Maxim purchases new Terex SK 575

Maxim Crane Works recently purchased a new Terex SK 575 tower crane as part of a full turnkey package to support general contractor Turner Construction's project at the Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Office Building, Cincinnati, OH. The original crane reserved for the job was held up on another jobsite, requiring Maxim to purchase the new crane quickly and Terex to deliver it to the jobsite within approximately six weeks.

The project, involving the construction of an eight-story building, was awarded to Maxim Crane Works at the end of January and started on March 1, 2011. The Terex SK 575 hammerhead tower crane was recommended by Maxim Crane for its fast assembly, lifting capacities and line speed to match the strict jobsite planning, performance and production requirements.

Located in the area of the University of Cincinnati, just off a busy main thoroughfare, the primary challenge on this restricted, urban jobsite was its tight "just-in-time" assembly schedule. Set within 100-feet of an open lane of heavy traffic, the observation of strict traffic control and precise planning requirements were critical to the successful assembly of three cranes within the allocated two-day window..

Matt Hyden, operations manager for Maxim's tower crane division said, "For us, the question of schedule had grown two-fold. In addition to the existing planning requirements, the crane was going to be new."

Maxim needed to assure Terex could ensure delivery of the complete upper-works ready to ship within just 45 days of our customer's order. Maxim would then be able to assemble and test-run all functions prior to operation and load-test. Hyden said the process went precisely as planned.

The first truck from the Terex Cranes Wilmington production facility arrived in Cincinnati on the morning of February 26 and the last load arrived around 5.30 p.m. the same day. A 500-ton hydraulic crane with luffing jib and 70-ton assist crane, to assemble the larger 500-ton machine, were required to erect the Terex SK 575 to its full 195 feet (59.4 meter) freestanding height.

Maxim Crane crews worked from dawn to dusk on Sunday, February 27 to get the crane erected and fully load-tested. By Monday morning, the SK 575 was erected on-time and ready to undergo the customer's third-party safety inspection, which it passed with no deficiencies.

"Prior to the bid, we worked with the general contractor to assist in selecting the best crane model and configuration based on their lifting requirements," said Hyden. "Since we already own about 75 Terex SK series hammerhead tower cranes, we're quite familiar with their excellent capabilities, as well as their record for reliability."