Manitowoc Model 16000 Delivers Massive Bridge In 4-Crane Pick Along With 3 Grove All-Terrain Cranes

---

For this complicated lift, Manitowoc’s 440-ton Model 16000 was configured with a 118-foot boom along with 148 tons of rear counterweight and 30 t of carbody counterweight. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

A 73-foot-wide by 187-ft-long (22.3-x 57.1-meter) bridge constructed by Canada’s Cherubini Bridges and Structures represented the final segment of a contract for Toronto’s Port Lands project. But to move this 492-ton (446-metric-ton) bridge from the yard at Cherubini’s fabrication facility to a barge on the St. Lawrence River, the company had to engineer a way to smoothly position the bridge for delivery onto the barge.

“Loading the bridge sections onto the barge wasn’t the issue, as the transporters were able to pick the sections and drive straight on,” says Cherubini Group CEO Darren Czech. “But with this particular section, and also a second one, there were space restrictions which meant we couldn’t just simply roll on and roll off the barge using the self-propelled transporters alone.”

A four-crane pick using a Manitowoc Model 16000 lattice boom crawler and three Grove all-terrain cranes provided the means to lift the bridge, while a giant turntable structure was created to allow tugboats spin the bridge into position in the harbor down river.

The Lift

Cherubini positioned one crane at each corner of the bridge, and each crane was configured with a main boom and a large counterweight. Manitowoc’s 440-t (400-mt) Model 16000 was equipped with a 118-ft (36-m) boom along with 148 t (134 mt) of rear counterweight, as well as 30 t (27 mt) of carbody counterweight. Operators configured the three Grove all-terrain cranes at their maximum outrigger design, and then, the Grove GMK6400, GMK5250L, and GMK5240 were equipped to share the load.

---

“The lift went without a hitch, taking less than four hours,” says R&D’s GM, Rob Blois. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

“The lift went without a hitch, taking less than four hours,” says Rob Blois, general manager of Cherubini Group’s R&D Crane division. “The key was really the planning—working out how to maintain equal weights during the lift and spreading the load to reduce ground-bearing pressure. We have a full fleet of Manitowoc and Grove machines, which minimizes the mechanical and operational challenges a mixed fleet can cause.”

The Manitowoc Model 16000

The Model 16000 lattice boom crawler crane is one of four largest cranes in R&D Crane’s fleet—the other three were the Grove all-terrain cranes used in four-crane pick. The Model 16000 has a 315-ft (96-m) main boom length with lattice, and it can operate with fixed- and luffing-jib combinations to increase hook height. Manitowoc equipped the crane with its Electronically Processed Independent Controls (EPIC) system for precise load control; the system’s easy-to-read graphic displays can be viewed from dual LCD color monitors in the cab.

Find The Right Manitowoc Crane

CraneTrader is a great resource for locating new and used Manitowoc lattice boom crawler cranes for sale, including the Model 16000, as well as Grove all-terrain cranes like the GMK5250L and the GMK5240.

Source: Manitowoc