Back to nature: Tadano telecrawler tackles state trail project

Waukesha, WI-based Zenith Tech, a Walbec Group Company, helped repair a bridge along the 52-mile Glacial Drumlin State Trail that runs between Milwaukee and Madison.

Because of the crane’s low ground pressure, it was an ideal choice for working on sensitive sites like the Glacial Drumlin State Trail.

“These types of jobs are especially rewarding because so many people use the trail for recreational purposes,” said Steve Firari, construction manager. “It involved rehabbing a pedestrian/bike bridge that was built on an old railroad bed across Rock Lake near Lake Mills. The piers were failing, so we essentially built new ones to make it more sound and safer.”

The company was in need of a crane that was large enough to do the work, but still small enough to access the jobsite due to the size of the trail. Zenith Tech worked closely with Reynolds Equipment’s Darren Reddekopp to rent a 200-ton-capacity telescopic boom crawler crane that features an adjustable track width (approximately 15 feet to 24 feet) in both symmetrical and asymmetrical configurations, so it can be used for applications with limited space.

“It had to have the ability to walk the approximately quarter mile on the path and stay out of the tree canopy,” added Firari. “Once at the site, it had to be able to sit in one spot and have enough reach, capacity and power to pick up the beams, then swing the beams at about a 144-foot radius and drive them into the ground. The Tadano GTC-2000 was the ideal choice with its mobility, tracks, boom and everything else considered.”

Because of the crane’s low ground pressure, it was an ideal choice for working on sensitive sites like the Glacial Drumlin State Trail.

The Tadano GTC-2000 had the ability to walk the approximately quarter mile on the path and stay out of the tree canopy.

Operators Keith Keskimaki and Nate Stewart both said the Tadano GTC-2000’s usability in tight spaces and its versatility were major advantages. They used the crane for a variety of purposes on the Glacial Drumlin State Trail project, including lifting the bridge to get clearance underneath to drive pilings.

Reynolds Equipment delivered the self-erecting Tadano GTC-2000, which comes in five loads, to a field adjacent to the trail where Zenith Tech personnel and a Reynolds Equipment technician worked together to set it up.