hasincreased greater again.The new contract includes: cranemanagement, operation, maintenance,modification and upgrade, provision ofoffshore riggers, rigging lofts and riggingequipment, and lifting engineeringsupport for shutdown.Sparrows executive director, EasternHemisphere, Richard Wilson, said:Taking together the core team, the widerengineering work scopes, and the supportteams in HSEQ, HR, Finance, etc, the BPcontract (which is Sparrows largest in theUK) provides secure employment for 140-150 Sparrows Aberdeen-based staff.Winning the new BP contract was animportant measure of Sparrows ability toadapt to new client needs in the rapidlychanging world energy market. In no wayis the new contract a simple renewal ofthe previous deal- it represents new waysof delivering greater value to BP, whilestill maintaining the highest standards ofsafety and equipment integrity which arevital for safe offshore lifting operations.Sparrows chief executive, Doug Sedge,said of the deal: Sparrows 40 yearpartnership with BP is an example of allthat is best about what the oil and gasindustry has brought to Aberdeen. As ourfirst client in 1975, BP gave us theopportunity to form a new Aberdeencompany. Their contracts have alreadyprovided 35 years (almost a careerlifetime) of highly skilled and well-paidwork for 100+ of our people locally.The company they helped us to createnow employs around 1500 peopleworldwide, over 900 of them in Aberdeenand offshore UK, and is one of Aberdeensbig success stories on the world energyservices stage.Sparrows and BP in multi-million pound 5 year dealPaR Systems is to supply the maincranes systems for the Chernobyl plantin Ukraine.The US-based firm has won asubcontract to supply the main cranessystem (MCS) to be used within the NewSafe Confinement (NSC) at theconstruction site, unit 4 of the Chernobylnuclear power plant in Ukraine.PaR Systems are set to design theMCS, as well as taking responsibility forthe site supervision of the crane systemerection. The design, fabrication andtesting will take place at the firmssubsidiary, Ederer, in Seattle.The MCS, which includes two 55USttrolley hoists, integrates overhead cranebridges, trolleys, and a remote controland video monitoring system foroperation in a radioactive area. The NSCbuilding will house the MCS, allowingthe dismantling and cleanup of the sitein a controlled environment.The NSC will be an arch structure,built next to the damaged reactorbuilding, then slid into position toenvironmentally isolate the unit as futureoperations continue. The structure is setto confine the plant for 100 years.A mobile tool platform (MTP) will holda third trolley with a RoboCranetechnology, licensed to PaR, developedat the US National Institute of Standardsand Technology (NIST).The MTP will also house a ModularSuspended Manipulator (MSM), alsodeveloped at NIST. The MTP is a deviceusing three sets of paired winches tosuspend and manipulate a platform withsix degrees of freedom: lateral,longitudinal, vertical, roll, pitch and yaw.PaR will subjoin a number ofmultifunction tools to the MSM,including: high power vacuum system,closed-circuit television viewing system,shear, robotic arm, jackhammer and drill;all of which will be remotely operated.The NSC at Chernobyl was contractedto French firm, Novarka consortium,made up of Vinci Construction GrandsProjets S.A.S and Bouygues TravauxPublics S.A., in 2007.Since 1961, PaR has specialized in thedesign and supply of remote handlingand automated systems for highradiation, high temperature, inert gas,and vacuum operations.The Chernobyl regeneration project isfunded by 29 donor countries throughthe Chernobyl Shelter Fund.PaR Crane System for ChernobylRegeneration ProjectThe Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project onRoute 123 has seen the landscape ofTysons Corner transform.The Metrorail line and stationconstruction, 26 miles from Washington,began in August 2009 along the north sideof Route 123 from the Dulles ConnectorRoad to Route 7 in Tysons Corner.A new bridge will carry Silver Linetrains 30ft above the Capital Beltway tothe airport. The Beltway will also act as aflyover, reaching up to 65ft high.Also under construction is an overheadcrane/truss which will hoist 25USt blocksof concrete, to be suspended from thecrane. The blocks, which will be heldtogether by tendons, are being made atnearby Dulles Airport, using specialistmoulds for each area of the bridge.The custom built cranes are required tobuild the first 11.5 miles of the rail line,expected to be running by 2013.Construction also is taking place onRoute 123 using piers to support thewidening of the Beltway for carpool lanes.The bridge has remained open to 12 lanesof traffic during construction. Thus, theflyover has been built and installed instages, by laying concrete slabs betweenthe piers to support the subway tracks.Custom built cranesfor Dulles MetrorailprojectL'S LIFk N08L000k8Learn aII ahout erex 0ranes onour kN wehsitewww.terexcranes.comMeeting customer needs with a fuIIrange of cranes0omhining our diverse expertise todeIiver customer soIutions0ommitted to deIivering responsivegIohaI supportLet our team of 0rane SpeciaIistsheIp you succeed08kkSTruck Mounted Cranes Road Mobile Cranes Crawler Cranes Rough Terrain Cranes Port Equipment Tower Cranes Specialized CranesCopyright Terex Corporation 2010Terex is a registered trademark of Terex Corporation in the United States of America and many other Countrieswww.cargotec.com

www.hiab.comMD 2006/42/EC places high requirements on stability supervision and safety. We set out to comply and to nd solutions that add value. Hence, it is now possible to ndlight and lean combinations of truck size and stabilizerequipment, combined in a unique way to give evenbetter capacity in some, critical, working areas thancranes without the same sophisticated solution. Or, youcan go for smaller and lighter stabilizer extensions sinceyou dont have to refrain from crane capacity in positionswhere it is most needed. This is possible thanks to thenew Variable Stability Limit function or, simply VSL, aswe call it.Full stability and optimized capacity all overCargotec improves the efciency of cargo ows on land and at sea wherever cargo is on the move. Cargotecs daughterbrands Hiab, Kalmar and MacGregor are recognised leaders in cargo and load handling solutions around the world.PRoundup | News13 www.cranestodaymagazine.com | CRANES TODAY September 2010Rotterdam based Jumbo Offshore hascompleted its part of the GreaterGabbard Offshore Wind Farm(GGOWF) following the installation of131 transition pieces (TPs).Greater Gabbard, based off the UKssouth coast, was aided by Jumbos DP2heavy lift vessel Jumbo Javelin at arecord-breaking installation rate ofmore that one TP per day.Jumbo Offshore installed 131 TPs,out of 140 in the field. The project wasthe first time that TPs have beentransported and installed using a freefloating vessel on dynamic position(DP); the firm were tasked withtransporting, installing, leveling andgrouting of the TPs.For each trip, after loading nine 280tTPs in the Port of Flushing, the JumboJavelin sailed to the offshore location,remained at DP while overboarding thefirst TP onto the monopile. Each TP wasbased in the required location, andleveled to its final position; the spacebetween the TP and monopile (theannulus) was then filled with grout for apermanent fixture. Once surveyed, theTP was then handed over to client Fluor.Each TP weighs up to 300t, with theJumbo Javelin able to transport nine ata time at a transit speed of 17 knots,thus making it a useful tool for windfarm installation work.Client Fluor deals in engineering,procurement, construction,maintenance (EPCM), and projectmanagement companies.Jumbo completes Greater Gabbard jobEndurance is everything.EVOLUTION Q8 the high-performance hoisting rope for harbor cranes and industrial applications impresses with its exceptionally long service life and high breaking strength. Due to its innovative outer compaction.EVOLUTION Q8Lasts much longer!TEUFELBERGERSei l Ges. m. b. H.Bhmer wal dst r ae20, 4600Wel s, Aust r i aT +437242615- 0, F+437242605- 01 E wi r er ope@t euf el ber ger. comwww. t euf el ber ger. comEVOLUTION Q8HOISTING ROPE FOR HARBOR CRANES AND INDUSTRY CRANESBrazilian business boost for CargotecCargotecs marine crane division,MacGregor, will provide a suite ofequipment for two offshore supportvessels, owned by Navegao SoMiguel, set for delivery in 2012, anddue for long-term charter to Brazilianoil giant Petrobrs.In a bid to expand its presence inBrazil, Cargotec has recently woncontracts that will see it supply a setof MacGregor offshore load handlingand rescue handling equipment fortwo offshore support vessels underconstruction for Brazilian shippingcompany Navegao So Miguel.The vessels have been ordered toserve an eight-year charter agreementwith Petrobrs, set for operation in theCampos Basin in Maca, Rio deJaneiro.14News | RoundupCRANES TODAY | www.cranestodaymagazine.com September 2010Philadelphia-based AmQuip CraneRental LLC has announced that FrankBardonaro, Jr. has stepped down aspresident and CEO of the company.Bardonaro will continue hisrelationship with AmQuip through anewly-created board position, and willretain his shareholdings in the firm.Al Bove, who joined AmQuip lastDecember, will succeed Bardonaro.Bove was COO of General Cranesoperations in the Southwest andWestern U.S. before joining AmQuip.Yuki Narula, a director of AmQuip whorepresents the largest shareholders,Altpoint Capital Partners, said: Wethank Frank for taking us through thistransition since our acquisition in 2007.Our board is committed to