85-USt Rough Terrain Crane Helps Restore Everglades

Sept. 19, 2023 – DC Crane Service Inc., of West Palm Beach, Florida, rented a new 85-USt Link-Belt 85|RT rough terrain crane from Florida Link-Belt distributor Kelly Tractor for work on the Everglades Restoration Act project.

The $10.5 billion restoration project is part of a 35-year effort to maintain and protect Florida’s drinking water as it connects the Florida Everglades to the Kissimmee River and greater River of Grass ecosystem in southern Florida.

DC Crane travels the 85|RT five miles between lifting sites complete with its full 19,200-lb.counterweight.

“We chose the 85|RT because of its mobility,” said Dan Connor, co-owner of DC Crane Service. “We needed something big enough to do the work but small and nimble enough to drive from station to station. We can retract the boom all in and drive the five miles from station to station.”

The 85|RT supports general construction at each station, handling construction materials like tall formwork and rebar cages for columns, scaffolding, and large dumpsters.

Culvert pipes 4’ in diameter and 25’ long are placed at radii to 60’.

The 85|RT lifts 18,000-lb. concrete pipe sections running from the newly constructed canal into the station with its boom extended to 95’.

“I like the fine metering system on the 85|RT because when I’m setting the 18,000-lb. pipes, I want my hoist line to go much slower than I normally use it,” said operator Alex Goode. “Fine metering allows me to control the speed of the hoist line.”

The base of each station measures 60’ by 80’ and comprises 16 evenly spaced columns.

The 85|RT works with its main boom fully extended to 142’, and Goode typically works at radii between 45’ and 115’.

“Because the columns are hard to see around, the hoist line camera is very useful when they only need half an inch of cable on the ground,” said Goode. “It’s pretty common to be in the blind when we are lifting the rebar cages behind existing framework, so a camera like this is important.”