Dawes fleet assists energy plant

Dawes Rigging & Crane Rental was contracted by We Energies, an electricity and natural gas utility in Wisconsin, USA, to supply 20 cranes for the construction of a new air quality control system.

Construction began in 2008 and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2012. As a contractor on the new air quality control system Dawes, an All Erection & Crane Rental Corp company, supplied a fleet of cranes, including rough terrain cranes from 65 to 130 US tons (60 to 118 tonnes) and crawlers from 175 to 660 ton (160 to 600 tonnes) capacity, doing everything from steel erection to placing new ductwork and chimney components.

According to We Energies, the Dawes 750 tonne capacity Manitowoc 18000 crawler crane with Max-Er attachment was "key to saving money on the project, increasing the crane's base capacity to do the required work while reducing cost."

Dawes also provided a 300 ton (272 tonne) capacity Manitowoc 2250 crawler with luffing jib, erected on the side of a bluff between two groups of major power lines coming into the facility. The crane had to be built down below the bluff and brought up the hill separately from the boom to avoid the power lines. The luffing jib was then pinned to the boom from an adjacent parking area. Expert logistics and safety planning ensured a success, Dawes said.