Get FinancingLink-Belt 298 Series 2 Crawler Crane Hits The High Notes At A New Cincinnati Music Center
A 250-ton (227-metric-ton) Link-Belt 298 Series 2 lattice boom crawler crane has helped to erect a new, $27 million music center in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Contractor Superior Steel, Inc. of Knoxville used the big crane with an offset jib to place 304 tons (276 mt) of precast concrete and 464 tons (421 mt) of steel.
“We are erecting a steel structure on top of an existing concrete two-story parking garage,” says Superior Steel foreman Jack Freytag. “The Link-Belt 298 is setting precast on top of steel trusses that are 120 feet (36.6 meters) long. We have a suspended catwalk system that hangs below the trusses for the stage portion of the theater.”
When completed, the Andrew J. Brady ICON Music Center will be able to seat 8,000 concertgoers outdoors and 4,500 indoors.
Ups & Downs
The first order of business for the Link-Belt 298 Series 2 was to move precast concrete sections weighing up to 24,000 pounds (10,886 kilograms). The crane lifted them up to 100 ft (30.5 m) and placed them on the steel structure at a radius of up to 210 ft (64 m).
Next, Superior Steel took down the crane, moved it to the other end of the confined worksite, and reassembled it to place the remainder of the steel. For this task, the crane was outfitted with more boom and a longer radius.
“We started tearing the crane down on a Friday afternoon and we were back to hanging steel on Saturday,” says Superior Steel operator Brad “Bugs” Bingham. “Everything breaks down easily and where I’m at in the crane now I don’t even have to move. I’m cribbed up and can reach everything from here.”
The Link-Belt 298 Series 2
The 298 Series 2 crawler crane has 60 to 290 ft (12.3 to 88.4 m) of main lattice boom and a maximum tip height of 342 ft (104 m). Its strong, combination top section supports both conventional and luffing jib configurations. Fixed jibs of 30 to 90 ft (9.1 to 27.4 m) in length can be installed with 10, 20, or 30 degrees of offset. The crane can reach a maximum lifting radius of 210 ft (64 m).
A 320-horsepower (239-kilowatt) Cummins QSL 9 diesel engine powers the Link-Belt 298 Series 2 while complying with Tier IV Final emissions standards. The machine has a working weight of approximately 416,500 lbs (188,900 kg), while its main transport load weight is rated at 88,000 lbs (39,900 kg). The crane includes a remote control for its removable hydraulic counterweight system.
Source: Link-Belt