Three's Company

When the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) calls a bridge project complex, it is worth noting.

That is how the agency described a recent undertaking at the convergence of three interstates running concurrently along a 67-mi. corridor in Wisconsin, primarily between Madison and Portage. Dawes Rigging & Crane Rental, a member of the ALL Family of Companies, was asked to play a small but crucial role.

Along that shared I-39/90/94 corridor, bridges spanning the Wisconsin River in Columbia County are being replaced. Originally built in 1961, the bridges are being reconstructed alongside the existing spans to maintain traffic flow throughout the project.

WisDOT awarded the work to Kraemer North America, and Kraemer reached out to Dawes for strategic crane support. It's a noteworthy ask because Kraemer is mostly using its own crawler cranes for the new bridge construction — as many as seven at a time — but recognized Dawes' expertise in all-terrain cranes for a critical early phase of the project.

Dawes delivered a 550-ton Liebherr LTM 1450-8.1 all-terrain crane to set up on the recently completed abutment for the first of the new bridges.

"Kraemer understood the value that could be realized from using a fast set-up mobile crane to assist one of their crawlers for a series of dual picks of beams for the new bridge," said Dennis Cunningham, Dawes sales representative.

The AT plays a complementary role, but still a vital one. All of Kraemer's crawler cranes are set up on a temporary causeway under the new construction that Kraemer specially built off the banks of the Wisconsin River.

"The causeway is a true marvel that enables the crawlers to safely operate some 65 feet below the new bridge's elevation," said Cunningham.

To successfully dual pick the nine concrete beams needed to start off the first bridge, moving westward from the new abutment, required a crane able to sit directly on the abutment. The extra days needed to assemble a crawler, as well as setting crane matting to protect the brand-new pavement from the potential for getting chewed up by a crawler's tracks, made the AT the more desirable choice.

"It made more sense to have us spend two days on site with the AT than to mobilize one of their crawlers," said Cunningham. "We could drive it to the site the night before, complete assembly and target ground prep to support the outriggers rather than matting the whole abutment."

Dawes' Liebherr LTM 1450-8.1 and Kraemer's crawler worked together to dual pick and set the bridge beams. The Liebherr, picking at a 70-ft. radius, was configured with 104 ft. of boom and 229,300 lbs. of counterweight.

Getting the counterweight to the location was a process of its own.

"Because our crane was on an abutment with no bridge yet constructed, it was effectively a dead-end for our tractor-trailer drivers," said Cunningham. "We couldn't back all the way in due to lack of space and the northbound lane closure. Our driver had to pull in forward and stop the front of the tractor at the rear of the crane. It's not the normal backing-in delivery position. Then when completed, they had to back all the way out."

The beams, weighing in at 143,500 lbs. and measuring 140-ft. long, were picked from a closed lane on the existing bridge. Dawes' Liebherr picked the south end of a beam, Kraemer's crawler picked the north end. The Liebherr swung its end into place as the crawler swung and also walked with its end. The team was able to set all nine beams in the course of one long day's work.

"Looking at the overall project, it's amazing to see what Kraemer has accomplished," said Cunningham. "The temporary causeway is an achievement all on its own, not to mention constructing bridges that carry traffic for three interstates. We're pleased we were able to play a role in getting these new bridges constructed."

For more information, visit allcrane.com.