Liebherr HS 8300 Cranes Drive Gulf Coast Dredging Projects
Every jobsite comes with its own set of needs, and some have unique challenges as well. In Port Arthur, Texas, and 350 miles away in Mobile, Alabama —on two sites off the Gulf of Mexico — two companies are facing common requirements and addressing some of the same issues by meeting them in similar ways.
At the Texas location, where new construction off an existing dock at the Port of Port Arthur is underway, Matthews Brothers Dredging is removing over 5,000 yards of hard clay, sand and debris per day in a 46-foot-deep basin. The specialty marine services company based out of Pass Christian, Mississippi is also tasked with meeting a strict deadline while the Port continues to operate.
At the Alabama location, the Dutra Group is at work on a deepening project at a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) site. The California-based company is dredging at a depth of 54 feet to help deepen nine miles of the Mobile channel.
What both companies also have in common is the need for machines that can handle strenuous work over long periods of time. At the Port Arthur jobsite, for example, equipment is running 20 hours a day.
Common Solution
For Matthews and Dutra, the solution has been a Liebherr HS 8300 duty cycle crawler crane equipped with a 1,000-HP Tier 4 Final engine. The machine, one of the largest duty cycle cranes in the world, is capable of over 4 million cycles and is designed for an extended service life.
“The overall impression shared throughout our company is how simple the HS 8300 is to use, allowing us to work faster, have higher productivity and meet the deadline of the customer,” said Matthews Brothers dredge captain, Alex Kellams. “Using the HS 8300 allows us to get in and out quicker and provides for a smoother dredging operation.”
To further increase productivity, Matthews Brothers is using the Liebherr Pactronic hybrid drive on the HS 8300. The system stores energy in an accumulator and transfers it as needed to provide approximately 1,500 HP to assist the duty cycle crane’s 154,000-pound signal line pole winches.
Pactronic enhances the handling performance of the crane, Kellams noted. “It is much faster and allows us to move twice as fast resulting in quicker load and cycle times as well as promoting fuel efficiency,” he said.
Matthews Brothers also utilizes an 8.5-yard TGS clamshell bucket and Liebherr’s dredging assistant package on their HS 8300. The assistant enables the machine to preset the opening and closing parameters for each bucket, making grabbing easier and more efficient. The result allows for longer life of the cables, reduces general wear and tear on the bucket and helps eliminate costly downtime.
Specially Equipped
The Dutra Group, known for their custom machine orders called Dutra specials, is utilizing a specially equipped HS 8300 on the Mobile jobsite. Customization of their duty cycle crane includes crawler tracks rather than a pedestal mount for easier transport, as well as a wider, raised cab, bigger winches and a lighter boom.
“Dutra relies on Liebherr to make sure that upgrades and customizations fit into our specifications and needs,” said Dennis Ferguson, fleet manager for the Dutra Group’s clamshell division. “These customizations provide us with versatility and increased production and efficiency.”
Before purchasing the HS 8300, Dutra analyzed multiple cost performance studies. “We were satisfied with the 65-second cycle
times per swing, averaging 10,500 cubic yards per day,” Ferguson reported. “We had been watching production closely and cycle times were right where we projected.”
Easy Decision
Due to their familiarity with Liebherr machines, choosing Liebherr was an easy decision for Dutra. “We also have their LR 1300 and 895 crawler cranes, and like that when you get into a brand-new machine the controls are very similar,” Ferguson added. “With the HS 8300, it was a short period between accepting the crane, getting it on the barge, and going to work.”
Matthews Brothers’ trust in Liebherr also stems from their past purchases. Included are an LH 80 material handler and an HS 8200 duty cycle crane that now operates next to their HS 8300.
The company also pointed out the value of the support Liebherr provides. “That’s vital when it comes to servicing the machine,” Kellams said. “One reason we chose Liebherr was the backing they offer. We don’t have to diagnose any problems on our own because they help us get through any issues we might have.”
The Dutra Group and Matthews Brothers Dredging continue to use their Liebherr HS 8300’s on projects up and down the Gulf of Mexico coast, and in other waterways performing large scale dredging projects.
