Heavy Equipment Industry News Updates

A Grove GMK5165-2, donated by Burger Gruas, has been used to rescue a statue from the top of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago, Chile, after the building was damaged in an earthquake.

Raul Burger, owner of Burger Gruas, explained the significance of the job: "Chileans will feel the aftermath of the earthquake for quite some time. Repairing this great national monument is just one sign of recovery, and our company is honoured to play a role.”

Burger Gruas's crane worked on the lift alongside a fire truck, used to lift a rigger up onto the roof of the cathedral, ready to secure the statue for lifting

While the statue weighed only 3–4t, the importance of the job meant that Burger felt it important to be extra cautious in his choice of crane. The 165USt GMK5165-2 (branded as the GMK5130-2 outside the US) can lift up to 10t at the distances needed for this job. The crane was configured with 54m of boom, and reached out to a distance of 28m.

While Burger's cautious choice of crane added an extra level of safety to such a significant lift, it posed its own problems: the crane was positioned over a subway tunnel, in an already earthquake damaged city, and substantial amounts of cribbing were needed to spread the crane's weight.