providing theresources and leadership necessary totake advantage of the economic upturnover the next several years.Frank Bardonaro said: I feel goodabout the performance of AmQuip, ourteam, and the leading position AmQuipcontinues to have in its markets. Thischange will allow me to move on withmy career and personal goals, knowingthat Al Bove is on board to continuewith senior leadership at the company.AmQuip owns and operateshundreds of cranes; from small 6tindustrial machines, to 500t all-terrainand crawler cranes.Self cited as, the crane people, thefirm was founded by Joe Wesleythrough deals with other big easternand south eastern US regional players,before its sale to a team of investors,led by Bard Capital, in 2007.Frank Bardonaro to stepdown as AmQuip CEOCosalt appoint Williams in bid for expansionA full line of industrial mobile cranes, electric battery operated,diesel and hybrid:capacities from 2 to 90 ton(4,400 - 198,000 lbs)Via Piacenza, 45 - 29010 Calendasco (PC) ItalyPh + 39 0523 762025 - Fax +39 0523 760531www.valla.com info@valla.comVCosalt has appointed Alan Williamsas sales manager (wire ropes) to helpextend business in the marine andindustrial wire rope market.The role will bear particular focuson specialist crane and hoistapplications. Williams brings overtwenty years experience in theindustry, working for a number oforganisations, including, British Ropesand Certex. While predominantlyworking in the wire rope sector,Williams has extensive knowledge offibre ropes and lifting equipment.In early 2010, Cosalt was named asa UK distributor for BridonInternationals steel rope products;Williams new role will see himworking in tandem with Bridon tosupport Cosalts key wire ropeaccounts across the country.Nick Dennison, Cosalts salesdirector said: Alans appointmentsignals our commitment to developingthe specialist crane wire market.With his tremendous experienceand extensive product knowledgeacross all these areas, Alan can helpus provide customers with a highlycustomer focused sales and servicepackage.Williams commented: I am reallylooking forward to raising Cosaltsprofile in the specialist wire ropemarket and firmly establishing Cosaltas a Bridon distributor in the UK.Together we can build out marketshare. I have sold Bridon products formost of my working life so I knowtheir team and these products verywell. This job is an ideal opportunityfor me to use my experience andknowledge to the full.Bridons wire rope products areused extensively in the operation ofcontainer cranes, tower cranes, mobilecranes, dockside cranes, etc. Cosaltdistributes Bridons high strengthEndurance range: DYFORM 34LR,DYFORM 8PI, DYFORM 6 andEndurance 50DB wire rope products.Cosalt predominantly providessafety equipment for marine, offshoreand industrial markets in Europe, andsupplies protective clothing andequipment for the emergencyservices, military, transport andconstruction industries in the UK.16News | RoundupCRANES TODAY | www.cranestodaymagazine.com September 2010Port Freeport, Texas, has awardedAvtron Crane Systems a contract toupgrade a mobile harbour crane,including adding a new drive system.The project will be undertaken due tothe need for equipment upgrade: theGottwald mobile harbour crane is usedcontinuously, therefore, the now datedelectrical components were due forrenewal, including the DC drives andprogrammable logic systems.Avtron Crane Systems, based in Ohio,worked in tandem with port personnel toensure an appropriate solution for PortFreeport was achieved; a mainrequirement being that the upgrade wouldutilise equipment available in the US, withservice and support for the future.The upgrade includes the ADDvantage-32DC drive platform, which has a proven trackrecord in port crane equipment. Designed forthe rugged use of a crane, the platform aimsto ensure the port trouble free operation.Port Freeport may potentially beoperational at any time, thus constantaccess is required to service personnel.Therefore, a 24 hour hotline will also beprovided by Avtron, which will ensurethat a qualified field service engineer isavailable by phone or on site at all times.The DriveView Plus diagnostic systemwill also help to support the Gottwaldmobile harbour crane in an attempt toreduce troubleshooting time. The systemprovides a graphical tool, helpingtechnicians identify and resolve problemsquickly. Other features include, real-timeoperating values, interlock status andelectrical drawings. DriveView operatesover an Ethernet network forcommunication and data access with theDC drives and PLC.Avtron Crane Systems awarded upgrade projectIowa-based Stellar Industries, Inc. haslaunched the 77,800 ft-lb Model 12628telescopic service crane to serve the nichebetween Stellar models 10,000 lb 10628crane and the 14,000 lb 14528 crane.The Stellar 12628 features the CDT(Crane Dynamics Technology) controlsystem. The 77,800 ft-lb crane has amaximum all hydraulic reach of 284 witha 12,000lb lift capacity at 66.The Stellar model 12628 features ahexagonal boom design for reduced flex,increased strength, variable speed, and amulti-function radio remote control withthe Stellar CDT system as a standard.The Stellar CDT system incorporatestwo-way communications and a feedbackfeature, incorporated into the handheldcontroller. The system automatically,through visual and sensory signals,indicates to the operator when the loadbeing transported is increasing. Thesignals are transmitted from the Stellarhandheld controller using colour-codedLED lights and varying cyclical vibrations.The system allows operators whoencounter overload situations to operatethrough, by increasing crane capacity to118% for a short time. The 12628 alsoincorporates a refined safety system; if acapacity monitoring device fails, the craneenters safe mode. Operation can thencontinue at a reduced speed until the safetydevice is repaired, replaced, or properworking order is resumed.Product manager, bodies and cranes, TimDavison, said: The 12628 and its recentupdates fit nicely into our product line-up.We have a 10,000 lb and 14,000 lb crane thatboth offer market-leading features, so the12628 fits the growing needs of manycustomers.Stellar has also designed a newmechanic truck body to accommodate thisnew 77,800 ft-lb crane: the Stellar TMax2.The body of the Stellar TMax2, part of thenew TMax series, uses the same Torsionbox understructure, the Torq-Isolatorcrane compartment and E-coat primer asstandard. Compartments are up to 60high and 22 deep, with double doorpanel doors and stainless steel hinges toaccommodate the Stellar CDT Equippedcranes when in boost mode.Stellar Industries update model to serve nicheThe Crane Industry Council of Australia(CICA) held its Annual General Meetingin Perth on 1 September 2010 as part ofthe preliminary day of the Conference.As part of the AGM, CICA presidentJohn Gillespie announced the new CICABoard for 2010/11; including three newdirectors: Cheryl Woodhart of RMBEngineering (elected), Dean Short of FreoGroup (elected), and Ray Brenton ofThiess (newly appointed).Alan Marshall, CICAs chiefexecutive officer said of the new board:It is an exciting time with threefresh directors coming on board.Cheryl, Dean and Ray are well knownin the industry due to their expertiseand experience plus their activeinvolvement at their respective stateassociation committee level already.CICA announces newboard following Perth AGMUK mini-crane specialist, GGR Group,invited industry experts to ademonstration of a prototype of a newbattery powered crane, the URW-295,on Friday 10 September.Hundreds of visitors attended thetwo open days organised by the firmlast year, which were held in Oldham inthe north of England, and LongCrendon in the south.As well as the prototype of the newbattery powered crane, GGR alsopreviewed the latest addition to itsUnic cranes, the URW-245 mini crane,and its newly established line of GGRCladding specialist attachments.The URW-295 is a solely battery-powered crane which is aimed for indoorapplications where noise and fumes maycause issues. Weighing 2100kg andwith a maximum boom length 8.65m, thecrane is only 0.6m wide; thereforemaking it narrow enough to fit through astandard doorway.THEARTOFHEAVYLIFTIGENGI NEERI NG EXPERTI SE AND A VAST RANGE OF EQUI PMENTI S THE SOLUTI ON TO YOUR HEAVY LI FTI NG NEEDSCrawler Crane LR 11350 (capacity up to 1350 ton):Lifting of a 950 ton reactorCrawler Crane LR 1750 / Towerlift System:Lifting of a 98m, 1,100 ton splitter vesselElevator System - 7,200 ton Capacity:Lifting a 4,500 ton module on top of a 50m GBSElevator System:Lifting and skidding of a 2,400 ton drilling rig towerTECHOLOGYMOVES THE WORLDwww. f agi ol i . comThe interview | People19 www.cranestodaymagazine.com | CRANES TODAY September 2010Manitex has its roots in the dealsthat made Manitowoc a globalcrane builder. Rooke explains,In March 2002, Manitowoc acquiredGrove. As a result, the competitionauthority required them to divest one oftheir boom truck operations. Manitowocdivested Manitex in January 2003.Manitex was acquired by a group ofprivate investors in January 2003 and inJuly 2006, merged with Veri-Tek Intl,which had interests in testing equipmentdesign and assembly. Veri-Tek Intlbrought access to the stock exchange;Manitex added scale to the operation.With Manitex on the stock market, theinvestors moved to develop the range ofproducts it built. Since 2006, the companyhas acquired Liftking (a forklift manufacturerbased in Toronto); Noble (lift trucks); Crane& Machinery Inc. (a Chicago based Terexdealer and parts supplier); Schaeff (lifttrucks); Loadking (a Terex-owned trailermanufacturer); Badger Equipment (cranes,excavators, and, newly, rough terrains) andCVS, an Italian manufacturer of containerhandling equipment. Rooke says, We weretrying to build a core of lifting equipmentspecialised businesses.At the same time as building thecompany, Manitexs board has kept an eyeon the companys profitability. Rookesays, Our performance on a financialbasis has been good: weve remainedprofitable and cash generative.Looking overseasWhile Manitex has worked to build therange of products it offers, it has alsolooked to expand the geography of its salesnetwork. Rooke says, If you go back to theroots of Manitex, all of these businesses(before CVS) were North American centred.Liftking had sold some products overseas,but generally Manitex looked to NorthAmerica for products and dealers.I came out to the US in 2002. I wasworking for the British company GKN, inthe automotive sector. They wanted meto work for a division headed in Michigan.Later, I saw an opportunity with Manitex;I came on board with them in 2006.Russia was the first market we aimedat. The boom truck market there is twicethe size what it is in North America. Ourfocus on product development has been toincrease the capacity and reach of ourboom truck. Weve aimed at demand inthe oil and gas sector, and Russia has a lotof demand for that type of equipment.In May 2007, we launched our first50USt boom truck, and sold 140-150 of thosein one year. But, for us, the timing in Russiawas not good. Wed attended ConExpoRussia, and been the only Americanmanufacturer of boom trucks there. In late2008 though, the market there began to go,just as it had around the world.The second area we focussed on wasthe Middle East. Our dealership in UAEhas been great, one of our strongestdistributors.One focus of development has been toplace the crane on international chassis:MAN, Mercedes Benz, and Volvo. Werenot just entering new markets with ourexisting product, but becoming aninternational product.Weve strengthened Liftkings focus oninternational and military distribution andrecently signed a five-year contract tosupply a US agency that worksinternationally. Getting the first contract is,in some ways, often the easiest. Its whenthey sign up for subsequent contracts thatyou feel the product has been out in thefield, its been well tested, that people likeit. Theyve got the equipment shipped outto them on schedule, the parts orders havecome through.CVSs principal product, the reachstacker, has similar attributes to ourexisting product lines. It brings a greatbrand and legacy, in a niche market withnot many players. Like any market, ithas seen declining demand recently, butwe anticipate higher growth here than inmarkets like general construction.Globally, CVS is historically strong inEMEA, Asia, Latin America, but not inNorth America. It will allow us to moveour products where we havent beenstrong, and to move their products here.The first thing we have to do is to getCVS operating as it once was. We have towin back the distributors and end users,and convince them the product is thereand can be supported.The general direction of the businessis to focus on specific key uses, both interms of end use and of product. Wedont have the desire or capability to beon the same global scale as the bigmanufacturers. What we do have, is theability to focus on niches in key end usemarkets.We think Russia will come back, andthe Middle East will continue to be strong.We will continue to developinternationally.Weve consistently increased thelifting and reach capacity of the Manitexcrane product. We launched the 50155early this year, targeted at utility, powerand grid maintenance. Weve added anew version of the 50USt crane, and ashorter boom version of the 50155. In theoil and gas sector, we are looking to theirspecial requirements. This month, werelaunching our first trailer-mounted crane.We will continue to develop our coreproduct line, increasing lifting capacityand reach capacity, ensuring our cranesare up-to-date and meeting end userrequirements. Boom reachSince being sold by Manitowoc in 2002, Manitex has been busy buying uplifting companies in new niches, developing its core crane products, andexpanding its international dealer network. COO Andrew Rooke talked WillNorth through the history of the company, and its plans for the future.20Thameslink | Case studyCRANES TODAY | www.cranestodaymagazine.com September 2010Complex river and rail deliveries,advanced use of time-saving pre-made factory components, reductionof disruptive street closures, access todifficult underground locations andadvanced heavyweight precast installation,are all aspects of work now underway onthe Thameslink railway upgrade. Mostwould be impossible or much more laboriousbut for the versatility and capacity of moderncranes and lifting mechanisms.Crane lifts, strand jacks and ram pushescome to the fore particularly for theBlackfriars bridge across the River Thames,while Farringdon station renovation andextension has relied on major heavy lifts tohelp deal with its awkward locationsurrounded by busy streets close to thecentre of Londons City financial district.Large, up to 800t mobile crane operationshave been used at both sites.Both stations are undergoing virtualrebuilds in very congested andcomplicated locations. London Bridgestation will also be rebuilt eventually,though this busy commuter interchangeand terminus with its complex viaducts isonly scheduled to start work later.All three stations are key projects in theupgrade of the increasingly importantThameslink north-to south rail link, one ofthe few passing right through London,with its crossing of the Thames atBlackfriars. Most of the conurbations otherrail links finish at terminus stations aroundLondon, like Waterloo or Euston.North of the river the original Victorianline passed through a short tunnel to link toKings Cross and a route north to Luton. Thetunnel was closed before the Second WorldWar however and only finally renovated,electrified and re-opened as a minorsuburban rail service in the 1980s.To the surprise of then British Rail, nowNetwork Rail, the new Thameslink servicehas become more and more popular,largely because it fills a gap in the LondonUnderground network which has no linesto south-east London and beyond, andbecause of its route out to Luton airport.So the now overcrowded link is beingmassively upgraded to take many moretrains, more through trains and longer onesof up to 12 carriages. 2bn pays for newtrains and 3.5bn for civil engineering, rail,and signalling upgrading. Most stationswill simply have lengthened platforms andnew signalling, but the three in thecentral area will need to deal with verylarge increases in passenger numbers.Across the riverThe most visible will be Blackfriarsstation. Currently there are four platformshere, sitting at the north end of a railbridge over the river. Two are terminalsfor south-east services and two arethrough lines to Farringdon and beyond.Below ground is an additional LondonUnderground tube station for the DistrictLine which runs along the northsideEmbankment, connecting at right anglesto the rail lines.A complete demolition of thenondescript station is underway. It will berebuilt to give the rail and Undergroundservices a futuristic new common entrancehall and ticketing facility. Beneath, thetube station is being simultaneouslyexcavated and completely rebuilt.The main building will link to a dramaticextension of the four platforms over theriver. No longer will these simply sit at thenorth end under canopies, but will becomethe centre point of the station, stretchingright along the bridges spans enclosedwithin a steel and glass superstructure.The longitudinal transparent box isdestined to be a major architecturallandmark close to St Pauls Cathedral.Design is by main consultant, Jacobs.At the south end a new pavilion styleentrance building will be added, giving aThe upgrade of Londons underused Thameslink railway, and construction of a new line linking the Cityto Heathrow, has provided work for a range of different lifting equipment. Adrian Greeman reportsLondon linkAbove: Kobelco crawlers working along Backfriars bridgeAbove, right: A Weldex Liebherr LTR 1100 set up on a bargeCase study | Thameslink21 www.cranestodaymagazine.com | CRANES TODAY September 2010direct connection to the river walk on theSouth Bank and the under-served south side.All this demands major structuralupgrading work. The river bridge itself, afive-arch masonry pier Victorian structurehas to be stripped right down to renovateand strengthen the 57m long wrought ironarches. Piers will be widened toaccommodate additional new archsections being added alongside to oldones, to widen the station space above.The job requires two phases, with trainsrunning on two of the lines throughout andthe other half of the bridge under 24 hourworking, seven days a week. The vital livetrain services transfer to the rebuilt sidehalfway through, this Christmas, to allowthe remainder to be done.On the construction side the old railtracks, steel deck and support posts, orspandrels, are ripped out leaving thewrought iron arch rib sections. Thousandsof old rivets have to be deheaded andpunched out to allow this to happen.The parallel ribs which make up thewidth of the bridge, are inspected by thestructural engineers, specialist bridgeengineer subconsultant Tony Gee &Partners, and steel plate added where theyare corroded. New steel arch sections areplaced alongside the old, and new steelspandrels, deck plates and track built up,with new platforms and roof added last.Key to all this work are five brand newKobelco 70t mobile cranes, says LaurenceWhitbourn, Network Rails