Summary: We have all seen tower construction cranes rise far above the buildings they assemble. Once the structure is complete, the tower crane must be disassembled. To facilitate, the Liebherr LTM 1400-7.1 500 ton Crane was deployed to CHOP Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care. The long reach of the all terrain crane was more than adequate to reach the middle of the construction site where the primary construction crane was laying dormant awaiting its removal. Within a day or two, crews disassembled the tower and prepared it for the eventual crane lift.

The Challenge: No crane lift of this size is ordinary. Street closures had to be prearranged because a major thoroughfare needed to be temporary closed. Philadelphia Police provided assistance as requested from the Thackray Dispatch and project logistics team. Adding to the challenge was that the heavy tower crane had to be safely supported while crews disconnected the crane cab from its supporting lattice tower. Finally, the lift needed to be performed without damage to the new construction.

Critical Crane Lift: Adding to the challenge for the Thackray Crane team was the long radius and travel distance required to move the heavy tower crane cab and equipment to a heavy -haul transport trailer and tractor. Crews worked diligently while the Thackray crew kept a steady watch on the tower cab as it was slowly lowered into place and chained down for transport to its next job.