Think of an extreme environment: a hot, dusty, alkaline limestone mine in Turkey, perhaps; or the sands of Egypt – also hot, dry, and abrasive; or maybe the Canadian north in winter; a Namibian dockside – facing the storms and salt-laden winds of the Southern Atlantic; a dusty construction site in Brazil; or even the confined and narrow spaces of an Italian refinery.
These are all rough terrains… and so are the cranes that work there. Rough terrain (RT) cranes are designed to be rugged, to forgo the luxury of paved level surfaces in favour of mud, rock, sand and the potholes, bumps and unevenness that go therewith. And they manage these environments very well as the examples here will demonstrate.
Rough terrain cranes are, of course, designed for these extremes. In contrast, all terrains may have more axles but are longer, less manoeuvrable, and the ‘all’ in their name is not strictly correct. Sure, all terrain cranes can travel on roads and at speeds that can cover long distances – something that RTs generally cannot do – but put an all terrain crane on a claggy, boggy, clay field in pouring rain with mud potentially so deep it covers the crane’s axles and you’ll be phoning for heavy machinery to pull your so-called ‘all terrain’ out of its hole before the morning is out. Not so with a rough terrain.
Let’s start not with mud, though, but with the aforementioned limestone mine.
The rough terrain in question operating here is a Grove GRT8120 from Manitowoc. Yil-Mer, one of Turkey’s leading limestone producers, recently purchased the country’s first example of the machine and has put it to work in its mine. The crane was bought through long-time Manitowoc dealer Karun Makina and it is the largest Grove rough terrain crane in the country.
RIGHT AT HOME
“The Grove GRT8120 is performing well for Yil-Mer,” says Paulo Costa, Manitowoc’s sales manager for mobile cranes in the Middle East. “It’s a very tough workplace, but the GRT8120 is right at home. There is already a strong reputation for Grove rough terrain cranes in Turkey, and several GRT880 and GRT8100 cranes are at work.”
The crane offers, says Manitowoc, some of the most impressive characteristics of any two-axle rough terrain on the market. As well as a lifting capability of 120 tonnes the crane has a seven-section, 60 metre Megaform boom which gives up to 80.8m of tip height when using the optional jib. It also has the option of the Grove’s MAXbase system, allowing greater flexibility with a variable outrigger positioning system for congested jobsites (and mines generally count as congested). A wide, full-vision cab with 20-degree tilt is designed to maximise comfort and visibility, while Manitowoc’s Crane Control System (CCS) includes the Boom Configurator mode for simpler setup and on-board lift planning.
“This is the first GRT8120 in Turkey and we expect its performance to generate further interest,” says Costa. “Manitowoc has a strong partner in Turkey with Karun Makina, and customers know they’ll get all the service and support they need to keep their cranes working on the jobsite.”
SANDS OF TIME
Moving clockwise round the Mediterranean we come to Egypt. Egypt, as we know, has antiquities. It also has an antique Grove. It is not quite as aged as the 4,000-year-old pyramids, but it is owned by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and has been working for them since 2009 – which makes it at least a veteran. As you might imagine, it has operated on some impressive historical projects in its time. It is a Grove RT600E and it is currently assisting the preservation of Egypt's famous Karnak Temple in Luxor.
Ahmed Marey is commercial director at Orascom Services – the sole distributor for Grove in Egypt since 1995. “Our portfolio covers a wide range of industries, including construction, infrastructure, industrial manufacturing, and agriculture,” he says. “We support many of those industries with Grove RT cranes.
“They are being used in a large variety of infrastructure projects taking place in Egypt, including the development of the New Suez Canal [the southern section has been widened and expanded to increase its capacity] and the construction of New Alamein City and New Administrative Capital, which will become a new centre for government and more.
“We’ve had several recent deliveries during the last period. The latest was a 30 tonne (30 ton) Grove RT530-2 which was designated for one of the leading construction and infrastructure companies in Egypt.”
Karnak is some 3000 years old; the 15-year-old Grove RT working there is, of course, a mere youngster in comparison. Marey, however, knows of a Grove crane currently operating with one of his largest customers that has been there since the 1980s. “This is the oldest one on our books,” he says, “but it’s possible there may be even older Grove RT cranes working in Egypt.” Cranes only last that long if they were built ruggedly to start with.
CATCH OF THE DAY
A couple of thousand miles southeast takes us to Namibia and its Atlantic coast, renowned for being one of the wildest and stormiest in the world. Concord Cranes Group, a major crane hire company in Southern Africa, recently ordered two Terex TRT 35 rough terrain cranes from Terex distributor Goscor Access Solutions to work on port jetties there. Specifically, the cranes have gone to Concord Cranes Namibia – which has branches in Okahandja, Walvis Bay and Lüderitz. Concord Cranes Namibia has tripled the size of its crane fleet during its ten years in business.