seniorprogramme manager. There is one for eachspan, because once work has started thereis no deck on which to move to the nextpier. The 33.4m boom cranes allow astrongly river-based logistical organisationfor the work, which makes economic and,equally importantly, environmental sense.It also reduces truck deliveries around thesite which has the busy Blackfriars roadbridge on one side, two busy City roads onthe north and the embankment on thesouth. Reducing road congestion is oneaim, pleasing Transport for London and thelocal boroughs, and speeding delivery forthe site is another, pleasing the contractorBalfour Beatty and client Network Rail.The units can lift a maximum 21.1t at7.3m radius, allowing them to move some8,000t of old scrap into barges for disposaldownstream, while 14,000t of new steel isdelivered the same way.We have a loading point at ThamesWharf near Greenwich says Whitbourn.A 120t Hitachi mobile works here using a30.4m boom. It has a maximum 60tcapacity at 8m, sufficient for the big ribarch sections fabricated in the Midlandsand delivered by truck. On site the first ofthese are currently being lifted intoposition by a 100t barge-mounted LiebherrLTR1100 which will remain on site for therest of the project.The five Kobelcos were themselveslifted into position onto the bridge tracklevel by a 135t Kobelco operating with a45.7m boom on the track viaduct to thesouth of the site. The same crane also liftedin two smaller 25t Hitachi mobiles with 21mbooms which are used for general siteduties, lifting up to 7.2t at 4.5m. All thesecranes are on hire from Balfour BeattyCrane Hire, the obvious choice.Critical for most of the crane operationsis continuous interaction with the Port ofLondon Authority, which only allows liftsfrom the water if bridge spans are closed toriver traffic. During the summer touristboat season especially this can mean aneed for close liaison to obtain permissions.The cranes also have to be aware ofthe live railway alongside, which limitstheir daytime slews. At night however,when services are stopped between 10pmand 5am, they are able to traverse a full360 degrees. Weekend possessions alsoallow this. For the building work at eitherend of the project, there are luffing jibtower cranes, two on the north side andanother south.Several special operations haverequired larger cranes too. A 500t mobilewas hired for two weekends early on tolower 39 special steel guard sections downa ventilation shaft into the Tube station.The 8t U-shaped units sit on specialtemporary steel tracks along the stationplatforms to create a protective hood overthe tracks. The guard means tube trainscan continue to run through whiledemolition, piling, excavation and majorconcrete building operations go on allaround to create a renewed and expandedUnderground station and its links to theentrance building and ticket concourse.A 500t mobile was also used during siteclearance above the station when the oldBlackfriars entrance building was removed.It reached over the crowded site to removea Vierendeel truss says Whitbourn.Blackfriars has also seen a significantbridge slide operation. The stationcomprises several linked bridges whichcontinue the track beyond the main riverbridge. One small linking bridge on thenorth side had to be replaced in order toallow a track changeover halfway throughthe project. The through tracks are to begiven a slew connection onto the newlyrenovated downstream half of the bridgethis Christmas, allowing the upstreamside to be worked on. To do it theconnector bridge needed to fan out fornew track and so a new wider versionwas built alongside the old one, on trestle-supported steel slide rails. The concretetrough section was pushed into positionby hydraulic jacks in the Christmasholiday period last year.One other major lifting operation isneeded. The second phase work willwiden the bridge even more, using someold piers from a second rail bridge which22Thameslink | Case studyCRANES TODAY | www.cranestodaymagazine.com September 2010used to run alongside. Its deck wasremoved in the 1980s but the iron columnsremain, in four rows of three, matchingthe Blackfriars pier locations. The closestpier from the triplets will be cut back tothe masonry bases which are to be builtup with concrete. A precast section willthen link this to the main station bridgeallowing three more steel rib sections tobe added to widen the spans upstream.For this operation next year a strandjack is anticipated, lifting the precast froma barge and again avoiding any disruptionin the streets above.The edge of the CityThe 250m Farringdon station renewalmeanwhile, which also began work at theend of 2008, has no special lifting andfewer onsite cranes but is making muchgreater use of heavy craneage, workingfrom outside the site.The station sits in a narrow cutting,originally the Fleet River valley which wasboxed in and built up by retaining wallsand two level column-supportedbasements, in the time of Charles Dickens.Smithfield meat market is close by andnumerous offices, shops, flats andrestaurants. Roads enclose the site on foursides including the busy Farringdon road.Four lines run through, two forThameslink and two for LondonUnderground which peels off towards theCity on the south side, where there aresmall sidings. An old rail spur also peeledaway but this is being removed to makespace for a new second ticket hall and toallow extension of the existing platforms.The platforms can only be lengthenedsouthwards because of a steep incline intotunnel for Kings Cross on the north endsays project manager for Network Rail,Richard Walker.Complicating this work is the fact thatthe platform level is the basementunderneath brick arches which support alisted Victorian and Edwardian ticket hallabove, which cannot be altered. But thefour interlocking arches have to beremoved and new bridge supports put infor the building, and for the road runningin front of its entrance at the modern,built-up, ground level. Complexunderpinning is needed and there will benew station rooms added too.Further complications arise because thefuture Crossrail schemes east-west tunnelscross through the south end of the site.Here there will be a station below groundwith links to Thameslink and the Tube.Crossrails ticket hall at the southernend of the station, will extend the newThameslink hall into a common entranceon a site which has already been clearedof an old office building. The additionalspace is free for the moment which helpsThameslink; in return it does somepreparation for Crossrail.Initial work on the site has involvedsome major lifting from the small streetsalongside. First came a new footbridgehalfway along the station which gives it anew entry and exit route, helpingpassenger flows during construction andeventually to be a permanent entrancefrom a new side concourse which is beingadded to the length of the station alongthe small Turnbull street.For this lift the Costain-Laing ORourkejoint venture contractor hired an 800tDemag AC2000 via its craneage supplierSelect Plant Hire/Select Tower Craneswhich in turn uses Ainscough Cranes forthe big lifters. The machine was usedwith full outriggers and 160t of ballastwith a 55.5m main boom, which allowed itto place the parts for the new steelfootbridge at a maximum radius of 34.8mand maximum load of 38t. A second 100tLTM 1100 was used for the ballastplacement during the week long operation.We had to build up a part of thepermanent basement foundations withRMD Megashors to take the outriggerssays Walker. He adds that the maze ofVictorian basements and retainingstructures requires that every heavyequipment movement follows only aftercareful ground inspection. Otheroutriggers were placed on spreader mats.Meanwhile a variety of heavy craneshave been used to place plant andmachines for the basement level work onthe new ticket hall. Some very largediameter piles are needed here for latermultistorey office construction and rigs forthese were lowered in using a 500tLiebherr LTM 1500 which was shortrigged with 105t of ballast. Loadsincluded a 73t Bauer BG36 piling rig at13.5m, a 44t Liebherr LR1130 crawlercrane lifted at 16m and a CassagrandeB180 60t piling rig again at 13.5m.A 250t Liebherr LTM 1250 on fulloutriggers and 72.5t of ballast has also beenused for lifting in a Sumitomo SCX 800crawler crane, a load of 49.4t at 11m radius.Two other major lifts are planed forlater which will require a 300t crane to liftin precast concrete elements. There is alsoto be a new platform roof to be installed inthe main existing station. Prefabricatedsteel frame sections will be lifted usinganother 500t crane, primarily to achievethe long reach needed out over the tracks.All these lifts are done at weekendswhen the busy commuter station passengerthroughput is much reduced and street andstation closures are less disruptive.Biggest crane of all will be a 1,600tTerex CC2800 crawler which will beneeded on site for some five monthsduring which time it will erect thesuperstructure for the new ticket hallusing a 54m main jib and a 12m fly jib.On site meanwhile general liftingduties are being done with a Comedilluffing jib tower crane, a CT180 with a54m high tower and 35m jib. A secondCT630 with a 42m tower and a 60m jibwill join it later. Both are fitted with SMIEelectronic controllers to limit their jibmovements to prevent overflying of siteboundaries of tracks during operationalhours, a critical matter in a station whichremains live throughout the works.Finally of course there will be somemajor lifting to be done at London Bridge.But that is another complicated story. Above: At work at Farringdon8|00t8Mz||800|-0-Mzl|c8zs|l||Let us design and build the equipment you need tosupport your custom rope handling requirements.0z|| 00zrI 405-6I2-0000N00: WWW.t00|0Mzl|c.c0M800|-0-Mzl|c's 80-800|00 l00|0M00lIntroducing Reel-O-Matics Re-Reeving Series.Referred to as the RR Series, the Re-Reever is popular with riggers during rope inspection and replacement operations.The companys exclusive Re-Reeving machinery easily transfers old rope onto empty reels and new rope onto main lift line drums, and boom hoist sheaves by utilizing tension-controlled pay-out and take-up drive systems (gasoline, diesel, or electric/hydraulic drive systems are available) when high torque/tension is required.The unit is also ideal for inspecting material. Themachinerys special slide coupling disconnect feature enables riggers to load and unload empty or full reels of material safely and quickly.Its free-wheeling capability enhances user friendliness.Let us design and build the equipment you need to support your custom rope handling requirements. 