Manitowoc Crawlers Confront Frosty Conditions on Ice Mountain

June 25, 2013- Two Manitowoc crawler cranes overcame winter temperatures to help erect wind turbines at Sandy Ridge Wind Farm in Tyrone, Penn.

Lomma Crane & Rigging, a Newark, N.J.-based industrial rental company, used a Manitowoc 18000 crawler crane and a Manitowoc 2250 crawler crane on the project. In all, it erected 25 Gamesa G87 wind turbines at the wind farm that tower up to 330 ft. Some of the equipment weighed more than 99t.

“Despite the challenging conditions, our Manitowoc cranes operated smoothly the entire time,” said Steve Burkholder, Lomma's heavy lift manager. “The project went flawlessly.”

Lomma chose the 660t  Manitowoc 18000 crawler crane with 320 ft.of boom to construct the tall wind turbines. A 300t Manitowoc 2250 crawler crane with 300 ft. of boom was also on hand to lift the turbines’ tower sections, nacelles, rotors, and blades.

The Sandy Ridge Wind Farm is located atop Ice Mountain, in the middle of the Allegheny Mountains. The cranes battled subzero temperatures, high winds, hilly terrain and large amounts of snow to complete the project.

The northern portion of the Appalachian Mountains has some of the highest potential for wind energy in the U.S. Sandy Ridge Wind Farm is estimated to provide 125 GW h per year and has been operational since January 2012.

Burkholder said: “I’ve been in the business since 1975 and Manitowoc cranes have been a staple since the start,” he said. “The service is great, the team is impeccable and the company’s knowledge is extensive.”