The first TRT 35 is already at work. Speaking of its suitability for jetties across the local market Francois Smith of Concord Cranes says, “The Terex TRT 35 was selected for its compact size and manoeuvrability, which is needed to access confined spaces on port jetties. The crane is used extensively in the food industry, offloading fish from fishing vessels to the processing plant, which requires accuracy, high safety standards, speed, and reliability – which the Terex TRT35 provides with ease.”
It is a flexible and durable off-road crane with a maximum capacity of 35t, a boom length of 30.1m, and an additional jib extension of 8m. It has the TEOS control system designed to improve safety, usability, efficiency of navigation, operation, and information flow. The crane has compact dimensions and counterweights (that can be either fixed, modular, or removable), a synchronised, four-section telescopic boom, and Terex’s T-Link telematics. It has four steering options for manoeuvrability and Powershift permanent four-wheel drive, with two modes to satisfy operators driving style: manual mode has three speeds forward and three speeds reverse, while automatic mode has five speeds forward and three reverse.
Goscor Access has a wellestablished footprint in South Africa and is capable of delivering machines anywhere in Southern Africa. As part of the Bud Group it is able to use its branches in Mozambique, Ghana, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland.
Terex RT sales manager Guillaume Bertrand says, “The region is a critical market for us and not only does Goscor Access Solutions have good knowledge of the lifting industry but it also has a huge footprint in the countries it is responsible for. We look forward to continued growth in this market.”
STRONG AND AGILE
Two new Liebherr LRT 1100-2.1 rough terrain cranes arrived in Brazil last summer for construction company Milplan. The company has more than 5,000 employees, 12 construction sites, a fleet of 25 cranes, and over 100 other items of large-scale equipment. It serves major mining and energy companies as well as oil and gas companies, like Petrobras and Cobra Brasil, and steel mills such as Usiminas and Gerdau.
The new rough terrain cranes are part of the company’s fleet expansion project. A 100-tonne class telescopic crawler crane from Liebherr, the LTR 1100, completed Milplan’s order. The machines will be used for construction work, electromechanical assembly projects, pipeline construction, plus maintenance shutdowns in the mining, steel, and energy industries.
“We were looking for versatile and powerful cranes that would bring agility and strength to our operations,” said Leonardo Mendes, CEO of Milplan. “That’s why we opted for the combination of a telescopic crawler crane and two RT cranes.” With these three machines Milplan closed its first deal with Liebherr.
Liebherr’s rough terrain cranes, the LRT series, have been developed, says the company, to provide maximum safety during operations. With Liebherr’s VarioBase outrigger technology these cranes can achieve higher load capacities with variable outrigger positions; loads are constantly monitored to ensure operational safety. The cabin is adjustable to give the operator the best view of the operation. Liebherr LRT cranes come with comprehensive monitoring systems: during telescoping or counterweight adjustments the operator has access to indicators that signal safe operation.
“Equipped with tyres suitable for challenging terrains and with Liebherr’s telescopic boom technology, the rough terrain cranes provide a practical, safe, and efficient solution for operations that require mobility and power,” says Rene Porto, divisional manager of mobile and crawler cranes at Liebherr Brasil.
REMOTE WORKING
In Canada, Guay specialises in crane rentals throughout Quebec. In 2023 it increased its rental fleet with the purchase of no fewer than 19 Tadano rough terrain cranes, ranging from the 55 ton class up to 160 ton RTs.
Guillaume Gagnon, executive vice president of Guay, says, “We wanted to renew the RTs in our rental fleet; we now have access to better technology such as the Smart Chart on the Tadano. Our decision was made on the reliability of the Tadano RTs. We work in remote areas in winter conditions, so we wanted to have a rough terrain that was reliable. We like that all the rough terrain models have the same operational pattern, with lots of parts in common. So for our technicians and crane operators, they are easier to operate and to maintain – which increases our productivity for our customers.” See a video on the purchase here: www.youtube. com/watch?v=6H-sEiV35TM
LEAN AND CLEAN
Link-Belt Cranes is another major producer of rough terrains. At ConExpo 2023 in Las Vegas in March last year it showed its newest model, the 85 ton (80 tonne) 85|RT. The crane has a new Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) designed to improve the efficiency and the lifespan of the crane while reducing fuel consumption and minimising emissions.
“In our ongoing effort to produce products that are more sustainable, our engineering team has leveraged some of the latest cutting-edge technology to develop an APU unit that is lean, clean, and green,” said Kelly Fiechter, Link-Belt’s product manager for rough terrain cranes. According to Link-Belt a study of shared telematics data concluded that almost 70 percent of rough terrain crane engine hours are logged at engine idle. This APU system is designed to help reduce idle time – the engine can be switched off leaving the auxiliary power still available – and so reduce engine hours on the crane, reduce engine emissions, and potentially reduce required regular service. The APU, it claims, is also very quiet compared to main engine run sound levels.