5hovn above is ReeI-O-MaIic's modeI RR50 dieseI povered Re-Reever. 5upporIs up Io 120" O.D. reeIs x 50,000 Ibs. capaciIies. CapabIe o! 400,000 inlIbs. o! Iorque. Larger capaciIies avaiIabIe. 5hovn above is ReeI-O-MaIic's modeI RR50 dieseI povered Re-Reever. 5hovn above is ReeI-O-MaIic's modeI RR50 dieseI povered Re-Reever. 5upporIs up Io 120" O.D. reeIs x 50,000 Ibs. capaciIies.Shown above is Reel-O-Matics model CR524 Io supporI smaII reeIs up Io24" O.D. x 1,000 Ibs. capaciIy. AvaiIabIein powered and non-powered modes.CaII Ioday !or your !ree DVD demonsIraIing Ihe RR series in acIion!-cranes.complastics for longer lifeigusGmbHSpicher Str. 1aD-51147 Colognecranes@igus.comphone +49-2203-9649-0fax +49-2203-9649-222Austria+43-7675-40 05-0Belgium+32-16-314431Brazil+55-11-35314487Canada+1-905-7608448China+86-21-51303100Denmark+45-86-603373France+33-1-49840404Great-Britain +44-1604-677240India+91-80-39127800Italy+39-039-5906-1Japan+81-3-58192030Malaysia+603-7880 5475Mexico+52-722-2714273Netherlands +31-346-353932Poland+48-22-8635770Portugal+351-22-6109000Singapore+65-64871411South Africa+27-31-5696633South Korea +82-32-8212911Spain+34-93-6473950Sweden+46-42-329270Switzerland+41-62-3889797Taiwan+886-4-23581000USA+1-401-4382200safe datasafe powersafe operationsave moneyTransshipment | Dockside25 www.cranestodaymagazine.com | CRANES TODAY September 2010Odessa, Ukraine, based Transshipspecialises in the transhipment ofcargo and containers, working froma fleet of floating cranes in the Kerch Straits,the narrow channel connecting the Sea ofAzov to the Black Sea. One of its specialtiesis the transfer of grain, coming from thefertile fields of Ukraine, to seagoing vessels,for delivery across the Black Sea, out to theMediterranean and beyond.Transship currently has Liebherr CBG300 high performance bulk handlingcranes fitted on two barges in the straits,the Atlas-1 and Atlas-4. The cranes arebuilt to load and unload vessels, all theway up to capsize.These Liebherr CBG 300 cranes have amaximum lifting capacity of 25 tonnes ingrab operation with a jib outreach of 30metres. This outreach is extendedthrough an ex-centre arm of 10 m and 6 mrespectively, making a total outreach of 40m and 36 m. This means that it is notnecessary to reposition the crane to reachall holds during unloading, and the cyclecan be reduced by approximately 20% incomparison to conventional cranes. Thebarges Atlas-1 and Atlas-4 can transship600,000t800,000t of cargo each within anavigation period of 200 days. During thepeak season for grain each cranetranshipped around 200,000t of grain permonth, limited only by the lack of bargesand not crane turnover.Two further Liebherr cranes type CBG300 have recently been installed onTransships new vessel the Alina, whichhas a buffer capacity of 30,000t. Thesetwo cranes also have lifting capacities of25t at 30m outreach (40m including theex-centre arm).The Liebherr range of CBG four-ropegrab cranes is designed for high speedand continuous performance, and all threemotions can be operated simultaneouslyat full speed. A wide rope field forstabilising the grab ensures safe operationand cargo handling without the need of anadditional stabilizing winch. Speciallydesigned heavy duty hoisting winches,heel trim alarm systems and emergencyoperation functions make these cranessuitable for operation in heavy sea statecondition. According to Transship Ltd.,the two barges fitted with Liebherr FCCCBG floating cranes are conclusivelybetter adjusted to bad weather conditionsthan other floating cranes.Precision and safety are of utmostimportance and are supported byLiebherrs own Litronic crane control andmanagement system. This system controlsthe simultaneous operation of cranemotions (luffing, hoisting and slewing), soensuring best possible performance andprotection for the crane. It also recordsdata about all individual components, allalarm signals and failures as well as peakvalues. The lifetime of components canthus be analysed and plans forpreventative maintenance and spare partssupply can be established. Relevantvalues such as load indication/limitation,operation mode, etc. are displayed on theLCD monitor in the cabin.To complement the support ofLiebherrs world-wide service network,these FCC CBG cranes are equipped witha modem for data-transfer enablingremote diagnosis. This allows for systemchecks as well as fault-finding which cancost-effectively be carried out without thepresence of a service engineer.Looking to the futureWhile Liebherr looks to provide one of themost up to date solutions for regular usersaround the world, the US Navys Office ofNaval Research (ONR) is looking to thefuture. A new project, the Large VesselInterface Lift On/Lift Off (LVI Li/Lo)system, has been developed to handletransshipment in rough seas.The system has been underdevelopment by the US Office of NavalOften, cargo needs to be transferred between ships without docking. A recent Liebherr orderdemonstrates the state of the art; and research by the US Navy points to the future. Will North reportsDocking without a dock26Dockside | TransshipmentCRANES TODAY | www.cranestodaymagazine.com September 2010Research (ONR) and contractorOceaneering Advanced Technology forthe past six years. The project wasdeveloped as part of the US Navys SeaBase Concept, which envisages thecapacity to establish Sea Bases oroffshore floating ports that would allowthe Navy to ensure logistics flow betweenships without securing a deep harbour.US ONR programme manager PaulHess says, "In a lot of recent events, bothmilitary or humanitarian, weve had a lotof challenges to move supplies inland,without safe harbours. There is only somuch you can do with helicopters."The thinking behind the sea baseconcept is to be able to get in containerships, and then move cargo to smallerships that are able to go into more austereenvironments."Recent examples of where this sort oftransshipment has been needed includeHaiti, where Port-au-Princes harbour wasdestroyed by the earthquake thatdevastated the country, and Thailand,where the navy flew in post-tsunamisupplies by helicopter.The cranes built by Liebherr, or rivalssuch as Gottwald, are perfectly suited totransshipment in calm waters. TheONRs aim was to develop a system thatcould work in tougher conditions. Hesssays, We want to work with waves ofup to 2.5m; sea state 3 or sea state 4, innaval architecture terms. The intent wasto be able to work offshore, where youhave no protected port or wave breaks.The system could offer a new approachto container handling, both in ports thatare frequently subject to poor weatherconditions, and in the offshore sector. TheONRs partner on the project,Oceaneering, is working oncommercialising the technology.Hess says, In some ports, they have tostop work during bad weather. Onoffshore platforms, they have a lot ofreplenishment needs, and that is severelysea state limited.Hess explains, It relies on a sensorpackage to understand the relative motionbetween platforms. There are no taglines, no need for people guiding thepayload. That input data makes thesystem simple to operate.The control systems are based on acommercially available MacGregor crane.The system is adapted to invisibly controlthe extra joints, allowing the operator towork with a joystick.Its like operating a marionette puppet.The macro crane is as normal, but themicro crane adds eight sets of cables andextra joints to control the spreader, to anaccuracy of less than an inch.A demonstrator version of the systemwas installed on the SS Flickertail State in2009. Earlier in 2010, the Flickertail Stateperformed tests of the system in the Gulfof Mexico, safely transferring 128containers from one ship to another, witha significant wave height of 1m. Thecranes operators were able to lift andplace unobstructed containers, to liftcontainers obstructed on multiple sides,and to place containers into obstructedholes in a container pile.The ONRs specification for LVI Li/Localls for it to be able to maintain optimalcargo throughput rates through Sea State4 (when waves can reach from 1.252.5m).It should be able to transfer cargobetween two ships directly alongside eachother at zero forward speed or underwayat slow speed in the open ocean. Motionsensing and compensation for the shipsand/or the cranes should allow safe andefficient transfer of cargo.Oceaneering said its OTECH divisionseffort had concentrated on the science andtechnologies required for a crane to movelarge containers between ships while theyare underway. The control system wasproven through the use of a 1/20th scaleversion of the crane that included allelectrical sensor hardware interfaces,including