Media production assistants: Ben Fisher, Alex Thomson
Group design manager Jeff Gilbert
Group designer Jade Hudson
Creative designer Kate Brown
Events manager
Steve Webb
Events design manager
Gary Brinklow
Circulation
Audience development deputy manager
Anna Philo
anna.philo@khl.com
Sales
Vice president sales
MATT BURK
14269 N 87th Street, Suite 205, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
T: 312-496-3314
C: 773-610-9467
matt.burk@khl.com
National account manager
BEV O’DELL
1000 SW Rainbow Lane
Blue Springs, MO 64015
T: 816 886 1858
C: 816 582 5253
bev.odell@khl.com
Vice president global sales
ALISTER WILLIAMS 843 637 4127
alister.williams@khl.com
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Peter Watkinson
peter.watkinson@khl.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
James King
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Paul Baker
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Trevor Pease
KHL GROUP AMERICAS LLC
14269 N 87th Street, Suite. 205, Scottsdale, AZ 85260, USA
480-779-9969
americas@khl.com
For me, January is a month for reflecting on all the possibilities for the new year. Ever the optimist, it’s possible that 2024 will bring really good things to our industry. It looks like more infrastructure work is on the horizon, and more cranes and transport equipment will be needed for these jobs. Inflation is waning, and there are signals that interest rates may fall. Jobs are still aplenty, and the stock markets may have ended the year on a high note. (At press time that was the case.) While I am hopeful, Off Highway Research Managing Director Chris Sleight has more concrete evidence that 2024 will be better than 2023, economically speaking. Don’t miss our annual Economic Forecast on page 22.
Also in January, I get out the big wall calendar and look at the year in terms of crane and transport events. We don’t really have a big, global trade show this year, with Bauma and ConExpo slated for 2025 and 2026. But there’s a lot to look forward to, starting with the SC&RA Specialized Transportation Symposium in February in Houston. Hannah Sundermeyer previewed the Symposium on page 11. Our Q&A on page 16 is with Louis Juneau, who is chair of the event.
A highlight at the end of 2023 was travelling out to San Leandro, CA to visit the Bigge facility and see their new Liebherr battery operated crawler crane. We’ve reported on Bigge for many years, and in my 18 years of editing ACT, I had never been to their headquarters location. It was well worth the effort to fly out for their event that drew close to 300 people. See our Site Visit on page 15.
Another year-end high point was being invited to see two Tadano telecrawlers working on a roadway project in Austin, TX. Tadano’s Todd Elkins and Andrew Hite, plus Fluor Project Director Matthew Krein, escorted me to the jobsite that is on the median of the busy I-35 freeway. With cars whizzing by at 65 miles per hour, it was quite the experience. See our Site Report Lifting on page 36.
Other topics covered in this issue are training and certification, tilt-wall construction and mega cranes. Joel Dandrea wrote an interesting article about mental health in the construction industry in his SC&RA Comment column on page 39. Also, our new Milestones column debuts with an article about Tradelossa, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.
As 2024 dawns, let me know what’s going on with your people, jobs and equipment. Now is as good a time as any to drop me an email. And also, Happy New Year!
D.ANN SLAYTON SHIFFLER Editor
KHL Group Americas, 30325 Oak Tree Drive, Georgetown TX 78628 +1 512-868-7482 | d.ann.shiffler@khl.com
Maximize lifting capacities to maximize efficiency.
Wide variety of payment options
Proven Design
Simple, reliable design that allows for long reach and strong capacities
AML-E2 Operating System*
10.4" color graphical display to monitor crane data with camera displays
Hello-Net Telematics
Fleet Management tool to set maintenance reminders, monitor operating status, and track the crane's location
Eco-Mode Improves fuel efficiency and reduces CO2 emissions
Clearance Sonar*
Audio/Visual blind spot detection system to help detect obstacles
Protect your investment from unforseen events
Tadano rough terrain cranes provide the perfect blend of reliability, value and safety. Featuring the lowest operating costs in their class, these go-anywhere, lift-anything cranes give contractors solutions to meet more diverse application needs. And they are fully loaded with safety features like a clearance sonar back up system and the new AML-E control system to easily set lifting limits and view diagnostic info. Add Tadano Financial Services and Extended Assurance for more payment and protection options.
Take a closer look at Tadano rough terrain cranes at www.tadanoamericas.com.
On a beautiful Northern California day, Bigge Crane & Rigging unveiled its new Liebherr LR 1250.1 Unplugged, a centerpiece of the company’s green initiatives. D.Ann Shiffler reports.
Louis Juneau brings a deep understanding to the realm of specialized transportation. D.Ann Shiffler reports.
CJ Ryan reports that tilt-up construction requires experience and refined know-how.
MARKETPLACE
22 SPECIAL REPORT 2024 FORECAST
The North American construction industry had another good year in 2023. What will 2024 hold?
24 PRODUCT FOCUS MEGA CRANES
Demand for mega cranes is increasing as they are needed around the world to meet the needs of super huge projects. D.Ann Shiffler reports.
30 INDUSTRY FOCUS TRAINING & CERTIFICATION
NCCCO discusses the necessary steps for successful certification and the critical role of training. CICB reports on what managers must know when leading crane and rigging operations.
36 SITE REPORT LIFTING
Two Tadano GTC-2000s are doing yeoman’s work on a freeway extension in Austin. D.Ann Shiffler reports.
66 MILESTONES
Mexico-based Tradelossa is celebrating 50 years of progress.
Navigating FMCSA’s proposed rule changes for
Jason Baynard addresses exposures and the right coverage in regard to care, custody and control.
BITS
n Pennsylvania-based Reinsfelder and Brownlee Trucking have announced a strategic partnership, forming a dominant presence in the specialized and heavy haul industry across North America. Grounded in a history of collaboration, this agreement signifies a joint commitment to excellence, innovation and core values, the company said. The integration of Reinsfelder and Brownlee Trucking fleets has resulted in an even more extensive array of transportation solutions, which are specifically tailored to meet the needs of the oil and gas, power generation and energy sectors.
n The U.S. Department of Labor has honored PACCAR Winch as the 2023 HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion Award recipient. With 10 percent of its current employee population as veterans, this is the fifth year in a row the company has received a Medallion Award, and the first year to be recognized at the Platinum level.
Omega Morgan acquires Canadian heavy lift company
The Omega Morgan Group of Companies (Omega Morgan), a machinery moving, specialized transportation and industrial services company, has acquired Donald Rigging, a prominent player in the rigging and transportation services industry in Western Canada.
“The acquisition of Donald Rigging aligns perfectly with Omega Morgan’s growth strategy and commitment to offering comprehensive industrial services,” said Omega Morgan CEO Dick Ferchak. “Their expertise in the field, coupled with our resources and network, will deliver enhanced value to our clients across North America.”
By acquiring Donald Rigging, Omega Morgan expands its presence in Alberta and enhances its offerings in the oil, gas, chemical, utilities and mining industries.
Barnhart purchases Armstrong Crane
Barnhart Crane and Rigging and Armstrong Crane and Rigging, of New Brighton, MN, have entered into an agreement under which Barnhart has purchased Armstrong. The deal includes Armstrong’s operated crane rental service and all associated personnel and equipment. It is Barnhart’s
third acquisition this year.
The acquisition strengthens Barnhart’s presence in the upper Midwest, where it already had field offices in Iowa, Nebraska, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin.
“Armstrong is well-respected in the industry and brings an experienced and dedicated group
of employees to the Barnhart family,” said Mike Lins, Barnhart branch manager of the new acquisition. “We look forward to working with Armstrong’s personnel and building upon
The latest acquisition strengthens Barnhart’s presence in the upper Midwest.
Donald Rigging, which focuses on the oil, gas and power industries, will continue to operate under its own brand, maintaining its headquarters in Calgary, Alberta. Angus Donald will stay on board to uphold the company’s culture and vision.
“We have a long-term plan for the future, and we’re excited about taking this to the next level with our new partners,” said Donald.
“Joining forces with Omega Morgan is a significant milestone for Donald Rigging. This partnership expands our capabilities and provides our employees with greater growth opportunities." n
Ontario taxi fleet adds Link-Belt AT
DI National Cranes, part of the PDI Group of Companies in King, Ontario, Canada, has purchased a new Link-Belt 175|AT allterrain crane. The crane joins the company’s taxi fleet, which specializes in commercial, industrial and general construction. According to Dallen Rands, branch manager for PDI National, the 175-ton all-terrain crane is ideal for cell tower work because of its ease of transport, one overflow truck and quick setup time.
“In Ontario we can run boom over the front, so no dolly is required,” said Rands. “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.”
the outstanding service their customer base is accustomed to by backing it up with a national network and a fulltime team of more than 60 engineers who can deliver custom solutions for difficult jobs, whether they involve lifting, transporting, setting or a combination of services.” Barnhart has a network of over 55 facilities in the U.S.
Mega military trailer order for Broshuis
Dutch trailer manufacturer Broshuis will supply 557 trailers to the U.S. Department of Defense. The deal was done in conjunction with U.S. partner Oshkosh Defense. It is a $342 million contract for Medium Equipment Trailers (METs) to be delivered between 2026 and 2031. They are 2+4 PL2 pendulum axle dolly low loader combinations to carry
military equipment.