For Link-Belt this patentpending APU design will be a new option that allows a crane to keep the operator ‘cab comfortable’ by maintaining the integrated HVAC system while the engine is off. The APU will run from a self-charging lithium-ion battery.
In the round-up of difficult environments with which we began this article we did not include the swamps of the Everglades (or, just as an aside, the alligators that live in them). That is where a Link-Belt 85|RT is currently at work. One imagines that the ‘cab comfort’ provided by the APU-powered air conditioning would be especially appreciated by the operator in that environment.
DC Crane Service, Inc. of West Palm Beach, Florida rented a new machine from Link-Belt Florda distributor Kelly Tractor for work on the Everglades Restoration Act project. The $10.5 billion restoration project is part of an ongoing 35-year effort to maintain and protect Florida’s drinking water as it connects the Florida Everglades to the Kissimmee River and greater River of Grass ecosystem in South Florida.
“We chose the 85|RT because of its mobility,” said DC Crane Service co-owner, Dan Connor.
DC Crane is able to travel the five-mile distance between workstations with the full counterweight 19,200 lbs (8,700 kg) on the machine.
“We needed something big enough to do the work but small and nimble enough to drive from station to station. We can retract the boom and drive the five miles between them,” Connor added.
The 85|RT supports general construction at each station, handling construction materials like tall formwork and rebar cages for columns, scaffolding, and large dumpsters. Culvert pipes 4ft. (1.2m) in diameter and 25ft. (7.6m) in length are placed at up to a 60ft. (18.2m) radius.
The 85|RT hoists 18,000lbs. (8,100kg) concrete pipe sections running from the newly constructed canal into the station with 95ft. (28.9m) of boom extended.
“I like the fine metering system on the 85|RT because when I’m setting the pipes, I want my hoist line to go much slower than I normally use it. It’s nice having fine metering, which allows me to control the speed of the hoist line,” said operator Alex Goode.
The base of each station measures 60ft. (18.2m) by 80ft. (24.3m). Each station comprises 16 columns spaced evenly apart. The 85|RT works with full 142ft. (43.2m) of main boom extended and operator Goode typically works at between 45ft. (13.7m) and 115ft. (35m) of radius.
“Because the columns are hard to see around, the hoist line camera is very useful when they only need half an inch of cable on the ground,” said Goode. “It’s pretty common to be in the blind when we are lifting the rebar cages behind existing framework, so a camera like this is important.”
REFINED VERSATILITY
And, finally, to the Italian refinery. RTs are not limited to mud, swamp and ice; the short wheelbase makes them well-suited to confined and intricate paved surfaces, too.
Welding Duebi, based in the Veneto region, is a leader in the field of plant engineering, offering services and products aimed at the petrochemical, chemical, oil and energy industries.
The company has been using a TRT 65 from Terex, the first to be delivered in Italy, at a refinery whose maintenance it manages.
“Within the refinery it is necessary to have at least one crane available 365 days a year capable of carrying out all required tasks reliably and efficiently," explains Nicola Barotti, CEO and partner. "While we have more than 20 types of Terex cranes in our fleet, the new TRT 65 is ideal for the refinery since it can juggle a congested and space-restricted environment. Due to its suitability and performance, we decided to allocate it permanently to this site.
“We chose the TRT 65 because it has all the necessary features to meet the needs of a complex site like a refinery. The versatility of the machine, as well as its compactness, is undoubtedly a fundamental element for us, because it allows us to quickly move the vehicle in all areas of the plant, several times a day, both during routine maintenance operations and during the 'shutdown' of the plants, which takes place every two years.
“Agility, manoeuvrability and responsiveness are combined with ease of use and considerable reach and capacity, which allow us to handle products of all types and weights at very variable heights.”
Gabriele Colonna is the machine’s operator. “Worth highlighting from an operator’s point of view is the 'anti-stall' control,” he says, “which allows us to precisely manage the power and speed of the crane. For us as operators this is an important element. The EcoMode function uses the automatic engine throttle to optimise power during crane operation and the 'stand-by' function reduces consumption.”
Its Wi-Fi functionality can be integrated with that of the site where it is operating, enabling features such as the ability to stop the machine's ignition remotely.
So we see rough terrain cranes continue to demonstrate their resilience and adaptability across diverse and challenging environments worldwide. From the rugged terrains of Turkish limestone mines to the ancient temples of Egypt, and from the stormy coasts of Namibia to the swamps of the Everglades, these cranes prove indispensable in a myriad of applications. As the demand for construction, infrastructure development, and industrial projects continues to grow globally, rough terrain crane will continue to be key to progress.