motion sensors. The Large-Scale Demonstrator reaches 85ft and canlift a 20,000 lb container in Sea State 4,and 40,000lb in Sea State 3. Sector report | Special transport29 www.cranestodaymagazine.com | CRANES TODAY September 2010As the 2020 deadline for a fifth ofEuropes power generation to beachieved by renewable meanslooms ever closer, wind turbinemanufacturers are striving to provide evenmore powerful units.With the release of manufacturerVestas V112 wind turbine model for onand off-shore wind farms, new transportoptions have had to be designed toaccommodate the particularspecifications of this latest addition to theVestas range.Capable of producing up to 3MW ofpower, and boasting the highest level ofelectricity generation in the 3MW class ofwind turbines, demand for the V112 hasalready seen 140 turbines sold to theMacarthur Wind Farm Project inMelbourne the day after they becamecommercially available.However with such advancementscome new challenges, for instance, howdo you transport 54.6m long rotor bladeswhen the standard length catered for priorto the V112 was just 45m?Rotor bladesTransport trailer manufacturers, all ofwhom have been working feverishly toprovide vehicle movement options forthese abnormal loads, have been preparingfor the release of the V112 wind turbine.Danish trailer builder Goldhofer hasbeen working with Vestas to develop aflatbed semi-trailer to manoeuvre theV112s extra-large rotor blades aroundTurbinetransportRapid advancement in windturbine specs means transportoptions must ring the changes.Kevin Walsh reportsTop: A TII group nacelle transporterAbove: Nootebooms Super Wing Carrier30Special transport | Sector reportCRANES TODAY | www.cranestodaymagazine.com September 2010Europes road networks with the minimumof fuss.The SPZ-P 3AAA semi-trailers design,approved by Vestas, has been developed tohandle loads of up to 13t on the vehiclesspine while accommodating a rotor bladelength of anything up to 62 metres.The trailer, which has a grosscombination length (GCL) of just 24m oncethe triple telescopic spine is retracted,provides the ability to retract the vehicleunder load using sliding sleds. In tandemwith a steering angle of 60 this is intendedto make the negotiation of roundaboutsand other obstacles less troublesome.For the elimination of instability overuneven terrain, the SPZ-P 3AAA also haspendular axles.Not to be outdone, Nooteboom Trailershave developed the TELE-PX Super WingCarrier in conjunction with specialisttransporters Ter Linden. Their approach tomanoeuvrability has taken a slightlydifferent tack with the Super Wing Carrier.The three axles at the rear of thecarrier can be moved longitudinallyunderneath the length of the load floor,allowing the wheelbase to be extended orshortened by up to 7m.With a slight increase of 70cm in thecarriers height achievable via the wheelmechanisms and the gooseneck, the SuperWing Carrier allows a good degree oflatitude when deciding how to attackdifficult legs of a journey.However Ter Linden claim thattransporting large rotor blades would stillbe almost impossible without the SuperWing Carriers featured pendle steering.In an attempt to provide good closecontrol when manoeuvring, instead ofeach wheel pair steering around a point inthe middle of the axle as is typical withturntable steering, using pendle steeringeach wheel is individually steered arounda point above the wheel.Tight site access routes can often be anissue with abnormal loads, so to addanother tool to the hauliers arsenal TIIGroups Scheuerle arm has developed theBlade Adaptor, to provide an unusualdegree of manoeuvrability.Intended for use with the InterCombiSP, the Scheuerle Blade Adaptor permitslifting and turning of the rotor blade beingtransported to avoid various obstacles suchas low walls or trees. The blade can betipped upwards to an angle of 23 as wellas being able to rotate on its longitudinalaxis to cater for strong wind conditions.Scheuerle claim that this is an idealsolution for the last leg of arduousjourneys with difficult site access.Tower sections & nacellesWhere the length of the V112 rotorblades provides a challenge in terms ofdimensions, weighing in at well over 100tthe sheer mass the V112 nacelle doesprovide food for thought.For instance, with the drive train aloneweighing in at a substantial 60t, Goldhoferhas chosen the simplest route andprovided a separate transport option forthe drive train, thereby reducing the unitsgross combination weight.This allows the generator to betransported via a seven or eight axle semi-trailer or a drop deck vehicle (using theGoldhofer pallet transport system).While Nooteboom also opt for a similarsolution, TII Groups approach takes thebull by the horns with the Nicolastelescopic tower adapter.Exhibiting an impressive lift capacity of120t, ample for most tower sections (andeven the V112 nacelle with the drive shaftstill incorporated), the versatile Nicolasadapter can be fitted with special clampsfor lifting nacelles in addition to towersections. The adapter can be fitted toplatform trailers manufactured by the TIIGroup companies Scheuerle and Kamag.Although incapable of lifting the V112smammoth nacelle, Goldhofers Futtog(roughly translated as Roadtrain) can stillprovide much needed versatility duringtransport, and even allow tower sectionsto navigate hairpin bends en route.Consisting of a two to four axle jeepdolly at the front and a five to seven axlesteering dolly at the rear, both attachedby a free-turning device to RA 3-100tower adaptors.Combined, the tower adaptors cansupport a load up to 100t and can lift orlower this load by 3m to avoid obstacles.This makes the use of cranes for initialloading of the vehicle redundant. Andthanks to the free-turning bogies, the loadcan be manoeuvred into 80 anglesallowing the vehicle to take hairpin bendswhile loaded.Nootebooms Mega WindmillTransporter offers a similar level ofadaptability to differing road scenarios.Despite it only being capable of raisingloads 1.5m, as opposed to the Futtogs 3m,the addition of remote control for the liftadaptors does add some very usefulfunctionality.Just one month on from commercialavailability of Vestas V112 wind turbine,and trailer manufacturers are alreadygetting to grips with the practicalities ofmoving these demanding specialisedcomponents.So with increasingly rapidadvancement in the capabilities andspecifications of modern wind farmspromised over the next few years, themain players will need to build on thesuccess of their responses so far. Above: A TII group tower section teansporterSimply excellent cranes32Special Transport | ProleCRANES TODAY | www.cranestodaymagazine.com September 2010Berard is a family business: it has itsroots in a deal made by sugar canefarmer Roy Berard Sr in 1945, whowas paid $50 to move a friends house,using a tractor and homemade trailer.Today, the company is still owned by theBerard family. Roy Srs sons Johnny andRandy are president and vice president,respectively. Randys son, Brett, is a civilengineer in the operations division, andJohnnys son, Braedon, is operationsBetween storms and swamps, Louisianas Berard Transportation have their work cut out for them.As operations manager Braedon Berard tells Will North and Alice Attwood, theyve been building areputation for reliable engineering expertise since 1945.Down on the bayouBelow: Loading out a module, ready to be shipped to AlaskaProle | Special transport33 www.cranestodaymagazine.com | CRANES TODAY September 2010manager and head of engineering.One can imagine an ideal landscape fora special transport company to be lookingfor work in: developed enough to havemiles of convenient roads, but distantenough to be free of obstacles, with asteady, pleasant, climate. Lousiana,unfortunately, is not like that. 450,000cubic feet of water per second flows fromthe Mississippi River at Baton Rouge,soaking the surrounding ground, thusreducing its ability to take the thousandsof ton weights of ship components and oiland gas modules that Berards clients payit to move. Once Berard does have a jobset up, its equipment and its clients loadsare, for months at a time, at the mercy ofthe sort of hurricanes that so recentlydevastated New Orleans and ravaged theGulf of Mexico oil industry.It is hard to imagine how one couldargue that starting a special transportcompany in a place like this is a good idea.But, with strong demand from the oil andgas and shipping industry, and threegenerations of hard work, the Berardfamilylike so many others in the GulfCoast lifting and transport sectorhas builta thriving business. Today, the companyworks across the USA, and is looking tonew business in Trinidad and Mexico.The secret, Braedon Berard says, isbuilding a relationship with customers:Theyre looking for a company they cantrust, that can deliver on time, and canhandle everything they throw at us at anygiven time. They feel comfortable with usbecause we have the latest state of the artequipment, and we can get our projectsdone on time.Our equipment and expertise causesno worries for customers. We take pridein equipment maintenance, getting the jobdone on time, and most importantly doingthe job safely.Those relationships are built onengineering excellence. We focus onheavy transport, Berard says, offshoreand shipyards are the biggest source ofdemand. We also operate in the petro andchemical industries. Around 85% of ourprojects use SPMTs.Customers want our engineeringexpertise: the jobs that are too heavy forothers, we want as we are the specialists.A good example of the sort of job wedo for shipbuilders, is a recent barge jobwe worked on. The customer wanted tobuild the barge in