Commenting on the mega deal, Pieter-Bas Broshuis, owner and CEO, said, “We are very proud to have also been awarded with the third major order from the U.S. Army. This gives us the honor of supplying all EHETs and the METs. In addition, this order, together with the previously obtained orders, brings a lot of certainty to the company, and thus to our
employees and our customers.”
The latest order follows additional ones received in 2019 and 2022, respectively, for 170 and 466 Enhanced Heavy Equipment Trailers (EHETs), type M1302.
The first 170 of them were already in operation at the time of writing. The second order of 8-axle PL2 semi low loaders is due to be completed up to 2027. Including prototypes already delivered, the total of these three orders comes out to 1,199 Broshuis trailers for the U.S. Army. That equates to 8,472 pendulum axle lines or 16,944 axles. Capacity at the Dutch factory will see seven pendulum axle lines produced per day for the U.S. Army, Broshuis said. n
New Tadano truck crane makes debut in Canada
Cropac Equipment has purchased the first GT-800XL-2 in Canada.
Cropac is Tadano’s Canadian distributor, and this new 80-ton truck crane features a 5-section 154.3-foot power boom, 33.1-foot /58.1-foot bi‐fold jib, self-removable counterweight and a max speed of 105 km/h. Tadano announced two new truck crane models (a 120-ton GT-1200XL-2 and the 80-ton GT-800XL-2) at ConExpo earlier this year.
“The 80-ton rental market is popular throughout Canada,” said Andy Whitehouse, Cropac general manager for Tadano and Kobelco products. “This machine was presold well before arriving at Cropac. The GT-800XL-2’s new owner, Michael Karaaslan of DMD
Building Systems, is excited to get the unit to work within their existing crane fleet and experience the reliability and low cost of ownership that Tadano has brought to the North American crane market for decades.”
DMD Building Systems is a Calgary-based company that designs, fabricates and
installs pre-engineered LSF wall systems (with option to be pre-finished with architectural coatings). With low axle weights, narrow transport width and long boom designs, the new Tadano truck cranes can easily get special permitting for transport - making them ideal for taxi crane service. n
PDI National will be utilizing their new all-terrain crane for cell tower work.
Broshuis worked with Oshkosh on the 577-unit MET deal for the U.S. Army.
Pictured Left to Right: Ken Butz (Tadano), Dan Melnyk (Tadano), Joel Hunt (Cropac), Michael Karaaslan (DMD Building Systems), Bill Finkle (Cropac), Andy Whitehouse (Cropac), Justin Andrews (Tadano) and Louis Francescutti (Tadano).
BITS
n Roborigger and Greenfield Products have formed a partnership for the exclusive distribution of Roborigger load orientation devices in North America. Roborigger products will be distributed by Greenfield Products and will be supported throughout North America by Greenfield and other sister companies in the Lanco Group of Companies.
n Anderson Trucking Service (ATS) announced that in early December 2023, the Anderson Assistance Foundation surpassed $1 million in hardship donations since its incorporation in 2019. The Foundation offers financial assistance to all drivers, independent contractors’ shops, warehouse and office workers within the Anderson Family of Companies.
Raimondi luffer lifts in downtown Toronto
Canadian builder Avenue Building Corporation is utilizing a Raimondi LR273 luffing crane for a downtown Toronto jobsite. The project, a new residential high rise, is located in the city’s Bloor Yorkville area.
“The Raimondi LR273 is one of the best-selling models for this type of development in Canada, especially in major metropolises like Toronto,” said Jim Patullo, president, Avenue Building Corporation. “High-rise buildings are in increasing demand and swing rights are an issue; making this crane an apt onsite asset.”
Mammoet strand jacks aid nuclear reactor decommissioning
Mammoet crews assisted client Orano USA with the extraction of the sectioned 540-metric ton nuclear reactor vessel (RV) at the shutdown Crystal River Unit 3 pressurized water reactor site in Florida. The removal of the RV is part of the accelerated decommissioning of the facility, which began generating electricity in 1977.
Orano developed and patented a process known as ‘optimized segmentation’, which first segments, extracts and separates underwater the reactor vessel’s internal components, the “internals,” into categories based on their radioactivity using the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s low-level waste classification system: A, B, C Greater-than-Class-C (GTCC).
The A, B and C internals waste was precisely repacked inside the emptied vertical reactor vessel to optimize the segmentation of the entire RV into three pieces for transportation and disposal. Using a custom-installed strand jack system spanning the inside of the reactor containment building, Mammoet’s crew carefully lifted the two heaviest RV segments out of the reactor well and then lowered each one through the reactor building.
Extraction of part of a nuclear reactor using Mammoet’s strand jacks.
Upon completion, 55 Charles Residences, a project of MOD Developments, will add 665 residential units to the neighborhood.
Located in a congested area, 55 Charles Condo is surrounded by several other high-rise developments. Installed in February 2021, the 18-metric ton maximum lifting capacity crane is at work with a 40-meter jib, clocking in at 15 meters out of service radius with a tip load of 8.20 tons in UltraLift. Erected on 6 GR6L tower sections on a concrete pad in the below
ground parking at level 4, the 36-meter tower height has been climbed off internally for the past two years until reaching the final height of 167 meters above the ground level.
“Another asset of this luffer is the ability to promptly switch from two falls to four falls and reverse, allowing to lift large generators, air handling units, BMUs and more without any downtime,” added Patullo. n
DICA unveils resource for ground assessment
DICA has released a new manual on its website to help users better assess and understand ultimate soil strengths and allowable ground-bearing pressures.
Knowing the strength of the ground helps planners and operators identify the pad area needed to reduce bearing pressures to levels the ground can withstand.
“Undersized outrigger pads create risk and can lead to unstable conditions,” said Kris Koberg, CEO, DICA. “However, oversized pads increase weight, product cost, and ongoing transportation costs. DICA uses its Everyday
The web page features best practices to determine soil bearing capacity.
Fitting Process to help owners and users determine and define assumptions, which results in identifying the right outrigger pad or support system that aligns with their needs.” n
LTM 1110-5.2 with LICCON3
The LTM 1110-5.2 with 3 new core features: the crane control system, the driver’s cab and the gearbox. The new LICCON3 crane control system comes with large touch displays and is prepared for fleet management and telematics. The ZF TraXon gearbox with DynamicPerform offers wear-free manoeuvring. Plus a modern crane design –the future of the all-terrain series. www.liebherr.com
Mobile and crawler cranes
2024 TRAINING SCHEDULE SET
Boot Camp Training Dates
High impact certification training on all the features of 3D Lift Plan. Upon completion you will be able to successfully create a complicated tandem lift, critical lift plan, video of the lift, and utilize every feature of 3D Lift Plan.
Fernandina Beach
January 23-25
March 19-21
May 21-23
November 12-14
To Be Determined*
July 16-18
September 24-26
Cost: $850 per student * Location offsite due to hurricane season
Courses by Appointment
WHAT
SC&RA Specialized Transportation Symposium WHERE
The Westin Galleria Houston WHEN February 20- 22, 2024 REGISTRATION www.scranet.org/symposium2024
The start of a new year brings endless opportunities to tackle industry challenges with fresh eyes and ideas, and to collaborate and catch-up with peers. And what better way to kick off 2024 than gathering transportation leaders in operations, safety directors, safety managers, pilot car professionals, permitting officials, law enforcement and state and federal officials in vibrant Houston, TX? This year’s Specialized Transportation Symposium has something for everyone and is sure to attract a full house of heavy haulers and specialized transport experts.
In-depth discussions
Beginning on February 20, 2024, Symposium attendees will have the opportunity to attend a variety of meetings with state permitting officials organized
The SC&RA Specialized Transportation Symposium will be held February 20-22 at the Westin
Let’s talk transport
Hannah Sundermeyer previews SC&RA’s jam-packed Specialized Transportation Symposium that will be held February 20-22, 2024.
by their geographic regions, including MAASTO, NASTO, SASHTO and WASHTO. Additionally, all Symposium attendees can meet individual state officials one-on-one. On Tuesday, the national AASHTO CTSO Freight Working Group will meet, as well as the SC&RA Permit Policy, Pilot Car and Transportation Safety, Education and Training Committees.
The keynote session, Riding for the Brand, The Power of Purposeful Leadership, welcomes everyone to the Lone Star State where Jim Whitt will discuss how leaders and organizations can utilize the power of leadership. In the Symposium’s first breakout session Harmonization: Policy Beyond Permit, panelists will discuss what happens when external economic and policy factors impact a business’ state-by-state operational success.
Topics that will be covered include litigation environment and nuclear verdicts, CARB and DEP environmental regulations and economic development. Moderators of the session include Fred Marcinak, Moseley Marcinak Law Group Speakers; John Esparza, president and chief executive officer, Texas Trucking Association; and Eric Sauer, CEO, California Trucking Association.
“National uniformity of permit policies is difficult enough,” said Chris Smith, vice president transportation, SC&RA. “This session will discuss in-depth how are carriers learning to adjust their operations in the face of other dramatic regulatory challenges across multiple state lines.”
Truck Management Technology Solutions for OS/OW Carriers will provide a listening session for truck management
Galleria Houston.
