I need some advice on what size excavator I will need for a strange job....

[adrtree]

I am a tree contractor and I have a project on the side of the highway in Georgia. Its one of the busiest, most dangerous roads in Georgia.
I have 80 trees locked in an area by a river and a guard rail.
I have no possible access other than lifting a 9500lb chipper over the guard rail. The DOT says absolutely no on disassembling the guard rail.

I have an emergency lane that is exactly 12 ft wide. The guard rail is 26" tall.
We have checked with several cranes and the outriggers will not fit. So we are wondering if we could use a zero turn excavator to lift the Chipper and preferably a 10200lb track loader over the rail on entry then on exit(we have a way to get the track loader on the job using a trailer with ramps on the side if neccesary)
And please I dont need any advice on other ways to do the job I've already had 10 meetings with the DOT on what I am allowed to do and not do in this situation so it has come down to only a few options.

What size zero turn could I rent that would be capable of a 10klb lift and still be well within 12 feet wide?

Thanks

 

[yanmar]

how far down is it once your over the gaurd rail?

 

[The Learner]

how far away from the machine will you be lifting 10k?
right in close or out at half reach say 14 feet?

you have basically 2 choices 12-15ton zero swing Brand dependent or 20-25ton zero swing brand dependent
as a 30 ton become to wide for your 12ft

a 12-15ton may lift 10k but its probably pushing too close to limit and lifting over a guard rail
a 20-25ton is between 9-10 feet wide tracks being the difference and tail swing may be over a little more


look up specs of any 20-25 ton that you can get your hands on im thinking it should fit the brief

http://www.doosanequipment.com/dice/products/excavators/crawler+excavators/DX235LCR.page?
http://hitachiconstruction.com/assets/files/products/Construction/ZX245LC-5_Spec.pdf
http://www.volvoce.com/SiteCollecti...CR145D-ECR235D Excavator Product Brochure.pdf
http://www.casece.com/en_us/Equipment/Excavators/Pages/CX235CSR.aspx
http://www.cat.com/en_US/products/new/equipment/excavators/medium-excavators/16898152.html

and any others that I have missed

 

[drummer]

Sorry in advance, but I have to suggest a lane closure with approved traffic control and certified flaggers if required. We work with SCDOT and provide control traffic on "busy" roads in SC daily. Georgia shouldn't be any different. As to the excavator if that is where you end up, remove the bucket for additional increase in "lift load".

 

[adrtree]

Sorry in advance, but I have to suggest a lane closure with approved traffic control and certified flaggers if required. We work with SCDOT and provide control traffic on "busy" roads in SC daily. Georgia shouldn't be any different. As to the excavator if that is where you end up, remove the bucket for additional increase in "lift load".

We ask for that regularly. Not an option. We do not work on govt contracts but instead on private contracts on DOT land. We were required to use a traffic control company but we are almost never allowed to close a lane. This is on I285 not a " busy road" but more of a death zone nightmare. One of the top guys from GDOT is involved in this and we do what we are told when it comes to the dot and figure out a way to do jobs based on our available options.

 

[joispoi]

I don't think that there's an excavator that will stay within the 12 feet and lift the chipper or loader safely. A Cat 325 lcr will lift both, but the tail swing will be a couple inches over even if the tracks are touching the guard rail. Based on the lifting chart, it would be unsafe to reach out very far.

What are the conditions on the other side of the guard rail? If there's flat ground, can you dump a pile of gravel an make a ramp an then offload the loader then the chipper over the side of a trailer?

Who pays the tab for hoisting? A Huey would get the job done quickly.

 

[adrtree]

I don't think that there's an excavator that will stay within the 12 feet and lift the chipper or loader safely. A Cat 325 lcr will lift both, but the tail swing will be a couple inches over even if the tracks are touching the guard rail. Based on the lifting chart, it would be unsafe to reach out very far.

What are the conditions on the other side of the guard rail? If there's flat ground, can you dump a pile of gravel an make a ramp an then offload the loader then the chipper over the side of a trailer?

Who pays the tab for hoisting? A Huey would get the job done quickly.