shop, so they couldkeep the price and schedule down, but theshop was too small. They built modulesone at a time. Each was 30ftx74ft, andweighed 300USt. We took them out,placed them on supports, and helped to fitthem together. Fitting them was achallenge, as space in the yard waslimited. But with our equipmentcapabilities we were able to make turns inreally tight spaces to get the job done.The assembled barge weighed 1200USt.We then transported it to the drydock andplaced it on stands. We can take vesselsto customers own yards, or, we can offer aturnkey service, sourcing a yard for them.There are many ways to move.Last week a customer wanted a shipto be made longer. We offered a turnkeyservice. Berard offloaded the barge,and the customer cut the ship in half.We moved the stern out, so they couldbring in the new mid-section, andUtility and process module loadoutA 4000USt utility module and 3500USt process module requiredtransport to Alaska; Berard was hired to transport and loadout eachmodue on to two 400x105x25 heavy deck barges. The equipmentused includes 40 lines of Goldhofer PST-SLEs and 72 lines of KamagSPMTs. Modules were lifted by the hydraulic capabilities of thetransporters; each with 23-27in of hydraulic stroke. Two operatorswere required to complete the job, of which a particular challengewas manoeuvring the modules in very tight spaces.34Special Transport | ProleCRANES TODAY | www.cranestodaymagazine.com September 2010Prole | Special transport35 www.cranestodaymagazine.com | CRANES TODAY September 2010then we moved the modules back andattached them.With hurricane season upon usweather can play a big role. On a recentproject in Lafitte, Louisiana, weencountered an episode of bad weather.While on the job, news came in of ahurricane that could possibly be headingour way. With $20m of equipment at thejob site, we had to decide whether to take ashot at it.We called a 07:00 emergency meeting.I was receiving hourly updates on theweather and closely monitoring the path ofthe hurricane. If it was due to hit, the jobwould have to be postponed. It is achallenging and gut wrenching time duringhurricane season.Back in 2005, hurricanes Katrina andRita taught us some very expensivelessons. The storms brought massiveflooding to our area. We had neverencountered that sort of flooding before.On one job, during Rita, we were able toget our crew out in time, but had to leavethe equipment at the customers yard.When we returned after the storm, ourequipment was under 8ft of water.South Louisiana is marshland.Marshland as you know equals softground conditions. When dealing withSPMTs which have wheel sets that canturn a total of 270, operating on theseground conditions can be tricky. Whenyoure on soft ground, that turning willcause you to dig into the ground, and getstuck. To compensate, we travel withseveral sheets of steel plate, ready to belaid out where the conditions may not beadequate. The SPMTs spread the loadwell, so we only need to use plate that is3/8in thick and are approximately 6 x 20.At Berard, we are faced withchallenges on a daily basis, but with theskill and knowledge of our engineers andkey personnel we can overcome any task athand. We are a 3rd generation familyowned and operated business. Thefundamentals of safe and effective movingand rigging procedures have been passeddown from generation to generation. Berardhas the equipment together with the skillset and over 65 years of experience tohandle your projects on time and with asafety attitude that makes us an industryleader in the field of heavy transport. Above and left: Loading out a liftboat3200USt liftboatBerard was hired for a turnkey project to get a cutomers lifeboat in the water. The 195x145liftboat was transported using a heavy deck barge (260x72x16), tugs, ballasting equipment,engineering, SPMTs, steel plate, labour personnel and followed months of planning. Berardused 60 lines of PST-SLE Goldhofers and 32 lines of PST-ESE Goldhofers to transport the load.The liftboat was lowered on to the SPMTs then, using hydraulics, the load was held steadyuntil the water covered the legs of the liftboat, the barge pulled out and the liftboat loweredinto the water to be towed. The job presented a number of challenges for Berard: the poorground conditions resulted in 112 sheets of steel plates being shuffled by 3 forklifts for around100ft. Perhaps the biggest challenge for the job was the time frame: the US Coast Guard onlyawarded a 12 hour permit; despite this, the job was completed, safely, smoothly and even early.REBUILDYOUR THINKINGMARCH 2226LAS VEGAS, USARegister now for CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011, the most information-packed show in construction. Get close and compare the newest equipment,technologies and strategies for protability. See how the constructionindustry has become environmentally friendly, safer and more efcient.Be there to experience the latest innovations and enjoy the attractionsof Las Vegas!Go to www.conexpoconagg.com/intl for details on how to register.CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011is co-located with:RRREB REB LLLLL I BUI UILL IL BUIL LLLLLLLD LLLD RRYO YO YOREB REBOOUR Tuc w in constr show for Register noOUR TBUIL BUILHI T NKGet close and compare the ne ction.the GG 2011, CONEXPO-CON/ATHINKLD LDI K Gest equipment,Nw e need mation-pack most inforKINGVEG S A LMARCH .cone www Go toas! eg VVeg of LasBe there to expey has bec industrtechnologies andA US , S A GH 2226 for deta .com/intl expoconaggations and enjo v rience the latest innosa , vironmentally friendly y, come enSee . d strategies for protabilityy.. gister on how to re ails y the attractionsd enjoafer and more efcient.uction w the constr hois co-located with:GG 2011 CONEXPO-CON/ACase study | Special transport37 www.cranestodaymagazine.com | CRANES TODAY September 2010The Schelde is a seagoing pontoon,capable of being used for rollon/roll off (Ro/Ro) and conventionaltransport, and as a tool for launching largeships. It measures 85m x 22m. It is 5mhigh, with an unloaded draft of 950mm. Itcan carry a load of 80t per sq m along thecentre line of the pontoon, and 15t per sqm over the rest of the vessel surface. It isfitted with four spud poles, eachmeasuring 26.9m.One of the first jobs for the new pontoonwas the launch of new frigate at Damenshipyard in Sloehaven, in the south of theNetherlands. The launch was the firstcarried out this way for both Mammoet andDamen. The job started during the nightat high-tide on Monday 12 July, when theSchelde was positioned over DamensRo/Ro quay. As the tide went down, theSchelde settled on the dry part of the quay.The frigate was placed on 104 axlelines of SPMTs and rolled onto the deck ofthe Schelde. On Tuesday afternoon, theSchelde carried the frigate from the Ro/Roquay to Sloehavens Jetty E, where it metMammoet floats boatsMammoet has purchased a new multi-purpose pontoon, theSchelde, and put it to work on two boat load outs.The frigate mounted on SPMTsLifting EquipmentDesign z Engineering z ManufactureUK SaIes Ofce: +44 (0)1202 621511USA SaIes Ofce: +1 800 920 7569e-maiI: saIes@moduIift.comwww.modulift.comModular Spreaders for 2 - 5000 tonne loads & spans up to 100mQuality assured products to the highest specifcationsRig planning, custom design service, lifting & rigging trainingAll products fully tested and certifedzzzzAvaiIabIe worIdwide with distributors in the foIIowing Iocations: EUROPE - Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain; MIDDLE EAST - Saudi Arabia, UAE; USA - Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, W. Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.Toll Free: 1.888.819.4355Tel: +1.281.664.1330Dubai Tel: +971.6.557.8314sales@loadsystems.comwww.loadsystems.comLSI is a leading manufacturer of Wireless Safety Systemsfor the Crane & Lifting Industries. We offer:t Over 10 Years of proven market successt Wireless Technologies designed to lower installation & maintenance costst Solutions For: Tower, Lattice, Hydraulic, Gantry and Container Cranest Two Year Warranty - No hassle exchange programt World Wide Operations, 24/7 Service and SupportView up to 20 elds of data including:t loadt geometryt load chartst boom conguration t alarmst USB PortIntroducing the GS820 Wireless Graphical Crane Indicator Displaye h t g n i c 0 2 8 S G eo t a c i dh p a r Ge h t g n ialar tboo telds of day a l p s i D rl a c i h0 2 8 S G ermstion om conguraluding: ta inc aUSB t ort B P.lo ws@lel: TTeel: TTeFreeadsystems.comloadsystems.com+971.6.557.8314+1.281.664.1330e: 1.888.819.4355Case study | Special transport39 www.cranestodaymagazine.com | CRANES TODAY September 2010a range of equipment that Mammoet hadprepared ready to float the frigate. Thisincluded the Purmer and Weiringerpontoons, each of which was fitted with awinch frame. There were also two winchframes on the quay, both fitted with 12ballast boxes as counterweight. Theoperation was commanded from a centralcontainer, using two laptops.As high winds came in on 15 July,the decision was taken to delay theoperation. The next day, the frigate waslaunched as planned. Right: The frigate on its way to Jetty E;Below: Floating the frigatePeople | Prole41 www.cranestodaymagazine.com | CRANES TODAY September 2010It was with deep regret that I heardthe news of the death of LuigiMarchetti, who passed away after abrief illness on February 6th. Born on July20th 1927, he had served the cranecompany and industry that he loved forfifty years. Last year I had the immenseprivilege of interviewing Marchetti as helooked back over his career.In 2009, Marchettis business celebratedits 50th birthday. Over those