It takes a versatile crane to move around quickly, set up fast, and handle cell phone tower installations. For PDI National Cranes, an Ontario-based contractor, a Link-Belt all-terrain crane was the right machine for the job.
PDI National recently purchased a 175|AT to expand its taxi fleet, which handles commercial, industrial, and general construction work around the greater Toronto area. The 175-ton all-terrain crane is ideal for cell work because of its easy transport, one overflow truck, and quick setup time of 30 to 40 minutes.
“In Ontario we can run boom over the front, so no dolly is required. Then, we only need one truck and once we stack counterweight on the deck of the crane from the overflow, now we have a clean work platform for the fly – which we typically use the SmartFly for cell tower work. It’s a very clean setup without anything extra,” said Dallen Rands, PDI National Cranes branch manager.
The cell towers PDI commonly handles are a little more than 200 feet tall and made of five segments. The base section is erected in place on the ground and can measure up to 24 feet wide, leg to leg. Tower segments taper as they get higher, with the largest section being 57 feet tall. Weights vary from 6,000 to 8,000 pounds.
“Once I get the next section within two to three feet, I am able to fine meter on the crane, and on the camera as well as on the winch to precisely put it in place, just like the guys would want. Everything worked out perfect,” said PDI National Cranes operator Peter Gumney.
PDI National Cranes is a taxi rental business so being able to quickly setup for varying cell towers or other applications is important.
“The way the crane walks with full counterweight and jib erected on a job, that exceeded my expectations. A recent project we did involved moving the crane with the counterweights and jib erected. It was a total of eight setups and it was totally amazing how fast the crane could move from set up to set up,” Gumney explained.
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