The future is now
Bigge Crane & Rigging unveiled its new Liebherr
LR 1250.1 Unplugged, a centerpiece of the company’s green initiatives.
D.Ann Shiffler reports.
Who knew how quickly the crane and rigging sector would embrace battery powered cranes and equipment? All the major crane manufacturers have been researching the concept of “green” cranes for several years, looking at cleaner fuels, zero emissions, noise reduction and electric engines. While smaller capacity crane makers have been offering these units for several years, higher-capacity cranes makers are getting in on the concept in a big way.
More than 300 people visited the Bigge event. Attendees were wowed by the whisper quiet operation of the Liebherr LR 1250.1 Unplugged.
At Bauma in October 2022 and at ConExpo in March 2023, several batteryoperated cranes were displayed. Liebherr has now produced four LR 1250.1 unplugged models, and two of those are now working in the United States, one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast.
Sims Crane and Equipment unveiled its Liebherr LR 1250.1 Unplugged in September 2023, and Bigge rolled out its
new model in November 2023.
I travelled out west to see Bigge’s LR 1250.1, and, well wow, was I impressed – with the crane and with Bigge’s commitment to become more environmentally friendly. The company’s push for a “greener future” was evident in several ways.
Bigge CEO Weston Settlemier said the new crane is the centerpiece of the company’s effort to lower its carbon footprint. The company has shown a true commitment to the environment and spewing fewer emissions into the atmosphere by embracing electric and hybrid vehicles and equipment.
Benjamin
and
“We are proud to be a part of California’s push for a greener future,” Settlemier said.
He said this is just the first of the batteryoperated cranes the company will add to its fleet of more than 1,800 cranes, which Settlemier terms “the perfect fleet.”
Electric fleet
Also on display were the company’s other electric vehicles, including several “yard goat” trucks that haul and deliver materials around the facility. Bigge has also invested in a fleet of electric and hybrid trucks. In 2024, the company will install solar panels to further “go green.”
With an electric drive system, Liebherr said the LR 1250.1 offers the same performance as the conventional version, while putting off zero emissions. The cranes that are a part of the unplugged series are operated by either a battery (unplugged) or plugged in. The battery can last for up to eight hours, depending on the workload. Liebherr designed an app that provides the status of the battery throughout the crane’s operation. The allelectric Liebherr LR 1250.1 Unplugged has a maximum lifting capacity of 275 tons. n
Liebherr’s
Kegele
Steve Whisenhunt and Bigge’s Joe Nelms stand in front of the new crane.
A part of the
Louis Juneau started his career in the aviation industry in the 1980s as an operations manager, gaining experience in managing human resources and learning critical teamwork skills. While working in the aviation sector, he developed an interest in regulations and safety, writing an operations manual following the reform and certification of flight dispatchers. He was also part of the Y2K program.
Career change
In the early 2000s he transferred those interests to specialized transportation. Nova Permits & Pilot Cars had been started by Normand Patry in 1992. Patry tried to sell the company to American interests around 2003, but things didn’t go according to plan. In 2004, Nova’s Finances Director Monique Comeau and Juneau acquired shares in the company. In 2005 they bought the company outright.
The kicker to the story is that “Monique and I also became partners in life while completing the purchase of the company,” Juneau said. So for the last 18 years, they have been running and expanding the company to meet the needs of their specialized transportation clientele. The company has become a one-stop location for obtaining U.S. and Canadian permits and licensing as well as pilot car and fuel card management services. The Nova team also provides route survey services.
Getting involved
Juneau, who is chairman of the SC&RA’s Transportation Group, is also chairman of the upcoming SC&RA Specialized Transportation Symposium that will be held February 20-22 in Houston. Active in the Association for more than 20 years, Juneau attended his first Symposium in 2001 in Memphis.
“After attending most of the meetings I knew that I wanted to get involved and hopefully be part of the solutions,” he said. “I had the privilege to be introduced by individuals such as the late Doug Ball, Paul Ross and David Lowry, and later on by Steven Todd, Chris Smith and the late Jay Folladori, who were instrumental with my involvement, and which led to my nomination as the Transportation
Louis Juneau brings a deep understanding to the realm of specialized transportation. D.Ann Shiffler reports.
Governing Group Committee. To see Joel Dandrea and his team players at work made it easy for me to tag along. Now, seeing so many youngsters getting involved [in SC&RA] is refreshing and reassuring for the perennity of this Association.”
Juneau is a well-respected transportation professional, and he brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the SC&RA’s volunteer leadership team. In some regards, he might be considered softspoken, but he always gets his point across without question. We were able to catch up with him for our first-of-the-year Q&A. I think you will be interested in what he has to say.
AS TRANSPORTATION GROUP CHAIR, YOU ARE ALSO CHAIR OF THE UPCOMING SC&RA SPECIALIZED TRANSPORTATION SYMPOSIUM. WHAT WERE YOUR COMMITTEE’S GOALS IN PLANNING THIS EVENT?
Of course, uniformity remains a hot topic as well as automation. Keeping alive the ongoing projects from various taskforces is also very important.
PROGRAM-WISE REGARDING THE SYMPOSIUM, WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO?
As there are many committees and conferences to attend, the Symposium is a great event where you can build new business contacts and renew current ones. One of my favorites is the one-onone with the states representatives that attend and are as eager as we are to make a difference in our industry. As I have repeated many times already, we should be extremely grateful that they are taking the time and interest. Unfortunately, we don’t have the same forum in Canada.
NOVA PERMITS AND PILOT CARS OFFERS A RANGE OF SERVICES TO THE SPECIALIZED TRANSPORT SECTOR. WHAT HAS DISTINGUISHED THE COMPANY IN THE MARKETS IT SERVES?
Besides the high values and professionalism of our 30 or so employees working with us, being based out of Quebec and the particulars of the French language make it a no-brainer for carriers abroad to reach out to Nova for assistance. We are bordering Ontario, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and not to forget Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Labrador, we can also ease the process of getting into Canada.
Nova not only offers to apply and obtain permits on behalf of carriers, but we are also an authorized vendor for self-issue trip and fuel permits for many states and provinces. We also have a Pilot Car division as well as a Permanent Licensing division for a broader regulatory compliance assistance.
WHAT ARE THE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS THAT NOVA SERVES?
Nova can assist in all provinces and territories as well as the mainland states. As we attended symposiums and other meetings, we realized that regardless how good we are, we were having a hard time
Heavy Lift sling Experts
Global Network of 38 Manufacturing Dealers
Strongest Outer SLing
Jacket & Internal Core
Yarn available
PROVEN sling overload detection devices
lengths ranging between 157 to 197 feet for a tilt panel rig.
For Marco Crane, heavy lift attachments are often installed on our MLC 300s once the panels begin to approach the 300,000-pound range. These attachments are needed to accommodate the heavier panels or distance to where picking and placement takes place.
Rigging evolution
Rigging has also evolved through the years. In the 1970s, most panels had four pick points, two high by two wide. Today, a large panel can have as many as 16 pick points or use the 16-pick point rigging design with “double lifters,” which gives you a total of 32 pick points installed when a panel is built. We will keep adapting to the evolving market of tilt-up work.
Safety is the primary concern of everyone associated with erecting tilt panels. Although it is not common, there have been instances through the years where pick points have pulled out during the lift cycle. There are also instances where the ground has failed to support the crane and the load.
In the early days of setting tilt panels,
Tilt-up rigging illustrations show various scenarios.
sometimes the crane’s capacity was exceeded causing a tipping condition.
But today, there is an immense amount of preplanning that goes into a tilt-up job with numerous preconstruction meetings, computer-generated lift simulations/lift plans for the cranes and the rigging. Every element of the project must go through
an approval process by several entities. Geotech surveys are often conducted to ensure ground stability, and if necessary, steel plates and wood mats are brought in to reduce the ground-bearing pressure.
A company’s safety record has become as important, if not more important, than the service capabilities they provide. n
Will the good times roll?
Construction activity has been booming in North America since mid-2020. The first surge was in house building, when low interest rates and extra money in private individuals’ hands from job protection schemes drove a big surge in both new build and repair and maintenance residential work.
That took the value of construction put in place for residential work first to similar highs of those seen in the boom of the mid-2000s, and then on to unprecedented highs. Of course, part of the surge in value was linked to higher costs for everything from materials to labor, but even taking the inflationary effects out of the equation, The North American construction industry had another good year in 2023. What will 2024 hold? Chris Sleight reports exclusively for ACT
THE AUTHOR
Chris Sleight is recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on global construction equipment markets. He holds an honors degree in civil engineering, and since joining KHL Group in 1997, has edited two of the world’s leading magazines for the industry – International Construction and Construction Europe. Following KHL’s acquisition of Off-Highway Research in June 2015, Sleight transferred to the market intelligence, forecasting and management consultancy business. He assumed the role of Managing Director of the business unit in 2018.
it was a remarkable boom for the industry.
Almost 1.8 million housing permits were granted in 2022 – a level not seen since the mid-2000s, but one which fortunately did not seem to tip over into boom-and-bust territory.
Interest rate rises have taken some of the heat out of the housing market, but activity still remained high in 2023.
