Grove now has available a heavy-duty jib extension for its GRT9165 rough-terrain crane that it says increases set-up time for tilt-up work.
The 12.5-foot jib is designed with two sheaves, for up to four parts of line, and is hydraulically offsettable from 0 to 50 degrees. It has a maximum lifting capacity of 68,600 pounds.
The heavy-duty jib was designed for the precast concrete panel market, and Miron Construction is the first customer to use the new jib, according to Grove. The size of concrete panels is growing in tandem with the demand for tilt-up construction, says Grove, with panels averaging 12 feet wide, over 24 feet in height, and weighing up to 60,000 pounds.
“It takes a larger crane to lift and rotate the concrete panels and vertically set them in place,” said Pete Klosterman, executive VP, field resources for Miron, in a prepared statement. “Our precast jobs have a short duration and we wanted to minimize transport and setup costs.”
Grove dealer American State Equipment and Grove’s product development team collaborated on the development of the jib extension to make it purpose-built for precast.
“We took feedback from Miron to develop preliminary charts and stayed in close contact through the testing phase, making real-time modifications to deliver a final product that meets the market need from day one,” said John Bair, Grove rough-terrain product manager, in a statement.
In June, Miron used the jib to set panels for a new high school in western Wisconsin. The GRT9165 was configured with its full 56,800 pounds of counterweight and working at a max tip height of 124 feet, with a 50-foot radius and zero-degree offset.
“It’s great to have the ability to luff the jib up and down for increased or decreased separation as needed, and it’s quick and easy to install and uninstall the jib,” said Luke Rathke, project superintendent with Miron, in a statement.
The crane’s long boom paired with the heavy-duty jib is a bonus when working under height limitations. It has already allowed Miron to win more industrial work, including at large paper mills where overhead piping and ductwork limit access by other types of mobile cranes.
“The GRT9165 with the heavy-duty jib is the perfect package for what we need,” said Klosterman. “It has strong capacities and precision for precast and is a solid all-around crane for the wider range of work we do. We must be more efficient and versatile in how we approach our jobs. You’ve got to stay ahead of the game, and it helps when the equipment we’re using can make that happen.”
The heavy-duty jib extension is available for order on all new Grove GRT9165 rough-terrain cranes and as a retrofit for cranes in the field.
Source: Manitowoc
