To introduce their new GL-class sport utility vehicle to the automotive press, Mercedes-Benz organized an exclusive event at the Four Seasons Rancho Encantado Resort in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The event ended with an evening reception showcasing the new SUV in the resort’s courtyard, but how do you bring a brand new luxury SUV to the party? That is where Crane Service Inc. and its Terex AC 100/4L all terrain crane came in.
When Albuquerque based Crane Service Inc. was hired to perform the lift, they decided to use their AC 100/4L. Chuck Connolly, Project Manager comments, “Normally, lifting a few tonnes is not extraordinary for us, but for this event we had a couple of interesting challenges. First, this is a PR event and the new SUV had to be placed without a scratch; and second, because of lack of space, we had to work at a high radius while clearing the building.”
For the first challenge, they used their extensive rigging expertise to make sure no damage would occur to the SUV during the lift. For the second challenge, they relied on the long boom of the AC 100/4L, which they used with a fully extended main boom at 59,4 m (195 ft) to place the 2.4 tonne (5.300 lb) SUV at a radius of 36 m (120 ft) into the resort’s courtyard. “We are very pleased with our AC 100/4L. It offers better reach than some larger cranes, and at the same time it is compact and needs just one additional truck to transport its additional counterweight,” says Chuck.
Earlier in the day, the Mercedes-Benz team provided additional SUVs for journalists to test drive and to have a closer look at the vehicle while enjoying the stunning views from the resort. The Mercedes-Benz team says that they developed the new GL-class SUV to meet customer needs for economy, safe driving dynamics, driver comfort, and other innumerable creature comforts that one can expect from Mercedes-Benz flagship SUV.”
The Terex® AC 100/4L
The compact Terex® AC 100/4L telescopic all-terrain crane is the only 100-tonne capacity crane with a width of 2.55 meters (when equipped with large 445/95R25 tires) to fit within standard truck dimensions. With a telescopic main boom of 59.4 meters and a 19-meter-long double folding jib, the crane also features the longest system length (78.4 meters) that can travel on four axles while complying with a 12-tonne axle load limit. The crane’s working range is approximately 55 tonnes to 130 tonnes, with a maximum system length of 81.7 meters achieved by a highly versatile extension system design. The 19-meter-long double folding jib can be mounted directly on the telescopic boom or on an additional 8-meter extension installed between the telescopic boom and the double folding jib. This results in a fast setup process at the construction site, as the 19-meter double folding jib can be transported on the crane without exceeding the aforementioned 12-tonne axle load limit.
It is important to emphasize that it is possible to offset either the 19-meter double folding jib on the extension or the entire 27 meters (the 19-meter double jib plus the 8-meter extension) on the telescopic boom. This makes it possible to either work with a large working radius or overcome projecting edges of up to 63 meters.
Author; Agustin Dominguez
