Albert Marine on Hurricane Sandy rebuild

Marine contracting company Albert Marine Construction from the USA has been using a Manitowoc 8500-1 crawler crane to help repair damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.

One of the projects for the 85 US ton (77 tonne) lattice boom crawler crane included rebuilding the Lavallette Boardwalk along the Jersey Shore. The crawler was chosen for its compact footprint and ability to navigate near the water 9 metres from the job site, a company spokesperson said.

The crawler was used to prepare foundations for the new boardwalk. Work included lifting an 8 tonne diesel hammer with a piling lead and driving 1,200 wooden pilings 7.6 m long into the sand. It was configured with a 30.5 m boom.

“The Manitowoc 8500-1 is incredibly versatile, which was a necessity for this job. The hydraulic system on the crane makes it simple to adjust the width of its tracks, greatly increasing stability. We cannot be more pleased with the crane’s performance,” Bob Albert, owner of Albert Marine Construction added.

“Because the crane needed to move up and down the beach so frequently when placing the pilings, this could have been a really time-consuming project,” Izzi Albert, owner of Albert Marine Construction explained. “However, with the Manitowoc 8500-1’s removable counterweight system, assembling and disassembling the crane takes only two hours.”

The project was completed in May 2013.