One of the reasons for this is that there is still a lot of ground to make up following the abnormal low in housebuilding that was seen from 2008 to 2014, in the wake of the sub-prime crisis and global financial crisis. Estimates vary, but the shortfall of housing in the U.S. is still put at 3 to 5 million units. That will be the work of many years to overcome.
Filling the gap
While housebuilding came off the boil a little in 2023, other sectors moved in to fill the gap. The most striking was the sharp surge in non-residential building, which kicked-up in 2022 and positively spiked last year. This sector is comprised of a number of different categories of structure including office, commercial, factories, lodging and so on. Many have similar drivers, so the non-residential sector often tends to move as one big mass.
Not so in the last two years. Two crucial pieces of legislation in the form of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and CHIPS Act have provided
remarkable impetus for the construction of manufacturing facilities. From 2017 to 2021, this market was worth $66 to $78 billion per year according to Census Bureau data. However, in 2022 it shot up to $106 billion and the final total for 2023 is likely to be in the $150-to-$180-billiondollar range.
Most sub-sectors within manufacturing construction are up, but the vast majority of the increase is attributable to hitherto relatively modest segment of building manufacturing plants, the production of electrical and electronic goods and components.
The impact of the IRA has been felt more in the infrastructure segment than in nonresidential building. The total value of this segment moved up a modest 4 percent in 2022 to $374 billion, but the figure for 2023 will be comfortably in excess of $400 billion. Highway and street construction is the main driver here, but there has also been a useful surge in construction of communication networks, a type of infrastructure that is included in the very broad definition of the term in the IRA.
Growth continues
So what will 2024 hold for the industry? First, it is unlikely that such steep rates of growth will continue. Construction backlogs are finally starting to fall and the various confidence indicators and measures of expectations are pointing more clearly towards small increases in
work and staffing levels, rather than the big increases which were seen a year ago (and which came to pass).
However, even with a cooling in the market, the amount of construction activity in North America will remain at historically high levels. Growth will be lower in 2024, but growth is still growth. A positive of this is that inflation in materials prices and labor costs should moderate.
The only segment which looks likely to fall in 2024 is residential construction, but this will be a continuation of the slide which started in 2023 from the exceptional high of the previous year. It will still be a busy industry with plenty of opportunities.
Non-residential building will level off and start to decline. But again, after the exceptional peak seen in 2023, activity levels will still be very good in historic terms.
More decidedly buoyant will be the infrastructure sector. Although this has already enjoyed a good uplift, it is helped by the long-term nature of the projects, which is useful in sustaining high activity levels and growth.
Larger-scale projects
From the point of view of cranes and heavy transport, the non-residential building and infrastructure segments are the most important. As positive as the 2020 to 2022 boom in house building was for the equipment industry, it was mostly the smaller machine types, particularly
Crane market creeps upward
The North American market for all-terrain, rough terrain, truck and lattice boom crawler cranes is still recovering from the severe decline in sales during the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, according to a new report from Off-Highway Research. Although 2021 and 2022 partly achieved that, there is still some way to go before total sales return to the levels of 2019, which were close to 2,000 units.
In terms of individual product groups, lattice boom crawler cranes made the best recovery. However, it is the higher volume categories of all-terrain and rough terrain cranes where sales in 2022 were still below their natural levels, and which have struggled to bounce back.
The slow recovery in the mobile crane market has been at odds with the situation in other construction equipment types, such as earthmoving and compact machinery. These equipment types rebounded strongly in 2021, surpassing the previous high levels seen in 2019 and in many cases went on to set sales records in 2022.
However, the lifting segment was particularly hampered by a lack of components and shipping bottlenecks. Off-Highway Research believes sales in North America might not be back to ‘normal’ until 2024 as a result. Demand in Canada returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, but crane sales in the U.S. last year were still some 30 percent lower than in 2019.
The positive from this situation however is that crane sales in North America are expected to continue to grow in 2024, a year when most equipment types are expected to decline following recent peaks.
Infrastructure and energy investments are expected to be the main drivers of growth over the next year.
For more information about Off-Highway Research’s new study, The Mobile Crane Industry in North America, please visit www.offhighwayresearch.com
The report is available to buy here: www.offhighway-store.com
North American mobile crane sales (units)
compact tracked loaders, which were most in demand. The segment is dominated by single-family housing, the construction of which relies more on telehandlers than cranes for lifting work.
Not so in non-residential building and infrastructure where projects are bigger and the loads to be lifted are bigger and heavier. This will benefit sales and utilization of rough terrain and all-terrain cranes, which respectively account for about 50 percent and 25 percent of demand for mobile cranes in North America. There is also a potential upside
for lattice boom crawlers on larger projects in the infrastructure segment.
Another important factor for the lifting industry is that crane sales were among the most impacted by component shortages and transportation bottlenecks in the pandemic years. While other equipment types set new sales records in 2021, 2022 and in some cases 2023, the crane market was well below pre-pandemic levels in 2023, and at best will only regain these volumes in 2023. It will be 2024 before the market surpasses the previous recent high of 2019. n
There is a potential upside for lattice boom crawler cranes on larger projects in the infrastructure segment.
The market for mega cranes is small but demand for these specialized lifters is growing.
PHOTO: LIEBHERR
Whether there is a growing need depends on the trends and developments in key industries...
The French connection
Sarens is currently undertaking a project of iconic significance for the modernization of the national rail network in France. As part of the project, first the two century-old rail bridges weighing 468 metric tons each – the Pont de Chartres for RER line B and Pont de Gallardon for RER line C – will be dismantled. Next, two new bridge sections will be installed. The two new bridges will allow the passage of faster and more efficient trains in two Paris lines that are used by a total of over 1.5 million people daily in the metropolitan area of Paris. The comfort of local residents will also be improved, with a reduction in traffic noise and vibrations. The available area in between the busy road and the railway track was a challenge, along with the low ground bearing pressure. The Sarens SGC-90, a fully electric and silent ring crane, was shortlisted to tackle these challenges and execute the project.
The SGC-90, also known as “Little Celeste,” reached the Port of Rouen from Indonesia and was then transported via trucks to Massy in France. An AC100, LR1200, and CC2800 completed the assembly of the SGC-90 with 100-meter main boom configuration in eight weeks.
According to Sarens Senior Project Manager Dirk Vinck, “It was very challenging to assemble the crane in the limited area available. The ground was prepared with mats to adjust the ground bearing pressure. To maintain safety during the project, heavy tackle, weighing a total of 260 tons, was used to connect old and new bridges to the crane hook.”
Sarens worked on the first phase of the project, involving the dismantling of the two old bridges, this past July 2023. The SGC-90 lifted the two bridge sections and set them down on SPMTs. The SPMTs then drove the old bridge sections to the area where they were finally taken away for scrapping. In the second phase, beginning August, the two new bridge sections will be lifted into position. The bridges weigh 1,375 metric tons (Chartres) and 949 metric tons (Gallardon) and are preassembled on the other side of the road. These sections will be transported closer to the SGC-90 by SPMTs.
Sarens Giant Crane, Little Celeste, replaces two enormous century-old rail bridge sections In Massy, France.
The Lampson International LTL-2600 made 1,000ton lifts at the Plant Vogtle jobsite in Burke County, GA.
The sky’s the limit
Sarens said the demand for super heavy lift cranes is growing undoubtedly, but certain commercial conditions must be met which often involve the length of the crane’s operation on a project for its mobilization to make sense.
“At Sarens, most of our Giant Cranes are containerizable, which minimizes the impact mobilization has on the lifecycle of a project,” Sarens said. “Furthermore, it also reduces the carbon footprint of the project.”
Another challenge is the lead time required to secure a project and to get the crane ready to work.
Lampson said schedules for mega cranes tend to vary based on the industry the crane is operating in and the application for which it is being used. Big jobs of late have been stadiums, the nuclear sector, the offshore wind sector, the offshore oil and gas sector, the civil sector and other
infrastructure projects. The sky is the limit for these cranes and their huge lifts.
Big and getting bigger
Today, about 20 to 25 mega cranes are available to work around the world. But do the owners and makers of these cranes anticipate a future need for larger capacity mega cranes?
“The short answer is that we certainly do,” said Sarens. “Human ingenuity in engineering, especially when it comes from seasoned experts, knows no boundaries. Electrification of our ring crane fleet is underway with several already being capable of running on electricity. The relentless development of technologies around super heavy lift cranes is a response to a demand that we don’t see going down anytime soon.”
Over the next five years, Lampson and Sarens anticipate the workload for super cranes will increase.
“The most likely scenario is that the demand for these cranes will grow,” said Sarens. “We recently saw the United States enter the offshore game with the first offshore wind park to be created on the East Coast. Europe has been a pioneer in offshore wind, and we believe that this
Pipe down
The Sarens SGC-90, a fully electric and silent ring crane, was short listed to tackle challenges and execute a project to dismantle two old railroad bridges and replace two new bridge sections.
trend will grow in other continents as well. Sarens sees an imminent increased demand for super heavy lift cranes for this sector in the next five years.”
Lampson is seeing a demand for their Transi-Lift in the 1,500 to 2,600-ton capacity range for the construction of
power plants, replacement of components at refineries, new stadium construction, infrastructure projects, wind tower erection, bridge work, lock replacements at dams and off-shore oil platforms.
