Two Grove mobile cranes were valuable tools in constructing Maggie Daley Park in Chicago, Ill. An RT530E-2 rough-terrain crane and a GMK3055 all-terrain crane navigated the job site’s tight working quarters and limited lift locations to help complete the $60-million project, which included a new park and renovation of a field house.
The two Grove cranes placed steel gridwork to support recreational climbing towers and an ice rink building. They also erected light poles throughout the park, which is named after the wife of former Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley. The park occupies the former site of the Daley Bicentennial Plaza.
Walsh Construction, Chicago, was the project's general contractor, and Aldridge Electric, also of Chicago, was the subcontractor that erected lighting and performed other lift work with the two Grove cranes.
One Grove was rented from K&K Iron Works, McCook, Ill. The other was rented from Central Crane, Crestwood, Ill. Both were chosen for their reach and capacity.
The park is built atop an underground parking garage, which limited placement of the cranes to areas that could support their ground-bearing pressure. That made the Groves' ample reach and capacity especially important.
Seth Bransky, project manager for K&K Iron Works, said the Grove cranes were ideal for the job site's challenging terrain and physical logistics. He also noted that the intricate lifts required rigorous planning due to the limited number of places the cranes could be set up.
“The work was very challenging because you cannot just roll on top of an existing parking garage anywhere you please,” Bransky said. “The reach of the Grove cranes was essential to completing the project quickly and safely.”
Construction began in 2012, after the job site’s ground surface and trees were removed to repair the roof of the underground parking facility. The GMK3055 was used to lift steel onto the top of the garage in order to transfer weight loads to the garage columns.
The 141-ft. boom on the GMK3055 handled the lifting work with ease, using its maximum length to lay some of the lighter steel beams over the parking facility. The crane’s 60-ton capacity was more than enough to complete the heaviest lift of 5.5 tons.
The 30-ton Grove RT530E-2 installed lighting tripods throughout the park. Its 95-ft. boom installed the lights at heights to 50 ft., and its maneuverability on the job site also proved valuable.
Mike Kazmirak, project manager for Aldridge Electric, Chicago, Ill., which installed the light tripods, said that the crane moved quickly around the park without ruining any of the newly poured sidewalks, which was critical to completing the project on a tight schedule. “We were able to get the crane back and forth throughout the park without any problems,” Kazmirak said.
Bransky added that the job site had a range of different terrain. “The mobility of the RT530E-2 and its ability to get close in to the structures was very helpful for the project,” he said.
K&K Iron Works specializes in fabricating and erecting structural steel and other metal. K&K says it is the only company the Chicago area with AISC certification in both fabrication and erection. It owns three Grove cranes.
K&K's Grove and Manitowoc crane dealer is Walter Payton Power Equipment, which is headquartered in Riverdale, Ill., and has other offices across Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan.
Aldridge Electric is a 61-year-old, family-owned, civil and electrical contractor. It has more than 850 employees and nearly 1,200 pieces of equipment, making it one of the largest specialty contractors in the United States.
Walsh Construction is a family-owned general contracting, construction management, and design-build firm. It is the largest construction company in Chicago.
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