July 14 - A Manitowoc MLC300 crawler crane owned by Central Contractors Service - a division of the ALL Family of Companies - is being used in the construction of a new hotel at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Paul Urbanski, sales manager at Central Contractors Service, said that the 300-tonne capacity MLC300 was the best choice for the job due to its low ground bearing pressure, which he claims is made possible by its variable positioning counterweight (VPC).

Contractors originally planned to use another similar capacity crawler crane, but due to the site's close proximity to a foundation wall and the need to lift from a basement cavity, a model with lower ground bearing pressure was required.

As part of the project, which is scheduled for completion this summer, the MLC300 model is lifting 45-tonne trusses and 4.5-tonne steel bundles to heights of more than 21 m.

www.manitowoccranes.com