Questions for You Crane Guys

[renovator]

The local school system is building a new building near my house. The steel erector has been using an old 90 ton Lima carrier with probably 100’ of boom and maybe 40’ of jib with only a whip line. I’m guessing the crane is the steel erector’s because it doesn’t seem to get used much. There have been days each week since it has been there (since February) when it doesn’t work at all. One of the odd things to me is that they move it—a lot. They have moved it to maybe four different locations on the site several times (eight or ten moves around a smaller building). Isn’t that kind of a big deal? It seems like one would want to move it as few times as possible. Another odd (to me) thing is one day they took the jib off and reeved up a six-part line. I thought they were done with the light stuff, although nothing laying out there looked very heavy. When I came home from work the next day, the jib was back on with only the whip line and has been that way since.

I know there are lots of things i don’t know, and the GC is probably part of the problem, they (the steel erectors) probably have other jobs, etc., but this seems very inefficient.

By the way, a local, small crane rental guy has set up his old Link Belt conventional (I’m guessing 80 ton with over 100’ of boom and jib) set up last week and parked it. I’m guessing he is there to set the glue-lam beams—lots of them—when the steel erection is complete.

There is more crane capacity sitting 500’ from my house than this part of town has seen in years, if ever.

I have also been wondering how long-term crane rental works. There is an interchange rehab project also close to our house. One of the larger, regional crane outfits has had a big Link Belt there for some time (pile driving, girder erection). How does that rental work? Is the crane provided on a lump-sum kind of contract, or is it still hourly? If the old Lima doesn’t belong to the steel erectors, would the contractor be getting (extra) charges each time the crane is moved? And what about the day they took the jib off and then replaced it?

 

[crane operator]

The steel guys probably own the lima. It's just part of their bid-- XXXXX dollars to install the steel. So it doesn't cost the general anything if it sets still, or anything when they move it.

As far as the moving, its handier to be close to your work, and they are probably just picking up pads and driving it, not knocking boom out each time.

It doesn't really take that long to move it. A couple weeks ago, I tore down and set up my 35 ton hydraulic 12 times by myself, in one day on one site.

On the six parts of line thing, they probably had something concrete to set, maybe a sewer vault, or some "safe" room precast concrete walls for someone else. Knock a little boom out and reeve it up, make a little extra money. They may have even had a whole load of steel show up, and just unloaded it all in one shot, rather than a piece at a time (I've seen it done, spreader bar and some 40' straps around the whole load). Good crew with 3-4 guys can knock a jib off and reeve up pretty quick.

A lot of times, anything over about a week or two job, isn't a hourly rate on the crane, the crane is "bare" rented by the month, and the sub is paying the operator when its working. If it is owned by a separate outfit, then it may be hourly to the general, or a bid job, or just XXXX of dollars to drive the pilings etc.

 

[renovator]

Thanks. I've been wondering how that works.