Manitowoc MLC300 Lattice Boom Crawler Crane Speeds Up Bridge Construction In Washington State

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A Washington contractor needed a crane with enough power and radius to position 66.5-ton concrete bridge girders from only one side of a river. Enter the Manitowoc MLC300. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

Crane manufacturer Manitowoc’s 386-ton (350-metric-ton) MLC300 lattice boom crawler crane is shaving an astounding five months off a bridge replacement project in Ridgefield, Washington. Tacoma-based construction company Ceccanti needed a strong crane with enough radius to move heavy components from just one side of the river.

“We chose the MLC300 because of its superior capacity at radius and its maneuverability when compared to similar cranes in its range, and even larger cranes,” says Ceccanti Project Manager Jake Brockmoller. “This crawler crane’s radius allowed service of 75% of the job with help from the derrick barge. We would have certainly lost time and money if we had deployed other equipment.”

A Long Reach

The river’s old, single-lane wooden bridge is being superseded by a two-lane replacement made out of concrete. The new, wider bridge will also pass over a set of railroad tracks on the far shore.

Ceccanti set up the Manitowoc MLC300 on a bulkhead built next to the river. From a stationary position there, it has moved girders weighing up to 66.5 tons (60.3 metric tons) and rebar cages as heavy as 61 tons (55.3 metric tons). Lift heights for the latter have reached 125 feet (38 meters). The crane has set casings into position, as well.

Started in February 2019, the bridge replacement was initially scheduled to take until April 2020 to complete, but the powerful capabilities of the MLC300 may bump up the finish date to November 2019.

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The Manitowoc MLC300 is a lattice boom crawler crane with a 386-ton maximum capacity and a main boom length of 334.6 feet. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

Crane Specs

The Manitowoc MLC300 has a main boom length of 334.6 feet (102 meters). The manufacturer touts its smaller footprint and stronger load charts relative to other cranes in its class.

The MLC300 has many options, including a new 11.5-foot (3.5-meter) wide boom kit. It can be fitted with a 137.8-foot (42-meter) fixed jib on 275.6 feet (84 meters) of main boom or with a 315-foot (96-meter) luffing jib on 157.5 feet (48 meters) of boom.

An 11.8-liter, inline six-cylinder Cummins QSG-12 diesel powers the MLC300 with 450 horsepower. The engine complies with Tier 4 Final and Stage IV emissions standards. The crane’s standard working weight is 673,000 pounds (305 metric tons).

The MLC300 is available with Manitowoc’s VPC (Variable Position Counterweight) system with rotating bed counterweights and no need for carbody ballast. Options include VPC-MAX for even greater maximum load moment and a fixed position counterweight configuration with various drum options. There are auxiliary and freefall hoist options, as well.

Manitowoc provides the MLC300 with its Crane Control System and CraneStar remote data monitoring technology, along with quick setup features to save time and expense.

Find The Right Manitowoc

Distributor Western Pacific Crane & Equipment supplied Ceccanti with the MLC300 after carefully considering its options.

“This project presented a multitude of logical challenges,” said Randy DeFosse, general manager at Western Pacific. “The versatility and best-in-class capacity of the MLC300 were the perfect solution to our customer’s needs and jobsite requirements. We are pleased to hear that the crane is not only getting the job done but helping Ceccanti to save time and money in the process.”

Source: Manitowoc

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