Small but growing market
Liebherr manufactures many classes of cranes, including for the mega crane market. Currently the company produces two cranes in the more than 2,000-ton capacity range, the LR 12500-1.0 and the LR 13000.
The Liebherr LR 12500-1.0 is set up in the middle of steel pipes at the Rostock port. A tug tows the floating monopile into the Baltic Sea. An 85-nautical mile journey to the offshore construction site takes 15 hours.
Around 30 kilometers northeast of Rügen, a German island in the Baltic Sea, is where Dutch company Van Oord is building the foundations for the Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm. Van Oord will construct 50 wind turbines with a capacity of 476 megawatts that will supply electricity for 475,000 households. The wind farm is set to go online by the end of 2024, according to the operator Iberdrola, a Spanish energy provider. But there’s still a lot of work to be performed at sea and on land before the project starts producing energy.
Two Liebherr crawler cranes are operating at full power performing port handling on the Baltic coast. This deployment marked the premier of Liebherr’s new LR 12500-1.0.
At the coastal city of Rostock, the lattice booms of the two machines rise steeply into the sky. But the orientation becomes more difficult when in the actual port area, with the view obscured by steel pipes as tall as houses, stacked close together. The pipes will be driven into the seabed at sea and will later support the offshore turbines. The monopiles float on their way to the construction site in the sea. They are towed by a tugboat about 85 nautical miles to the “Baltic Eagle” construction site. The Liebherr cranes are set up at the port basin to place the pipes in the water.
This job is being executed by the Belgian heavy lifting giant Sarens, which specializes in crane rental, heavy lifting and engineered transport. Sarens had the first LR 12500-1.0 delivered directly to Rostock from the factory in Ehingen. “With the support of Liebherr’s fitters, we finished assembling our new crawler crane here after three weeks,” said Willem Dittmer, project manager for Sarens, who is spearheading the operation.
Crawler Crane Product Manager Jens Könneker contends the market for cranes with capacities in excess of 2,000 tons is small, but growing, and it will continue to do so.
Liebherr is focusing on the megatrend of expanding renewable energies, which
The Manitowoc 31000 has been working at a semi-conductor plant jobsite near Phoenix, AZ.
Training is key
CCO Editor Paul Knapp
discusses the steps for successful certification and the critical role of training.
Ask an industry professional for the three most important factors predicting success on CCO certification examinations, and the response you’re likely to hear is “training, training, training.” While other factors, such as experience, clearly have their place in defining an operator’s proficiency, reports from the field indicate that candidates who go into the testing room with the benefit of structured, professional training have a much greater chance of success than their untrained counterparts.
CCO recognizes the critical role that training plays in certification’s role of elevating operator proficiency. Accordingly, CCO maintains an online directory of training providers (www. nccco.org/training) that are actively training operators in preparation for their CCO certification examinations.
Where to start
An excellent place to get started in the training process are the CCO Candidate Handbooks for the certification(s) being sought. Although CCO does not reveal actual test questions, no one need be in any doubt about the general content of the examinations. CCO Candidate Handbooks specify all the “knowledge areas” identified by subject matter experts and validated through surveys as being critical to safe workplace conduct (i.e., the minimum a certificant needs to know, along with a list of reference materials). These publications, including the required reading of OSHA and ASME standards, are used to develop test questions, and together, provide an excellent body of study material.
Selecting training
If you opt to outsource training, how do you select a training firm? CCO recommends employers start by selecting several companies that actively provide preparation for CCO exams and request confirmation that they cover all the knowledge areas on the desired tests.
Then request references that you can call to verify the quality of training provided. Don’t be shy about asking questions such
California Crane School (American Crane School) www.californiacraneschool.com
as: How many of your instructors have taken the CCO exam(s)? How many CCO examination preparatory courses have you held? Also, be sure to have your reference source(s) identify the instructor(s) they recommend by name; a good program can fall apart in the hands of an ineffective trainer.
One of the first things the training provider will need to know is: How much training and when? For economic, as well as scheduling reasons, there is going to be a temptation to try to cram in as much material in as short a time as possible. That may not always be the best decision for the candidate, nor the best investment of your training dollars.
Some employers have learned the hard way that only by carefully establishing the proficiency level of their personnel prior to training (otherwise known as a “training needs analysis”) do they really know how much instruction may be necessary.
As an example, for operators to accurately read and interpret a load chart, they clearly need to be able to read. A simple pre-training test can provide useful insight into an operator’s basic linguistic and comprehension skills, as well as his or her knowledge about crane operations.
Caterpillar Training Solutions www.cat.com
CheqedIt www.cheqedit.com
CICB www.cicb.com
CM Crane & Training Services www.cmcrane.net
Columbus McKinnon Training
Crane Care Operations www.cranecareoperations.us
Crane Edge www.craneedge.com
Crane Elite Operators Rigging & Ironworkers Institute www.craneeliteprepschool.com
Crane Industry Services www.craneindustryservices.com
Crane Inspection Services www.craneinspection.com
Crane Institute Of America www.craneinstitute.com
Crane Life LLC www.cranelifeco.com
Crane Operators Certification and Inspections www.cociinc.com
Crane Tech www.cranetech.com
Crane Training & Certification of the Midwest www.ctcmidwest.com
Crane Training & Safety Consultants www.ctsconsultants.com
outriggers, but that doesn’t mean he or she is are qualified to run a fixed-cab boom-truck crane on A-frame outriggers. Supervisors need to know these differences.
“I’ve seen a scenario where a highly experienced crew operated a carrydeck crane for over 15 years,” said Burns. “The crane was down for maintenance, and not knowing the difference, management ordered them a roughterrain swing-cab crane. The crane was damaged the first day.”
Assigning personnel to operate cranes they are not qualified to run can cause project delays and create a hazardous environment.
Maintaining safety
For managers who lead overhead crane operations, safety awareness training is vital. Improper practices can cause injury, damage to the machine, increased wear and tear, or potential violations. Frontline managers with a general awareness of safe overhead crane principles and regulations help companies maintain compliance and stop hazardous practices.
Companies experiencing increased attrition face additional challenges in maintaining workplace safety. Retaining knowledge of safe operations within the changing workforce is essential. In this situation, training key personnel in safety awareness becomes critical to retain this knowledge for the work culture as new members enter the team. In general industry, trained frontline managers can also aid in training new personnel in proper safety practices.
Workplace synergy
Any jobsite that has heavy lifting utilizes rigging. Frontline managers with an awareness of safe rigging principles and regulations help companies maintain compliance, especially when ordering the proper rigging hardware. Managers unfamiliar with rigging principles often order hardware that does not meet the legal requirements for lifting in commercial use.
Ordering noncompliant hardware is a costly yet common mistake. Noncompliant hardware can result in an OSHA violation, or worse, failure of
the rigging assembly, injuring personnel and damaging property. Managers trained in rigging safety can help spot improper rigging practices before lifts are made.
Safety awareness trained leadership boosts morale for managers and frontline employees. Supervisors experience increased confidence from having a deeper understanding of the processes and equipment they are responsible for.
“On the field, crane operators and riggers tend to have more confidence in managers that understand the work they do,” said Burns. n
The author
VENSSEN SOTO is a marketing specialist for CICB. He oversees and plans marketing strategies for CICB, as well as creates educational content to share with readers and viewers. He has received two bachelors degrees, one in marketing and another in architectural design.
Texas two-step
At any given time, the I-35 corridor in Texas has more than 10 projects in progress to update and expand the historic roadway that was built in 1956. The 503-mile highway runs north-south from Laredo near the Mexico border to the Red River, where it crosses into Oklahoma. The freeway runs smack down the center of the cities of San Antonio, Austin and Waco before it splits into two routes through Dallas and Fort Worth and then converges again.
In the Central Texas region, work on I-35 seems to be constant as the Texas Department of Transportation is ever expanding the freeway to accommodate more traffic. Once such project is the 35 Capital Express South Project, of which Fluor is the general contractor. The project started March 6, 2023, and is slated
Tadano’s GTC-2000s were sold to Fluor through its dealer Scott-Macon, located in Houston. This model telecrawler was the first to be produced in Germany and branded by Tadano.
The Tadano GTC-2000 has an actual lifting capacity of over 170 tons and a maximum load moment of 590 ton meters. It has a track width that can be adjusted as necessary in both symmetrical and asymmetrical configurations so that it can be used for applications in which space is at a premium, such as bridge construction
Two Tadano GTC-2000s are doing yeoman’s work on a freeway extension in Austin. D.Ann Shiffler reports.
for completion in the summer of 2028. It’s a complicated project, made further challenging by the posted 65-mile an hour traffic that whizzes by the extremely tight jobsite taking place in the median between the north and southbound lanes.
Challenging conditions
The Fluor team has all construction oversight and is generally self-performing all bridge substructure and superstructure, earthwork, traffic control and the majority of the underground storm drainage and wet utilities, according to Fluor Project Director Matthew Krein.
“Working on I-35 in Texas’ capital city is challenging,” Krein said. “There is always traffic and then there is rush hour which lasts most of the day.”
Because the roadway couldn’t be expanded horizontally due to heavy development in the South Austin area, the solution was to go up in the air with managed lanes in both directions. At its peak, the roadway will go up 60 feet in the air and will be about 48 feet wide. Some 96 columns will be constructed on the roughly two-mile long bridge.
