January 24 - Wisconsin based crane rental company, Viant Crane, supplied a Grove RT765E-2 rough terrain crane to relocate an 87-year old Viking ship in a park in Minnesota.
The 65-tonne capacity crane overcame size and ground weight limitations and uneven terrain to move the irreplaceable cargo.
After funding to complete the project fell through, Viant Crane generously supplied the crane and completed the lifting operation at no cost. "We believe in giving back to the community and we didn't want to see this project canceled because of lack of funding," explained Nick Minardi, director of operations, Viant Crane.
The RT76E5-2 initially lifted the 4.65-tonne vessel 20 m into the air so it could be swung 180 degrees over nearby trees to avoid damaging them, before positioning the Viking ship on a light pickup trailer for a 550 m transport across the national park.
The vessel was then lifted onto a separate trailer that met highway weight and clearance regulations, for onward transportation.
The RT76E5-2 was selected for this project due to its small overall footprint; the crane had to able to fit within the park's 3.35 m boardwalk.
