News

New editions for B30.9 (Slings) and B30.20 (Below-the-Hook Lifting Devices) are scheduled for later this year. Neither have yet been submitted to ASME or ANSI for final approval, but it is anticipated that they will be ready for public review by the end of June, explains Joseph Wendler, engineering advisor for ASME Codes and Standards. […]

Veri-Tek International, Wixom, Mich., a company that designs and builds specialty equipment for the automotive and heavy equipment industry, announced it has signed a definitive agreement to purchase all the outstanding equity of Manitex, Georgetown, Texas, from Quantum Value Management. The agreement provides for total consideration of approximately $35 million, which shall be paid by […]

According to a recent edition of Construction Labor Report, the National Construction Alliance (NCA) of basic trade unions is expected to open in May with three affiliates – the Carpenters and Joiners of America, the Laborers' International Union and the International Union of Operating Engineers. According to the SC&RA newsletter, the National Heavy & Highway […]

Link-Belt Construction Equipment, Lexington, Ky., has partnered with sister company, Hitachi Sumitomo Construction Crane Co., to introduce the 45-ton TCC-450 telescopic crawler crane to the North American market. Merging the capabilities of a rough-terrain crane with the mobility and stability of a crawler crane, the TCC-450 is the North American derivative of Hitachi Sumitomo's telescopic […]

Part One When Altec Industries, Inc., Daleville, Va., entered the boom truck market, it made the decision to enter through an exclusive distribution agreement with Custom Truck and Equipment LLC (Custom), based in Kansas City, Mo. Although Custom is the sole distributor for the Altec Crane products, after-sales service and support is a joint effort […]

The sale of MTU Detroit Diesel Inc., Detroit, to private equity firm EQT Partners was finalized in March. MTU Detroit Diesel is the former Off-Highway division of Detroit Diesel Corporation, which was spun off as a separate company in January. “We are tremendously excited about the direction we are headed,” said Ulrich Kemnitz, CEO of […]

Twisco, the ultra-compact, three-wheeled telehandler manufactured by Manitou, has been expanded to include a second model in the series. Small in size, the new Twisco SLT 420B shown first at Intermat features a 4,000-pound capacity and 13-foot lift height. Including 48-inch forks, the overall dimensions are 65"x181"x75". With specifications similar to the 2,800-pound capacity Twisco […]

At Intermat, Liebherr introduced the LTM 1160-5.1 and LTM 1040-2.1 all-terrain cranes. The 176-ton LTM 1160-5.1 is the successor to the LTM 1150-5.1, featuring a 206-foot-long, five-section telescopic boom that is 19 feet longer than the boom on the previous model. The boom is extended and retracted using the TELEMATIK rapid-action telescoping system. A 22-foot […]

The Construction Institute (CI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has entered into a collaborative agreement with the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) aimed at promoting the benefits of crane operator certification. The agreement, signed January 25, 2006 in New York, provides a broad framework for cooperation between the […]

The proposed safety standard for cranes and derricks continues to make its way through OSHA's maze of directorates, offices, and committees. September 2006 is the next important date looming ahead, when a report from the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SEBREFA) panel is due. The standard next goes to the Solicitor's Office while the […]