“Construction of the Elevated Managed Lane bridge in the existing I-35 roadway median (center) requires planning for all the logistics, including the staging of materials, equipment and people and also in the numerous work activities that require lane restrictions and coordination with TxDOT and the public,” Krein said. Early in the bidding process, the Fluor team looked at the crane package that
With a main boom length of 196.9 feet, the GTC-2000 has a lifting capacity in excess of 170 tons.
the tracks that keep from tearing up the asphalt. The cranes’ wide track capabilities contribute to stability and capacity but can be retracted when walking down the narrow median. As well, with power lines and overhead obstacles a challenge, being able to luff down and retract the boom to travel down the median is important. This might not have been possible with a lattice boom crawler.
“With this tight of a jobsite, we needed to save as much real estate as possible,” said Krein. “This was another big reason we chose these Tadano telescopic crawlers. Safety of our workers and the general public is paramount, and these cranes help us with that.”
Fluor projects to have six full-time cranes on project with heavy-lift rentals for steel bridge girders and steel bent caps.
The two Tadano GTC-2000 units have a track width that can be adjusted in both symmetrical and asymmetrical configurations so that they can be used for applications in which space is at a premium.
would be needed from start to finish on the project. The first two cranes are building the pedestals for the bridge deck. Then they will work in tandem to place the bridge decking.
“We are projected to have six full-time cranes on the project with heavy-lift rentals for steel bridge girders and steel bent caps,” said Krein.
Two new Tadano GTC-2000 telecrawlers were selected for the project. They arrived on the jobsite in August 2023. With their Tadano blue and white paint jobs, they fit right in with Fluor’s blue and white branding.
“They stand out from the typical ‘yellow’ iron in the I-35 median,” said Krein.
The right crane
But more than the aesthetics, the cranes are true workhorses. The telecrawlers have several attributes that made them ideal for the job, including Teflon pads on
Each month, the Fluor team makes an aerial video of the jobsite to be able to anticipate future safety concerns and address them.
Longhorn columns
In early December, the jobsite was quite busy with trucks delivering materials for the columns that were being set by the two cranes. For the past several months, the GTC-2000s were picking and setting column and cap forms. Once the columns are complete, they will likely work in tandem placing bridge girders and decking. Interestingly the columns were designed to look like Texas longhorns, which bodes well for the hometown University of Texas.
While crane selection involves many factors, the Tadano telecrawlers were chosen for three main reasons, Krein said.
“There was a necessity on the project to have a telescoping hydraulic crane that could be placed in a tight corridor and moved under overhead restrictions for setting the bridge caps and girders,” he explained. “We needed the ability to place polypropylene pads on the tracks and not tear up the existing asphalt roadway, and the ability of the Tadano cranes to have various track width configurations, including fully extended, fully retracted and non-symmetric.”
Working around traffic and setting the precast concrete girders within allowable lane restrictions isn’t a unique challenge, but Krein said the number of picks in these scenarios made finding the right crane more difficult than normal.
Thus far the project has been seamless, despite the enormity of working in a median on a busy freeway. n
growing mental health concerns in the construction industry.
According to the research firm Construction Industry Round Table (CIRT), there are currently between 8 and 12 million people employed in the U.S. construction industry. Around 90 percent of them are men. And around 83 percent of them have struggled with mental health issues.
This isn’t new information, unfortunately. The construction industry is high-stress and physically demanding – often perceived as a “tough-guy” profession where you have to hide injuries, emotions, anxiety. As a result, depression and/or substance abuse is commonplace, and worse, the industry ranks second among all industries in suicide rate – twice
CHAIRMAN
Ed Bernard
Precision Specialized, Ontario, Canada
PRESIDENT
Scott Bragg
Bragg Companies, Long Beach, Calif.
VICE PRESIDENT
J Rozum
MSA Delivery Service, Canton, Mich.
TREASURER
Michael Vlaming
Vlaming & Associates, Vallejo, Calif.
ASSISTANT
TREASURER
Jim Sever
PSC Crane & Rigging, Piqua, Ohio
ALLIED INDUSTRIES
GROUP CHAIR
Tonya Fry
Harry Fry & Associates, West Newbury, Mass.
CRANE & RIGGING
GROUP CHAIR
Jeremy Landry
Deep South Crane & Rigging, Baton Rouge, La.
TRANSPORTATION
GROUP CHAIR
Louis Juneau
NOVA Permits & Pilot Cars, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
PRESIDENT Jennifer Gabel
JK Crane, Kenvil, N.J.
VICE PRESIDENT
Kate Landry
Deep South
Crane & Rigging, Baton Rouge, La.
TREASURER
Brent Hutto
TruckStop.com, New Plymouth, Idaho
the rate for civilian working men.
A logical question would be: how do we course-correct?
Obviously, construction doesn’t hold exclusive rights on any of the above, and mental health doesn’t discriminate among professions. But it is very important to recognize what’s happening in our own industries – and endeavor to help the people who struggle, with an eye towards alleviating the reasons they do.
Recognizing that many people (especially men) in this industry hesitate to seek help due to the stigma surrounding mental health and the perception that seeking help is a sign of weakness, we as leaders need to acknowledge that addressing this issue will require a multifaceted and collaborative approach involving employers, workers, industry stakeholders and mental health professionals.
Wider access
First and foremost, raise awareness and normalize conversations. Conduct workshops and training sessions about mental health issues specific to the construction industry. Share success stories of individuals who have overcome related challenges. Encourage open discussions about mental health to reduce stigma. And probably most important, train managers and supervisors to recognize signs of mental health issues and create a supportive environment for employees to speak up.
Another thing that often gets overlooked in the busy-ness of our jobs and lives is basic education. We almost certainly don’t talk enough or even educate ourselves enough about stress management, coping mechanisms and mental health resources. But even a little effort to ensure that all employees are informed about available mental health services and resources can go a long way. Mostly because we simply can’t know who is ultimately going through what type of challenge, often mostly alone.
Similarly, establishing employee assistance programs that provide confidential counseling services can work wonders. And in-house, cultivating a sense of community by creating support
groups or networks for employees to share experiences and coping strategies can be both effective and rewarding. If the opportunity presents itself, leaders might even consider openly sharing their own experiences and demonstrating a commitment to improving their own mental health – which could likely encourage others to seek help without fear of judgment.
Drilling down, perhaps flexible work arrangements make sense, given certain scenarios. Remote work or adjusted hours could very well reduce stress and improve the balance for certain people and situations. Either way, make a point of conducting regular health check-ins with employees to assess their mental and emotional well-being. And encourage open dialogue during these check-ins to identify potential issues early on. Getting out in front of some of these challenges is often the most effective way to not just work through them, but potentially stop them from ever fully forming.
More broadly, companies can collaborate with external mental health support networks and organizations to ensure that employees have access to a wide range of resources.
At the end of the day, by taking these proactive measures, we can not only support and uplift our own people, but together, the industry can foster a healthier and more productive workforce while also improving the overall wellbeing of construction professionals. At a time when we need it most. n
Proceed with
Navigating FMCSA’s proposed rule changes for 2024.
New year, new rules. Or so the saying goes, at least at the U.S. Department of Transportation. To that end, there was a lot of talk in the latter half of 2023 about what companies in the transportation industry might need to ready themselves for in the year ahead. The federal government has been quite vocal about big changes, no matter the outcry from various trucking associations or drivers.
Well over 200 new rules are currently in various stages of development or implementation at the DOT through agencies like the Office of the Secretary, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and quite a few more.
They won’t all land in 2024, or perhaps at all, but as one can imagine, they pretty much run the gamut. And for SC&RA members, certain proposed changes require more attention than others.
“CSA scores, good or bad, should be a focal point for our members,” said SC&RA Vice President, Transportation Chris Smith. “And from what we’re seeing, FMCSA has done a pretty good job here in creating a new scoring rubric – with scoring details that specialized carriers can be comfortable with because it’s going to reflect the nuances of our industry versus lumping us in with everyone else out on the highway.”
Smith pointed out that this is also an issue for crane companies, since mobile cranes are very much treated like commercial motor vehicles. “So, yes, the mobile crane operators absolutely needs to stay up on this information as well.”
Major focus
At the 2023 SC&RA Specialized Transportation Symposium, Dave Merrill, General Manager at Pahoa Express, and chair of SC&RA’s Transportation Safety, Education & Training Committee, shared
Chris Smith, SC&RA
with his audience how he ran his company through a CSA score “preview” exercise via FMCSA’s website, and it paid off.
“It helped me to realize where some of our inadequacies were, such as noticing that my mechanics needed to do a better job – or the fact that drivers weren’t doing pre-trips properly,” he explained. “So, it allowed me to see some insights that I missed through the old system.”
Merrill also advised SC&RA members to do their best in checking their scores in both systems regularly – CSA and the FMCSA portal. “Be as engaged as possible, proactive. Check your scores on a monthly basis, if not weekly. Case in point: they normally update CSA once a month. But they update the FMCSA portal daily.”
That said, according to Merrill, the portal itself should be a major focus for everyone going into 2024. “People need to remember that various government systems – like the FMCSA portal – are being migrated over to a login.gov launching site for security purposes. If folks aren’t aware of this, they could end up getting locked out of their portal. It’s very important that folks go ahead and get those accounts migrated over.”
