Two JJ Curran All-Terrain Cranes Complete Challenging Lift at Detroit Dock

March 14, 2019 - JJ Curran Crane, a crane rental and lifting service headquartered in Detroit, recently completed a massive lifting job at the Detroit city docks.

The project involved a two-crane pick to lift, swing, and place a 109’ long, 19.5’ diameter, 110-ton gas scrubber from a barge docked on the Detroit River to the dock on Zug Island.

Once the scrubber landed on Zug Island, it was transported to a steel mill, where it will be uprighted and set vertically during a plant-wide shutdown this spring.

The lift called for versatile, high-capacity cranes, so JJ Curran deployed its Grove GMK6300L and GMK6400 all-terrain cranes to ensure the job got done with ease.

Both cranes were purchased from Manitowoc dealer Walter Payton Power Equipment, Riverdale, Illinois.

“The weight of the scrubber and 75’ distance from the center of the barge to the landing spot were definitely the biggest challenges,” said Chad McComas, crane operator and field engineer at JJ Curran.

“An additional challenge was the 2-mph current of the Detroit River,” added McComas. “We had to make the lift off the barge that was in the river. The GMK6400 needed to handle approximately 60 tons at 60’ radius, and the GMK6300L had to lift approximately 50 tons at a 55’ radius.  The two GMKs handled the task flawlessly.”

See more photos here.