Featured in Lift Line Summer 2025
In the heavy-lift business, there’s no room for the sophomore slump. So, once again, on a clear day in April 2025, four southern branches of the ALL Family of Companies got the band back together to execute a rare four-crane lift of a massive steel truss as part of construction of a new hangar at an international airport in northern Florida. Nearly three years prior, they had performed a similar operation during construction of a different hangar for the same company.
“This new hangar is located in sight of the one we built in 2022,” said Scott Swearengin, sales representative with ALL Crane Rental of Alabama, which was awarded the contract to provide the cranes to WS Construction.
Due to the size and weight of the truss – 422 feet long, 19.5 feet high, 8.5 feet deep, and 608,000 pounds – four all terrain (AT) cranes with capacities of at least 550 tons were needed to execute the lift.
The Alabama branch sourced the cranes from three of its sister yards at ALL branches in three other southern states: ALL Crane Rental of Florida, located in Tampa; ALL Crane Rental of Georgia, located in Austell; and ALL Crane Rental of Louisiana, located in Geismar.
From the Georgia branch came a 600-USt Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1, Tampa supplied a 550-USt Liebherr LTM 1450-8.1, Geismar contributed a second 1450, and from the Alabama yard was a 550-USt Grove GMK7550.
Each crane was rigged to the truss at the same time and lifted in perfect unison, with skilled, homegrown ALL crane operators in each cab. The two Liebherr 1450-8.1 ATs were configured with 139 feet of main boom and 207,200 pounds of counterweight, the Liebherr 1500-8.1 had 138 feet of main boom and 198,000 pounds of counterweight, and the Grove GMK7550 had 131 feet of main boom and 176,300 pounds of counterweight.
The giant truss had to be lifted 60 feet in the air then held in position as ironworkers made the necessary connections to secure it in place. As a section of the truss was secured, cranes could unhook one by one.
Although lifting the truss into position took a relatively brisk 45 minutes, holding it in place took significantly longer. The first crane unhooked after about four hours, but the last crane remained connected for more than 24 hours.
Months of work preceded lift day, reserving cranes from their respective yards, designing and remaining lift plans, and developing a remediation plan for any ground bearing pressure issues.
"As lift day approached, it took two weeks to mobilize the crane truckloads,” said Swearengin. “The cranes arrived the week before, and we had them assembled two days before the lift.”
Two of the cranes also performed a tandem lift on a smaller truss, with three of the four pieces of equipment remaining at the site to set step trusses.
"Although we regularly perform critical lifts, and did a four-crane pick previously just like this one, it’s our job to never become complacent,” said Swearengin. “Success begins in the planning and continues through meticulous execution.”
