July 28 - Several Liebherr LR 1100, LR 1130 and LR 1160 crawler cranes have been ordered by SGL Contractors - a joint venture between Skanska USA, Granite and Lane - for use on the renovation of Interstate 4 in central Florida.
The infrastructure project, which is dubbed I-4 Ultimate, comprises the construction and reconstruction of 15 major interchanges and over 145 bridges, four new toll express lanes, and the rebuilding of general use lanes along a 33 km stretch.
SGL Constructors opted for cranes with lifting capacities ranging from 100 to 160 tonnes, all of which will be equipped with both free fall winches and auxiliary winches.
In addition, all the cranes have an auxiliary power unit to operate air conditioning, which Liebherr says is a major benefit in hot regions such as Florida. The cranes are also equipped with new lightning rods on the main boom head, which prevent possible lightning strikes causing damage to the electronics.
Construction work on the interstate is scheduled for completion within the next six and a half years, with the total project cost estimated at more than USD2.3 billion.