years, morethan 150 crane builders have come, andoften gone, in Europe, and at least half ofthose in Italy. Throughout, Luigi Marchettimanaged his business, taking day-to-dayresponsibility for its operations.Marchetti was an Italian entrepreneurand artisan engineer in the classicaltradition. Even at 82-years young, Luigistill drove his car to work everyday tocontrol his crane making and numerousother business activities. And on mostSaturdays he could be found walking thefloors of the factory checking productquality, activity and the tidiness of the plant.Very much in the Italian tradition,Marchettis business activities remainlocated in the family hometown ofPiacenza, one of Northern Italys mostheavily industrialised towns. It was herein 1956 that Luigi Marchetti with hisbrothers established a small carpentrybusiness. The energetic Luigi was alreadylooking for fresh opportunities and it didnttake long for him to branch out on his own,fabricating iron reinforcements for bridges,tunnels and electricity generating powerplants. Through this venture he soon hadhis first encounter with mobile cranes,which he needed to rent to lift and handlehis heavier fabrications.After paying for just a few days cranerental, the young Luigi Marchettirecognised a business with much greaterappeal to him than simple metal fabricating.One day after observing a small and verybasic mobile crane being used by a localfood processing company, he approachedthe owner and purchased it on the spot.The crane was in fact a short jib and frontwinch mounted on a modified US Armywar-surplus Jeep. The Jeep and its cranewere not in the best working condition sowith the help of an associate withconnections in Germany, Luigi Marchettipurchased the components necessary tobring the machine up to proper workingorder. Demand in and around Piacenza forLuigis crane quickly developed to theextent that he decided to build moremachines and through a business associatefrom Rome, he purchased four more USwar-surplus Jeeps and set about convertingthem into small mobile cranes.Marchetti was not alone in Italy orindeed in Europe during the 1940s and1950s converting war-surplus vehicles asthe base for rudimentary mobile cranes.Most of these, like Luigis first efforts,employed two-axle trucks which whenmodified for lifting duties tended to bogdown and get stuck. So, with theassistance of three technicians from thecarpentry business, Luigi Marchetti setabout modifying his crane, adding a thirdaxle and wider tyres to improve bothflotation and stability. This became theMarchetti MG 3, a lattice boom truckcrane of 3t capacity.Marchetti established his business onsolid commercial grounds. Im proud tosay that whatever problems came my way,I always solved them personally. Thecompany had no mortgages or debts.What we had, we owned. I never neededto go to the banks to ask for money. Fromthe very beginning I was independent andfinancially healthy.By 1960 Marchettis crane business hadprogressed significantly. That year sawthe introduction of the 6t capacity MG6T3AM, a truck crane mounted on apurpose-designed carrier available with achoice of lattice and hydraulic telescopicbooms and offering outriggers as well aspick-and-carry capacities. Building on hisearly experience, Marchetti placed heavyemphasis upon off-highway travelcapabilities with 6x6-wheel drive standardon his new crane.By 1963 a larger 8t capacity version wasadded and soon afterwards this wasfollowed by the 16t capacity MG 16T 3AM.To broaden the international appeal as wellas improving performance and serviceability,the new 16-tonner was powered by a Forddiesel engine and had US hoist reductiongearboxes. In 1970 the 20t capacity MG 77TEL fully hydraulic telescopic boom truckcrane joined the family.From the beginning it was Marchettihimself who handled sales. He travelledthe length and breadth of Italy to findcustomers as well as agents. When hetravelled on component purchasing trips toGermany, hed use the opportunity to findlocal distributors. Marchettis willingnessand ability to develop innovative vehicleconcepts also opened new doors.One particularly memorable sale was tothe leading Spanish internationalcontractor Dragados. Marchetti wasinvited by Dragados to consider theirrequirement for twenty front-dischargeconcrete delivery trucks, which wereneeded for a hydroelectric scheme inLuigi Marchetti, a leading figure in the Italian crane industry, ran hiseponymous company for 50 years. Stuart Anderson had achance to speak with him, and review his illustrious career, beforehis death this February.Maestro MarchettiAbove: Luigi Marchetti42Prole | PeopleCRANES TODAY | www.cranestodaymagazine.com September 2010Turkey. The mountainous job siteinvolved very narrow tracks with no spaceavailable for the large diameter steeringcircles needed by conventional trucks. Tosolve the problem Marchetti proposed anentirely new 4x4 wheel-steer truck withwheels that had extraordinarily sharpsteering angles of 90-degrees axles -allowing them to quite literally turn on thespot. The idea won the contract and thetrucks proved so successful in Turkey thatDragados French consortium partnerordered a further twenty of them for useon a major hydroelectric project inArgentina. Remarkably, the French placedthe order before there had been anydiscussion on price and the blank orderdocument was completed by Marchetti!Soon afterwards, product developmentflowed through to Marchettis crane linewhere crab steer was introduced as anoption on his 4x4 wheel drive truckcranes. However, despite this example ofdiversification, from the early days of hisbusiness, Marchetti was fully focused onthe crane business. From the beginningwe offered a line of standard cranes, notmachines designed to customer order.As Marchettis reputation grew and thecompanys network of sales agents anddistributors broadened, customers stillwanted to do business directly with LuigiMarchetti. A favourite customer was SnrCampari, a contractor based in Milan whospecialised in the transport and erection ofpre-fabricated concrete buildings.Campari became a lover of our cranesand wanted to be the first customer forour new models, he told me. Even if wesimply mentioned an idea for a new crane,Campari wanted to be the first buyer. Mylocal agent would visit Campari and try toget him to give him the order but Campariwould say Thank you for your visit but Iwant to close the deal with Snr Marchetti.The agent would try to explain how thecrane worked, etc to Snr Campari but hedreply, dont worry we know that betterthan you do. Please call Snr Marchetti,smiled Luigi Marchetti.Unfortunately the relationship ended intragic circumstances, with Camparisfamily the victims of mafia extortion. Thematter was resolved, but, Marchetti says,The experience shattered him andchanged his life. Soon afterwards he gaveup the business but thankfully lived onuntil about ten years ago when he passedaway peacefully.When asked what problems he hasencountered during his long career, LuigiMarchetti is sanguine and philosophical.There have been no problems to speak of,he shrugs. I had my own job. The firstcrane I built was for my own use. Mybusiness and my cranes had a goodreputation. I never worried about anythingbecause I had no debts and ownedeverything. Even the economic crisis of the1980s was not a big problem. When othermanufacturers were laying people off oreven closing down, I kept all of myemployees and built 40 cranes for stock. Atthe start of the crisis the typical marketprice had was Lira 80 million but afterwardsI was able to sell them at Lira 120 million!Luigi Marchetti remained as close to theproduct as he has always been. Myfavourite crane was the MG 364, a 32tcapacity telescopic truck crane that weintroduced in 1978. That year we becamean SpA and moved into our new factory inVia Caorsana. The MG 364 became afabulous best seller for us and when weeventually discontinued it, many customerswere disappointed. So as we began to sellnew models wed look for old MG 364s wecould take as trade-ins to sell them to fansof the older model. Two years later weproduced our first rough terrain crane, the30t capacity MG 244 TEL, as well as our firstall terrain, the 28/30t capacity MG 344 TEL,which was also the first AT made in Italy.Another one of my favourite cranes was thefive-axle 100t MG 195 with large single tyresall round that we introduced in 1983. It wasthe first 100t truck crane built in Italy andtoday would have been called an all terrain.So, looking back, what gave LuigiMarchetti the most satisfaction? Mostimportant of all is the legacy, theachievements over these 50-years, therespect that the name Marchetti has withcrane users not only in Italy and Europebut in more than seventy countries aroundthe world. The fact that customers placerepeat orders for Marchetti cranes andtrust us to satisfy their needs. That it veryimportant and really makes me happy.But on a personal level what I haveenjoyed the most is that its my businessand I dont have any partners. Above: A 70t Marchetti AT arrives inTanzania; Right: The brochure for one ofthe first cranes designed by LuigiMarchetti, the 3AMEUROPEANHEADQUARTERSPARTS SUPPLY WORLDWIDE B.V.STEENOVENWEG 2 A3417 XR MONTFOORTTHE NETHERLANDST 0031 (0)348 46 85 05F 0031 (0)348 46 85 36E INFO@PARTS-SUPPLY.NL I WWW.PARTS-SUPPLY.NLFAR EAST BRANCH OFFICEPARTS SUPPLY WORLDWIDE B.V.ROOM 205, 13TH BUILDING YUJIN-GXUAN, AOSIBOEN PARK, JIANG-NING DISTRICT, NANJING CITY,JIANGSU PROVINCE, CHINA 211113T 0086-25-5809-5426F 0086-25-8621-4556E INFOCHINA@PARTS-SUPPLY.NLINTERNATIONAL BRANDSTEREX-DEMAGLIEBHERRMANITOWOC-GROVETADANO FAUNCHINESE BRANDSXCMGZOOMLION SANYFUSHUNALL PARTS FOR