Link-Belt 75RT Rough-Terrain Crane Lifts Copper Whale Sculptures In Hawaii

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A new 75-ton Link-Belt 75RT rough-terrain crane was instrumental in placing two life-sized copper sculptures of humpback whales at a new community center on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. (Photo courtesy of Link-Belt.)

A new 75-ton (70-metric-ton) Link-Belt 75RT rough-terrain crane was instrumental in placing two copper sculptures of humpback whales at a new community center on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The life-sized sculptures now adorn the façade of the new $10.9 million Kalanihoʻokaha Cope Community Learning Center in Nānākuli.

“This symbolic art project called ‘Kohola Ola’ (‘Whales for Peace’) is the vision and inspiration of a local copper artist named Muthukumaru Sooriya,” says Prometheus Construction Vice President Cliff Tillotson. “Hundreds of schoolchildren on the island of Oahu hand-pounded these exquisite whale sculptures into being with the unifying message of universal human goodwill.”

Whale Tale

Prometheus, based in Kapolei, welded and placed the giant whale sculptures at the new 6,800-square-foot (632-square-meter) community center. The larger of the two copper humpbacks is 45 feet (13.7 meters) long and weighs 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilograms). Local Link-Belt crane distributor Doc Bailey Cranes & Equipment, Inc. provided the new 75RT crane for the project.

“The lifting and placing of the whales on the wall of the Cope Center was a tricky operation because the landscaping and sidewalks were already installed, requiring the Link-Belt 75RT to lift from over an 80-ft (24.4-m) radius,” Tillotson says.

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“The lifting and placing of the whales on the wall of the Cope Center was a tricky operation because the landscaping and sidewalks were already installed, requiring the Link-Belt 75RT to lift from over an 80-ft (24.3-m) radius,” says Prometheus Construction Vice President Cliff Tillotson. (Photo courtesy of Link-Belt.)

The Link-Belt 75RT

The 75RT rough-terrain crane has a five-section, full-power telescopic boom that can extend from 38 to 142 ft (11.6 to 43.3 m). It has a 35- to 58-ft (10.7- to 17.7-m), two-piece fly jib with the option of a 10-, 35-, and 58-ft (3.0-, 10.7-, and 17.7-m), three-piece, bi-folding fly. The 75RT can reach a maximum tip height of 208.7 ft (63.6 m), which can make the operator appreciate its 20-degree tilting cab.

Link-Belt furnishes the 75RT with an LED lighting package that includes outrigger lights. Three onboard cameras help the operator keep tabs on critical parts of the work. The crane comes with the Link-Belt Pulse 2.0 operating system and the V-Calc (Variable Confined Area Lifting Capacities) feature, which supplies 12 variable outrigger configurations. The 75RT supports telematics for maintenance and asset management purposes. The cab has a Bluetooth radio, a 10-inch touchscreen, and automatic temperature control.

The transport weight for the 75RT is less than 99,000 lbs (44,906 kg) including its 14,500-lb (6,577-kg) counterweight. It can also be shipped without ballast. It folds down to a height of just 12.1 ft (3.7 m), and it can be driven off a conventional lowboy trailer, Link-Belt says. The crane uses a 270-horsepower, 6.7-liter, Tier 4 Final Cummins diesel engine and a six-speed transmission.

Source: Link-Belt