Significant shift
Both Merrill and Smith agree that CSA scores is only part of the puzzle for SC&RA members as 2024 takes shape. “Speed limiters, automatic emergency braking, drug and alcohol clearinghouse, cracking down on fraudulent brokers and safety fitness determination are all areas we should be keeping a close eye on,” emphasized Smith.
Merrill noted, “The automatic emergency
Dave Merrill, Pahoa Express
Looking ahead at CSA scores in 2024, SC&RA believes that FMCSA has done a good job in creating its new scoring rubric – with scoring details that positively represent specialized transportation.
braking issue is concerning. They’re wanting most motor carriers to retrofit their vehicles, even older ones, with ABS – similar to what is being produced stock from the factory. There’s a lot of open-ended questions here. And it could potentially be an enormous financial burden for the entire industry to have to retrofit all the vehicles that are out there.”
Similarly, Merrill is concerned about a proposed rulemaking from the NHTSA that would require trailers be equipped with side underride guards. “This is another one where the cost they’re projecting for each trailer above a certain height is going to be insurmountable – around three thousand dollars each. It’s only going to drive prices up even higher.” As for the Safety Fitness Determination (SFD) rule, the proposed changes could represent a significant shift in how carriers get rated by FMCSA, said Steve Keppler, co-director at Scopelitis Transportation Consulting, LLC. “Right now, it’s a three-tiered rating system [satisfactory-conditionalunsatisfactory], and they’re contemplating moving to a one-tier system [unfit: broken down into three categories], and the thing that we’re watching for is whether they include CSA data from the SMS into the rating process.”
caution
Keppler pointed out that a decision hasn’t been made yet if they’re going to do a rule (comments closed in October 2023), but he suspects they will.
Keppler also acknowledged proposed changes to the DataQ System. “It allows motor carriers to challenge violations from roadside inspections that they don’t believe are accurate for whatever reason,” he said. “Right now, when a carrier challenges the violation, it goes back to the state that did the inspection for judication, and there’s been some negative feedback to that approach by industry. So, in this new proposal, FMCSA has created a third level of appeal, where if carriers don’t feel
According to SC&RA, speed limiters, automatic emergency braking, drug and alcohol clearinghouse, fraudulent brokers and safety fitness determination are all areas members should be keeping an eye on in 2024.
they’ve received due process from the state, they can appeal to FMCSA to make a final determination. Additionally, that same system also allows carriers to submit their crash preventability determinations.”
A lot at stake
Spotlighting California, the Golden State’s ongoing AB5 independent contractor legal battle will remain a focal point for SC&RA members in 2024. Originally implemented to make ride-sharing and delivery companies classify their drivers as employees, thus enabling certain benefits and rights enjoyed by regular employees, AB5 also largely affects trucking companies, as it changes the classification of workers in the majority of trucking and logistics companies operating in California.
“I’m not sure if this will spread into various states,” said Merrill. “I’m not so sure it does any good at all outside of California, and I don’t even know if it’s working there. It’s a touchy subject, and
it’s also difficult to speculate on. But parts of AB5 have been adopted in Michigan – in regards to owner operators and insurance, workers’ comp., etc. California argues that AB5 isn’t having an impact in the industry, but it does beg the question: where does government oversight stop, and personal accountability begin?”
Similarly troublesome, said Smith, is the resurgence of California’s meal and rest break law. “About six months ago, the current administration reopened this issue and basically said that folks could petition the federal government for a waiver from the law. No one that we know of asked them to do it, or said it was an issue, but now California has filed a petition – which would essentially allow them to enforce a rest break beyond the federal one.”
The question, emphasized Smith, centers around why FMCSA went through with it. “And then we have carriers here in the East and in the Mid-West who are watching and saying, okay if there’s a victory on this out there, similar to CARB, then who or what is the next domino to fall? A snowball that could lead to a disharmonization of federal policy.”
All the more reason, said Merrill, to pay attention. “There’s a lot of moving parts shifting around at the federal level this year. We owe it to ourselves to stay hyperfocused and as unified as we can. There’s a lot at stake for this industry in 2024, and beyond.” ■
Steve Keppler, Scopelitis Transportation Consulting
Become a Sponsor
• Maximize your brand
• Target your audience
• Show your support for the industry
SC&RA sponsorship puts you in front of your target market in ways you just can't reproduce — maximizing image, visibility, media exposure, customer connection, and audience engagement while delivering unforgettable ROI.
Explore all your marketing options at www.scranet.org/sponsorship
The three Cs
Jason Baynard addresses exposures and the right
coverage in regard to care, custody and control.
Regular readers of this column will know that we at NBIS are known for emphasizing the importance of having the right insurance for your business. Because we work exclusively with companies in the crane and rigging, concrete pump, and specialized transportation industries, we are well-versed in navigating the complexities of delivering the most optimal coverage for your unique business. One thing we’ve seen time and again with our insureds is the need to address bailee coverage, also known as care, custody, and control coverage, or CCC.
The average consumer will be wellacquainted with examples of a bailor/ bailee situation. If you take your car to a mechanic for service, you are the bailor (as the owner of the car) and your mechanic is the bailee (as the entity that takes it into their possession for service). What happens if your car is damaged while at the mechanic’s garage? Who is liable for any losses or damages incurred? Bailee coverage addresses scenarios like these and is essentially analogous to the term more aligned with insurance for the heavy construction industry, which is CCC.
Defining CCC
Following are the understood definitions of the three Cs.
■ CARE is when your company is temporarily in possession of or responsible for watching over another person or company’s property (known as third-party property).
■ CUSTODY is when you are responsible for safeguarding the property.
THE AUTHOR
Baynard is VP of underwriting
■ CONTROL is when you have power or authority over the property.
Note that not all three of these need to be true in order for an exposure to be considered CCC. And, be aware that CCC refers only to personal property, not real property such as buildings or permanent structures.
Let’s say your company is a crane and rigging operation that routinely takes customer (third-party) property into its possession. As part of a job, you agree to receive a drop-shipped HVAC unit from an OEM and hold it at your yard or warehouse for a customer until it is ready to be lifted, transported to, and then installed at its final destination at the customer’s facility. In this scenario, you will be temporarily in possession of third-party property – the HVAC unit belonging to your customer.
Covering exposures
If your business operates in a way where even one element of this example sounds familiar to you, then getting up to speed on the necessity of CCC coverage is non-negotiable. Your company has to ensure that your insurance policy covers exposures arising from any loss or damages of customer property during any part of this process – storage, lifting, transporting, or installation.
Addressing CCC coverage through general liability. At one point the transport system had to travel in reverse for five miles.depending on the nature of the exposure. The first is through a general liability (GL) policy. GL policies inherently exclude real and personal property, but NBIS and other markets in this space will often add an endorsement to the GL policy that will allow the CCC to apply to third-party items held on behalf of others.
The benefit of addressing CCC coverages through the GL policy is that not only could your GL policy respond
in the event of a loss, the CCC (or often Riggers Liability) can flow through the lead 5M excess, or 5x5 depending on project-specific needs and contractual requirements. Instead of containing your CCC exposure to your million-dollar occurrence limit on the GL policy, if your Excess policy is a Follow Form policy there may be coverage above the primary $1M for an occurrence. However, you and your agent need to understand both policies and related impacts in a claims scenario.
While addressing CCC under general liability coverage is an option, be aware that it can create unintended exposures. GL policies by default typically do not, for example, cover temporary storage of items – so if your crane company is temporarily storing that HVAC unit, depending on your exact GL coverage and endorsements, you might not be covered in the event of loss or damage to that third-party property. GL also wouldn’t cover damages incurred during an over-the-road haul.
Essentially, the general liability coverage is often just that – general. It’s up to you to ask the right questions of your insurance agent and provider to determine if this is the right choice for you.
Addressing CCC coverage through inland marine. If addressing your CCC exposures through GL isn’t right for your company, the other method through which CCC coverages are typically addressed is through five main forms that fall under the banner of inland marine insurance. You’re already familiar with inland marine, which covers products and equipment when transported over land by train or truck or when temporarily warehoused by a third party. These five forms are rated and independent CCC coverages.
RIGGERS LIABILITY INSURANCE
Insurance for a contractor’s liability arising out of the moving/storing of property and equipment that belongs to others, such as lifting air-conditioning units onto a roof with a crane. (Thirdparty exposure).
Jason
for NBIS with decades of Inland Marine experience.
...the key takeaway here is to be aware of the exposures triggered by CCC situations and ask the right questions of your agent and insurer.
2
INSTALLATION FLOATER
Covers personal property installed, fabricated or erected by a contractor. It covers the property until the installation work is accepted by the purchaser or when the insured’s interest in the property installed ceases. (Firstparty and third-party exposures).
3
MOTOR TRUCK CARGO
Provides coverage on the freight or commodity hauled by a for-hire trucker. It covers liability for cargo that is lost or damaged due to causes such as fire, collision, or striking of a load.
WAREHOUSE LEGAL LIABILITY
operations. It helps cover a business as a bailee, or in other words, a business entrusted with the property of another, for direct physical loss or damage of property that happens during storage, cross-docking, packaging, labeling or other services provided by the bailee.
