First Tadano GTC-600-2 crawler crane sets 230 kV towers in Mississippi

The 60 US ton (54.4 tonne) machine was supplied by Scott Powerline and Utility Equipment, the Tadano dealer that has introduced several new Teleboom Crawler models over the years and has ordered four units of the GTC-600-2.

One crane, one truck

Chain Electric took the crane for a transmission project preparing power supply for a data centre just outside Meridian. The scope covers eight miles of new 230 kV line, and the contractor is using the crawler for the full sequence of tasks: setting poles, hanging cross arms and making wire picks.

“Scott Powerline called us about the 600-2 and said it was available, and it was really just what we need for this project. We’re glad we got the opportunity to use it first because it can set the poles and hang the arm and do everything we need with one crane. We don’t have to have extra equipment to set these 230 kV structures. Plus, we do a lot of traveling and the GTC-600-2 is a low weight crane. The only 60-ton teleboom crawler that I know of that can move on one haul truck, so we don’t have to break down into pieces.”

— Riley Beck, area supervisor, Chain Electric Company

Single-truck transport is a recurring theme in the powerline market, where cranes move frequently between structure locations and right-of-way access is often poor. Operator Garrett Taylor, a general foreman with Chain Electric, pointed to the machine’s ground clearance in muddy terrain, its extendable tracks and the tilting cab as practical advantages on the Mississippi right of way.

Out-of-level lifting

The GTC-600-2 succeeds the 55 US ton GTC-550 and keeps that crane’s utility-focused specification: jib capacities at up to 2.5 degrees out of level, dual hook operation with an auxiliary nose sheave or jib, winches spooled with 16 mm rope, standard radio remote control for rigging operations and 85 per cent gradeability. The swing system has been improved, and the crane carries a 113.8 ft (34.7 m) full-power boom with Tadano’s OPTI-WIDTH variable track positioning.

The AML-C rated capacity indicator holds load charts for 0.5, 1.5, 2.5 and 4 degree slopes and switches between them automatically according to the crane’s attitude on site, with pick-and-carry duties available at up to 4 degrees out of level. Operators can also set work-zone limits for swing angle, height and radius, with soft stops as the crane approaches them. A closed-loop hydrostatic drive is new on this model.

“Our relationship with Tadano started a long time ago, and we’ve stayed with the GTC series and it’s been a wonderful series for our customers. The GTC 600-2 is a great crane and really easy to move, which makes for a really good product in the powerline industry. That’s why we bought four of them.”

— Jay Lee, account manager, Scott Powerline and Utility Equipment