A rubber-track, mini crawler crane, was recently hired from Kennards Lift & Shift to assist with work within confined spaces during the $1 billion Port Botany expansion.
Mounted on a barge, the rubber-track, mini crawler crane was used to lower one tonne sand bags into the water, which acted as weights for rubber matting with which divers sealed joins in the new sea wall. The Maeda MC405 mini crawler crane was also used to move a variety of other equipment and materials.
Gillespie Cranes, which had many of its own fleet of mobile cranes and elevated work platforms on the project at various times, called for the extra machine from Kennards Lift & Shift.
“It is compact and light enough for the barge, but can still lift a good load,” said Dive barge supervisor Dave Grafton.
Kennards Lift & Shift has two mini crawler crane models available for hire. The larger model, used at Port Botany, can lift 3.8 tonne when it is working in close at a radius of 2.7m. The smaller, super-slim model has a maximum capacity of 2.82 tonne at a radius of 1.4m.
The smaller mini crawler crane can be transported on a trailer behind a medium size 4WD or truck and a C2 crane operator’s certificate is needed for both machines.
The machines are suitable for many types of projects including:
- concrete panelling
- sheeting
- cladding
- glass installation
- plant maintenance; and
- lifting heavy machinery and materials.
Kennards Lift & Shift hires a wide range of rigging and materials handling equipment from their outlets in Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane.