4 5
Insurance for warehouse storage
REAL PROPERTY
Provides protection against most risks to property, such as fire, theft and some weather damage. This includes specialized forms of insurance such as fire insurance, flood insurance, earthquake insurance. It is meant to protect the investment insured made in their business property (BPP), including office space, tools, equipment, inventory, and other property (PPO) that they use to
STS
Specialized Transportation Symposium
February 20-22, 2024
Westin Galleria Houston, TX Register at scranet.org/symposium2024
run their business.
As you can see, the approach to addressing CCC coverage through the inland marine avenue is more detailed and offers coverages that deal with specific situations frequently experienced by companies in our industry.
Key takeway
That said, the key takeaway here is that it’s important to be aware of the exposures triggered by CCC situations and ask the right questions of your agent and insurer. Insurance for companies in the crane, rigging and specialized transportation industry is never one-size-fits-all. ■
Make sure you are up to speed on your unique exposures and how to address them. NBIS can help. Visit NBIS.com or contact us at (866) 668-6247 today.
The premier event featuring specialized transportation professionals, permitting officials, law enforcement, and state and federal officials all in one place. Expand your safety best practices and learn about new technology and services to position your business for growth and profitability.
Anderson Trucking names new VP
Anderson Trucking Service (ATS) announced that Troy Dessert has joined the company as the vice president and general manager of ATS, Inc. (the dry van division of Anderson Trucking Service. With more than 30 years’ experience in the transportation industry,
Dessert brings a wealth of expertise to ATS’ organization, garnered from his tenure at transportation corporations including C.R. England and Swift Transportation. His alignment with ATS’ organizational culture and values, coupled with his demonstrated commitment
to personal and professional development, makes Troy a valuable addition to the ATS team, the company said. ■
Superior Rigging promotes Lewis
Superior Rigging & Erecting has promoted Mallory Lewis to the role of crane and rigging sales. Lewis, who has been an integral part of the Superior team for the past two years, has exhibited unwavering dedication and a strong drive to excel in a sales capacity, the company said. Her connection to Superior runs deep, as her family has
been intertwined with the company since 1968. She is now a third-generation member of the Superior team.
“I am proud to welcome Mallory to our sales department” said Patrick Lewis, CEO and president, Superior Rigging & Erecting.
“Her fresh perspective and
unwavering determination make her a valuable addition to our industry.”
Lewis is a distinguished graduate of The University of Alabama, holding a degree in Marketing. Her journey at Superior began as an intern during her college years, eventually leading to a fulltime position in the marketing department.
“My goal is to make the complex seem effortless for
Dawes general manager retires
Steve Freckmann, former general manager of Dawes Rigging & Crane Rental, a member of the ALL Family of Companies, retired at the end of 2023 after 34 years as general manager and 45 total years with Dawes.
Freckmann is a crane business lifer, starting out in the shop and yard as a preteen. Freckmann’s father, Thomas, was a part owner of Dawes before selling to the ALL Family in the late 1970s. Freckmann succeeded his dad as general manager in 1989. Freckmann was highly active in local and national business communities.
Freckmann is a longtime member of SC&RA, including
spending a decade and a half serving on various committees, with a chairmanship on the Crane & Rigging Group, and a three-year term on the board of directors. He also served
on the Crane & Rigging Group Labor Committee.
“Even though I’ll be departing my formal service in SC&RA, I’m pleased that ALL is still represented through the participation of Rick Mikut, ALL’s crawler
every customer I engage with,” said Lewis. “I’ve witnessed Superior tackle numerous challenging projects and make a lasting impact on the industry. I am committed to being a part of that legacy and ensuring we provide the best customer service possible to solve our clients’ needs.” n
crane division manager, and Derek Baumgartner, our director of risk management and counsel,” said Freckmann. Continuing ALL’s legacy of promotion from within, Ryan Harrison, branch manager of the Madison, WI, Dawes branch and a 24-year ALL veteran, will succeed Freckmann as general manager. n
ACT is saddened to report that Fred Butler, former CEO and president of the Manitowoc Company, has passed away. His professional accomplishments were a testament to his determination and visionary thinking. While Butler’s professional journey was remarkable, it is his legacy as a family man that truly shines, according to his obituary. He leaves behind his beloved wife Karen and two children, a testament to the love and devotion that defined his personal life. His dedication to his family mirrored the dedication he brought to every aspect of his life, leaving a lasting impact on those who were fortunate enough to know him intimately, the obituary said.
Troy Dessert
Mallory Lewis
Steve Freckmann
FRED BUTLER
TRAINING DIRECTORY
A1A Software (3D LiftPlan Training) 904 430-0355
www.a1asoftware.com/training
Geoff Weiss
Crane Inspection & Certification Bureau 866-716-2368 www.cicb.com
Peter Roberts training@cicb.com
Crane U Inc
205-478-6331
www.craneu.com
Madison Fant Locarno madison@craneu.com
OVERTON Safety Training, Inc. (866) 531-0403 www.overtonsafety.com
Cody Fischer cody@overtonsafety.com
Industrial Training International 1-800-727-6355 www.iti.com info@iti.com
Laval, QC. Tel: 450-625-4738 Nisku, AB. Tel: 780-955-8862
Select Crane Sales
1-833-PICK-SCS
www.selectcrane.com
email: sales@selectcrane.com
Branches: New Jersey Tel: 908-823-0650
Garrod Hydraulics provides cylinder repair solutions for all makes and models of cranes.
Toughest repairs done.
Respond with timely, cost-effective solutions.
Use OEM parts.
Specific to your needs.
Technology unsurpassed.
Expertise in the repairs and remanufacturing of hydraulic cylinders.
Demand our employees provide highest customer satisfaction.
Garrod Hydraulics, Inc
LIFT SOURCE MACHINERY
We
Mexico-based Tradelossa is celebrating 50 years of progress.
Aurelio de los Santos Murillo started a company with a small truck and one task, hauling wood from the mountains outside Durango, Mexico. He founded Transportes de los Santos e Hijos, S.A. of C.V. on November 16, 1973.
Fifty years later, Aurelio de los Santos would not recognize the business he started and that has encompassed three generations of his family. Today, Tradelossa is one of Mexico’s most renowned specialists in ultra-heavy and oversize hauling, project cargo logistics, assemblies, maneuvers and forwarding. The company serves clients in Mexico, the U.S., Canada, Central America, Western Europe and China.
A heritage to celebrate
by Don
1973, Tradelossa is one of Mexico’s most renowned specialists in specialized transportation and rigging.
The company has shown remarkable resilience in moving forward after setbacks, aways aiming for the most creative solutions and reinforcing the company with talent and state-of-the-art equipment.
Award-winning jobs
“Don Aurelio’s ingenuity, creativity, experience and conviction became the base of what today is Tradelossa, a company whose main pillars are hard work and looking out for each other,” said Carlos Matthey de los Santos. “Those values and our great team are the foundation of our success. Although we have evolved into a more institutionalized company, we believe that nimbleness and empowerment have led us to make faster and better decisions. Those values and our great team are the foundation of our success.”
Tradelossa operates five main locations– its historic first site in Durango as well as Monterrey, Nuevo Laredo, Guanajuato and Mexico City.
Tradelossa’s feats include becoming the first Latin American company to win a SC&RA Moving Job of Year award in 2015. The winning job involved moving a 1.9 million-pound reactor for the Etileno XXI Mega Project from the Gulf of Mexico port in Coatzalcoalcos. The transport covered 7.5 miles of major obstacles. The 20-day project required detailed planning and several vehicle configuration changes.
Tradelossa also added a SC&RA Rigging Job of the Year award to the trophy case. At a gas plant, Tradelossa’s project team developed a detailed engineering plan to move a 17.5-ton low-pressure turbine 165 feet on the ground. Next, team members had to
lift the turbine 27 feet, then move it 23 feet while still above ground. Each step was complicated by heavy rain. A 550-ton gantry system was used to complete the job.
In 2018, the company started one of its largest projects, transporting 100 wind towers and their components, including 300 blades, from the Port of Altamira to the community of El Mezquite in northern Mexico.
Tradelossa’s success can also be attributed to its investment in new equipment such as the Goldhofer ‘Faktor 5’ specialized girder bridge equipment and a 1,100-ton SBL hydraulic gantry.
Tradelossa has become one of the few hauling and rigging companies in Latin America to offer a level of expertise and technological capacity needed to bring its customers unique solutions for their most complex projects, according to Carlos Matthey de los Santos.
A proud heritage
More recently, the company won a 2023 SC&RA Hauling Job of Year award. The project featured the movement of a 765,004-pound compressor alongside other huge components.
Suffice it to say the Tradelossa team will never forget its heritage.
"Our founder’s legacy of effort, tenacity and commitment is palpable in each of the projects we have achieved throughout our history,” said Carlos Matthey de los Santos. “His values live in each of us who make up this great company, and we are excited to continue striving to achieve new dreams in the next 50 years.”
• New upper counterweight package-improved capacities
• New Power pack attachment points STANDARD with optional P-Pack bracket kit
“It’s just a good all around machine, great capacity, great 360 degree chart, you have over-the-end block chart if needed. Changes they’ve made definitely great improvements.”
