Link-Belt 348 Series 2 sets 84,000 lb precast panels at Publix build

Working from one side only

The new store is going up on a 1.26-acre parcel in Lexington’s Chevy Chase neighbourhood, with the 40,000 sq ft supermarket sitting on top of a two-storey parking garage. Erection contractor ISHI Precast Erectors of Stone Mountain, Georgia brought in Wells, based in Albany, Minnesota, whose 348 Series 2 handled every panel on the job. It is the first Publix that ISHI has built in Kentucky, after erecting precast stores in Tennessee and Georgia.

The tight urban plot left no room to walk the crane around the structure. Panels weighing up to 30,000 lb were placed at a 130 ft radius, and the heaviest picks came in at 84,000 lb fully rigged.

“The capacity of the Link-Belt helped us carry out the weights well since the access area for this job was so small. This was a challenging job. Normally, you have access all around the building, but we only had access on the northwest side of the property.”

— Carlos Ordonez, Key Principal, ISHI Precast Erectors

Two months of steady panel work

Wells operator Roy Kidd ran the crawler for the two months it spent on site and credits the boom’s capacity with keeping the panel cycle quick on the confined plot. “It makes a big difference to have a stout boom when in tight job site spaces,” he says. “It’s a great-running crane.”

From pick-and-carry duties to self-assembly, Kidd found the 348 Series 2 smooth and operator friendly, and he singled out the cab for long shifts. “I won’t lie to you, I love the seats,” he says. “When you sit in a crane all day, that seat matters.”