Masonry Magazine December 1983 Page. 17
Unique Self-erecting Crane Takes the Pinch Out of a Tight Squeeze
Austrian-built machine needs minimal space to erect and maneuver
When you have a unique material handling problem, it generally takes a unique approach to solve it. Such was the case recently in Seattle, Wash., when the construction firm Gall-Landau-Young had to crane a lowrise building on one of the city's busiest corners. Because of the extremely tight quarters, all conventional lifting methods were ruled out.
The six-story retail/residential First & Pine Building is situated in the popular Pike Place Market district of Seattle, just a stone's throw from Puget Sound. The construction job site was bounded by First Ave., Pine St., and Post Alley (a market building abuts the fourth side). Erecting any kind of crane at all on First Ave. was ruled out by the city because of trolley wires and traffic congestion. Pine St., which slopes westward toward the Sound, was likewise excluded since the city allowed the contractor only 8 ft. of easement as a material staging area.
This left only Post Alley to erect the lifting equipment. The difficulty here was that the neck of the alley measured a scant 14 ft. from the neighboring building to the edge of the excavation. However, the excavation line did injog after 80 ft. to allow a crane operating space of 24 ft. between the edge of the First & Pine Building and chain-link fence bordering a pedestrian walkway.
According to job superintendent Bob Langberg, there was no physical way possible for a mobile crane to operate within the extremely tight clearance allowed. So, the first type of lifting machine considered was a small, conventional tower crane. This idea was abandoned, however, after it was learned that, due to heavy market traffic, erection and dismantling work could take place only on Sunday morning at a prohibitive premium-time pay rate.
The bottom-slewing crane needs only a 24-ft. dia. circle to deliver 360 degrees turning radius.
Aerial view shows tight spot the 44 K got itself into.