Ben Hitson, president of Newell Bush Inc., Montgomery, AL, had to have a crane that offered enhanced precision, smoothness and safety for a bridge installation in Mobile, AL.
The job would entail multiple placings of 10 82,000-lb. (37,195 kg) precast, steel reinforced bridge girders — each 104-ft. (32 m) long — just 6 in. (15 cm) from each other spanning bridge cap to bridge cap. One slight error could create a 410-ton (372 t) domino disaster. The crane couldn’t jerk, slip or sway. After critical consideration, Hitson bought Hitachi, and purchased it from Terex Inc.
“I have owned as many as 15 different cranes at one time over the past 14 years,” explained Hitson. “This CX700 crane is super smooth, extremely precise and loaded with safety features. It’s so easy to operate that you can’t mess up — the crane won’t let you. This is a new breed of crane.”
Newell Bush specializes in concrete bridge installation and demolition. Cranes are used for setting forms, beams, pile driving and anything else that may arise. “We use each crane for a wide variety of work to maximize our investment,” said Hitson. Newell Bush also owns two Hitachi EX200 excavators.
The source of Hitachi’s increased operator control is the installation of Hitachi-made microchips into every crane for electronic coordination of all hydraulic functions. Operators feel the slightest movements of the main and auxiliary drums through the drum rotation sensors. This is coupled with Hitachi’s sophisticated hydraulic swing brake control and light-touch hydraulic brake control of the drums.
The CX700 also impressed Hitson with its transport benefits. The double-tapered pins ease disassembly and provide improved safety. The unit is transportable with the tip attached to the butt, allowing the unit to roll off the trailer ready to unload and position its own boom, eliminating the need for an additional machine to assist in reassembly. The handheld, remote control counterweight removal/attachment option proves equally beneficial in simplifying transport.
Additional features that sold Hitson on his CX700 are the visibility created by the elimination of the control-lever stand. This crane is controlled with joysticks very similar to a modern excavator.
“From a safety standpoint,” stated Hitson, “Hitachi shines.”
Hitson is not the only Newell Bush employee happy with Hitachi. “The best thing about this crane is its multi-functioning capabilities,” explained veteran crane Operator Calvin Johnson. “I can swing, let down and boom up all at the same time. Most cranes can’t do that. This is the nicest, smoothest crane I have been on. I am a lot more comfortable setting those girders with this machine.”
The finished high-capacity bridge will be used by haul trucks transporting imported iron ore brought up the Mobile River by barge to supply the new $425-million Mobile County Steelworks plant located 15 mi. north of Mobile. The plant will produce 1.25-million tons (1.13 million t) of steel annually.
Hitachi, with its “new breed of crane,” provided the much needed safety and confidence to Hitson and the Newell Bush crew during construction of this bridge.
(This article appears courtesy of Hitachi “Breakout.”) CEG
