How Do They Do That? Dismantle a Liebherr LR 1300 Crawler Crane
So Long to the Crane That Grew the Towers Tall
At 12:49 PM on Sunday, June 23, 2019, the Liebherr LR 1300 crawler crane’s machine deck and cab anchored by weight — some 92,000 lbs or 46 tons) — and chains to a large 48-wheel heavy hauler flatbed transport truck made a slow and wide left turn to the north from Prospect Avenue on to Anderson Street. With the departure of this crane, a significant chapter in the construction projects success came to a close. Now that the exterior of the building, save the areas where the aerial lifts are located, is complete attention can be given to the interior progress. From time to time, until the project is completed, cranes will appear on site for a few hours or days (at the most) to lift equipment, supplies, windows, and GFRC panels, None will be as big or have the lifting capacity as the Liebherr LR 1300. “Where is the crane heading?” I asked Paul, the foremen of the takedown crew. He replied that “for as long as it has been on site [284 days, or 9 months and 11 days] it will go back to the yard where it will be serviced.”
The crane, which replaced the Liebherr LR 1750 had been on site Friday, June 21, 2019, was the last day that the large Liebherr 1350 crawler crane worked the site. Approximately 2:00 PM the crane operator put the boom down for the last time. On Sunday. June 23, 2019, at 5:54 AM, the crew began the demolition process. After four minutes shy of 7 hours, the job was complete.
The way the Liebherr LR 1300 crawler crane will be remembered as it worked the construction project on the north side of the site. In this photo, the boom is down or what the crane operators call the “knifing” position.At twilight, the crane’s last night on site, the boom still stands next to the towers that it raised beyond its boom point.The northeast view at twilight, the night before the crane would be dismantled.At 5:47 AM, the crane’s boom was still in its down position at 5:47 AM. Most of the takedown crew were on site. The Bragg takedown crane was on site as well. The Anderson Street (east) gate was still closed but would be opened as the boom is lowered.One last view of the crane’s boom reflected in the windows of the Adult Hospital tower.At 5:48 AM on the morning of dismantling, the crane’s boom is still ‘kniefed’ into position and the reflection of the boom in the glass panels is still present albeit for a short period of time. Down at grade behind the safety fence, the crew that will dismantle the crane are going over the final instruction to make sure that all involved are on the same page.At twilight on the day the crane was dismantled. No reflection!
The Dismantling Process One Section at a Time — Images From the Northeast Side of the Yard
At 5:54 AM, there was movement in the yard. The crane operator began rolling out the boom on the luffing jib point wheels, which are located at the end of the luffing jib. As the jib point slowly rolls along the ground, the boom is lowered. The East gate has been opened and a lookout is positioned at the gate.The gates are pushed back as the boom continues to roll out.When the approximate 345=foot boom was finally lowered to its full extended position, the jib point wheel was beyond the safety fence. If you look closely, the crane operator had to maneuver the crane in such a way so that the boom could be threaded between the podium on the left and the construction offices on the right. There was little room for error. To the left of the crane’s boom is the hydraulic truck crane, which will be used in the disassembly process. By 6:09 AM, the hydraulic truck’s crane’s boom was raised in preparation to steady the first section that will be removed. In this image, we see the first separation point. At the point, the boom that is be separated is lowered to grade. The crew will then remove the pins from the other end of the first section to free the section, which will be hoisted onto a flatbed truck.From the tower of the Medical Center, we see that the crane operator has moved the rest of the boom back to the confines of the north yard, which allows more maneuverability for the heavy equipment as the rest of the boom is rolled in to be sectioned for loading. In this image we see, the first section being loaded onto the flatbed.After the first section was disconnected and loaded on the flatbed, it began its journey back to the yard. As another flatbed backed in to take on the second section, the hydraulic crane rolled the remaining sections away from the east entry gate.The process continues and the disconnected section is becoming smaller.
Dismantling Continues — Images From the North Side Within the Yard
The crew prepares to pull the pins from the next section.Don, one of the two crane operators, stands on the track as he waits for the signal to lift the remaining boom.The hydraulic truck crane will relocate to the north side where it will hoist the remaining sections and tracks onto the heavy haulers.At this point the boom is sectioned faster than the haulers can arrive.The crane as viewed from the podium’s roof.The booms ‘butt’ is all that remains attached to the housing.Counter weights, weighing 30 tons are being lowered onto the bed.The ‘butt’ of the boom as it is being swung around before removal.The ‘butt’ of the boom weighing 16,350 pounds is being hoisted onto the bed of the truck.With the ‘butt’ of the boom removed, the crane operator prepares the crane for track removal.The first 31-foot track, weighing 49,500 pounds, is hoisted off of the housing. The first track is maneuvered into place. The second track is pulled away from the cranes body.The second track is being lifted onto the bed of the heavy haulerThe second track rests on the bed of the heavy hauler.Me thinks, I have seen this critter somewhere before!Sure enough!The heavy hauler transport truck backs up. The pilot truck driver stands on a step as he steers the back section around the corner.Standing alone without the tracks.As the carriage stands on the four pedestals, the heavy hauler driver back the trailer between the legs. There is little room for error.The body of the crane is slowly being lowered onto the flatbed. Once the pedestals no longer touch grade they will be rotated horizontally to the carriage.All loaded up: the truck driver prepares to raise the bed of the trailer to the required height per highway regulations.The pilot truck follows the heavy hauler out of the north gate.After checking the hydraulic steering for the rear carriage, the driver moves out. Making a slow wide turn from Prospect Avenue on to Anderson StreetWith pilot truck in the lead, the heavy hauler rounds the corner on Anderson Street in route to the freeway and the yard.All is quiet on the north side save the crane and cement truck on the other side of the safety fence where a crew is working on the Schuman Pavilion pedestrian bridge caissons.
After graduate school Dennis accepted a position at Loma Linda University. He worked there for 42 years in the areas of administration and financial management, also teaching accounting and management to dietetic students at the School of Public Health. Through the years Dennis has chronicled the growth of the campus, including the construction of the Drayson Center and the Centennial Complex and the razing of Gentry Gym. He is the author of "The Mound City Chronicles: A Pictorial History of Loma Linda University, A Health Sciences Institution 1905 - 2005." dEp 09.30.2016 🔨
Any floors have all dry wall up?