Atlanta Pedestrian Bridge Construction Puts Crane Between Railroad Tracks

Wed August 17, 2022
ALL Family of Companies

Making it easier for pedestrians to walk from downtown Atlanta to the Castleberry Hill historic arts district required only a simple pedestrian bridge to span the five railroad tracks that divide them. Building that bridge? Well, that required a little artistry, too, in nestling a 900-ton capacity crane among those tracks.

The task fell to ALL Crane Rental of Georgia, a member of the ALL Family of Companies.

The bridge piers already constructed, the crane was called on to pick and set beams across them. A Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 all terrain crane was specified for the work, manned by an ALL Crane operator. The recently acquired LTM 1750 is a 900-ton, 9-axle, 18-wheel all-terrain crane that features powerful load capacity, software upgrades, and a new luffing jib configuration using lattice sections to provide additional capacity increases.

Against the backdrop of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, one of the five railroad tracks in the gulch below splits off from the rest. It creates a perfect V-shape of clear land where the crane could set up.

"It was literally the only place where we could put the crane, and it was in just about the perfect spot," said Mark Cheatham, rental, and sales specialist of ALL Crane Rental of Georgia.

A Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 all terrain crane was specified for the work, manned by an ALL Crane operator.

Determining which crane to use and how it would be configured required some testing with lift-planning software.

"We experimented a bit," said Cheatham. "It soon became clear that the 1750 was the right machine for job. The capacity, boom and lattice jib were important considerations. Plus, the addition of a Y-guying system to support the boom would add remarkable load capacity, particularly for lifting high but at a short radius."

This one was trucked in from another ALL branch in Pittsburgh.

Two layers of crane mats, topped by steel, created a solid base. From this position, the crane was able to do its work configured with 89 ft. of main boom and 69 ft. of luffing jib, reaching at a radius that topped out at 92 ft. A Liebherr Y-frame package added strength to the boom.

A representative of the railroad was present for both days of the project, keeping the ALL team informed of train traffic in the vicinity. For maximum safety, an hour before a train was slated to arrive in the area, crane work halted. It remained stopped for another hour after the train had cleared the area. Nevertheless, the crane stayed put, so trains passing by during those two days got a dramatic, up-close look at the Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1.

The crane picked a total of nine bridge beams over the two days, each approximately 98 ft. long and weighing 134,000 lbs. Crane counterweights totaling 450,000 lbs. provided stability for the lifts. The completed bridge is slated to open to pedestrian traffic in November.

For more information, visit www.allcrane.com.

The recently acquired LTM 1750 is a 900-ton, 9-axle, 18-wheel all-terrain crane that features powerful load capacity, software upgrades, and a new luffing jib configuration using lattice sections to provide additional capacity increases.