Yeah we have considered the ramp idea. We have done this before by using two tracked bobcats and lifting the chippers up and over but it doesn't go real well. We always end up raping the bottom of the chipper on the guard rail. Deck over trailer parralel to the rail with a ramp built on the other side is a good idea but still a pain in the ass. The rail is close to 2ft on both sides with a grass flat on the outside. Chipper is 17ft long so I suppose the excavator would have to reach to the center 8-9ft

 

[CM1995]

A 321 will lift 11K 15' from the side of the machine, 15' in the air with a 9' 7" stick. That should suffice for what you need it to do.

http://s7d2.scene7.com/is/content/Caterpillar/C469495

 

[j.r.]

The 321 will lift both of those piece . Make sure you keep the rigging short because you loose your lifting capacity quick with long chains or straps. As said before if you can drop the bucket off that will only help you out.

 

[dirtmonkey]

Who pays the tab for hoisting? A Huey would get the job done quickly.

If I remember correctly, the old D model Huey's only had a 4 ton limit.

 

[eric12]

how about a komatsu 308? its under 12 feet wide and should be able to lift 10,000lbs easy enough if you take the bucket off

 

[lumberjack]

An 8 ton machine isn't going to cut it, period.

A 16 ton machine would be marginal, a 20 ton would be better, and zero tail swing to stay inside your width. Like CM said, A 321 would handle it.


How much would it cost to drop a chipper on the guard rail, drop it from 3-4' and let the boom crash into the top of it, etc.

 

[yanmar]

tilt deck towtruck and a ramp off of it to the side move bobcat off first . slide on chipper use bobcat on other side to manuever off. i like using c channel ramps kinda thing. make sure the tow truck operator uses a pulley to right angle the decent so the chipper doesn't get a roll on. and brace the back tire of the deck truck against the base of the guard rail so she doesn't wanna slide. ez does it. if your doing this contract all the time get a custom trailer built

 

[eric12]

youll need more than a 20 ton excavator especially a zero tail swing a 321 or 228 would lift it okay but not great, you'd want something larger if you can or else you'll be limited on the distance you could lift.

 

[CM1995]

youll need more than a 20 ton excavator especially a zero tail swing a 321 or 228 would lift it okay but not great, you'd want something larger if you can or else you'll be limited on the distance you could lift.

I disagree. A 321 will pick 15K lbs 15' to the side, 10' high - more than enough capacity to lift an 11K skid and lighter chipper.

 

[eric12]

lifting over the guard rail with the height of the machine and the distance needed for lifting slings unless you use a spreader bar to reduce the height, you'll be over 15 feet and the 11k machine would make it close, it could more than likely do it but it'd be close.

 

[eric12]

if you can use a trailer on exit why don't you unload there and just drive to the start from the exit? that would save you money renting or hiring out an excavator and it would keep everyone on the safer side of the guard rail reducing a chance of an accident.

 

[clintm]

How about a heavy duty wrecker (semi) with a rotating boom I have friend that runs one of the largest ones on the east coast it's 80,000 pd's plus empty. It will lift some thing like 35,000pds @ 40'ext over the side but that's with full outrigger spread I know you only have 12' but 10,000 pds may fit in the lift chart the outriggers are low profile and may fit under guarde rail and the wrecker drivers are use to working in traffic. also are you considering that the outriggers on a larger crane my be able to set up over top of guarde rail on the other side

 

[CM1995]

lifting over the guard rail with the height of the machine and the distance needed for lifting slings unless you use a spreader bar to reduce the height, you'll be over 15 feet and the 11k machine would make it close, it could more than likely do it but it'd be close.

At 15' up and 15' out it will lift 14,100. 20' up and 15' out it will lift 11K but that would be pushing it.

I have driven I-285 around ATL many times and the guardrail can run for miles, the site may not be in an area that the OP can drive from where it ends to the site.

 

[Awhelan]

How about something like this? My local septic tank guy has one like this, he said it was good for 36000 lbs at 10'
Im sure you could keep the outriggers under 12' and still lift 10k. I know he had no problem lifting my 6k tank 20+ feet out the side.