Albert Marine Construction is assisting in the repbuilding effort post Hurricane Sandy and has used an 85 USt (80 t) Manitowoc 8500-1 crawler crane for its part. The company rebuilt the Lavallette Boardwalk that stretches one mile along the Jersey Shore. It was destroyed when Sandy pounded ashore.
“The Manitowoc 8500-1 is incredibly versatile, which was a necessity for this job,” said Bob Albert, owner, Albert Marine Construction. “The hydraulic system on the crane makes it simple to adjust the width of its tracks, greatly increasing stability. We cannot be more pleased with the crane’s performance.”
For the Lavallette Boardwalk job, the Manitowoc 8500-1 lifted an 8 USt (7.2 t) diesel hammer with a piling lead attached to its 100 ft (30.5 m) boom. The crane drove 1,200 wooden pilings deep into the sand, each piling measuring 25 ft (7.6 m) in length. The pilings make up the foundation of the new boardwalk.
The Manitowoc 8500-1 is Albert Marine Construction’s first Manitowoc crane, and it was purchased from Piscataway, N.J.-based Hoffman Equipment. Steve Izzi, vice president of crane sales for Hoffman, has been assisting Albert Marine Construction with the 8500-1’s operation throughout the project.
“Because the crane needed to move up and down the beach so frequently when placing the pilings, this could have been a really time-consuming project,” Izzi explained. “However, with the Manitowoc 8500-1’s removable counterweight system, assembling and disassembling the crane takes only two hours.”
“The service we are getting through Hoffman Equipment is impeccable,” said Albert. “The company is available anytime that we have questions and it has provided us with clear, accurate, and fast information throughout the entire project.”
The project began in February 2013 and finished mid-May. Next, the crane will be moving on to install steel sheets for marine reconstruction in Point Pleasant for the New Jersey State Police project.