Texas Landscape Creations utilized Caldwell’s 6,000-lb. capacity adjustable lifting grab to lift 3,000-lb. concrete blocks during a recent landscaping project.
The lifting grab was used over a three-week period with a SkyTrak telehandler (from Sunbelt Rentals) as the full-service landscaper installed a layer of 5 ft. by 2 ft. by 2 ft. blocks in the grounds of what will be a place of worship. In this instance, the end user honored a landscape and irrigation contract that covered installation of plants, trees, grass, retaining walls and the quarry blocks.
The grab, which is ideal for blocks of concrete, stone, rough marble, granite, or any other solid material, can handle loads as narrow as 3 in. and as wide as 60 in.—and everything in between. Custom configurations are available upon request. Here, it was utilized to move the concrete from the on-site parking lot, across a creek, to their eventual location.
Jeff David, owner / manager at Texas Landscape Creations, said: “We will definitely use it on future work. It is a very efficient product and its adjustable nature was of benefit to this installation, as it will be on other sites. We even changed the orientation of one handle to suit our requirements, which enhanced user friendliness even further. It also proved to be a real time-saver; I would guess that we saved 30% of the total time estimated for that project by using the new clamp.”
The Caldwell Group Inc., of Rockford, Illinois, design and manufacture the product to ASME B30.20 and BTH-1, design category B, service class 3 standards. It is suitable for high duty cycle environments and a color-coded decal indicates to the user the amount of travel remaining during each adjustment. Extended handles keep the operator away from the load, while the lifting eye allows for easy hook attachment, self-centers rigging, and will accommodate a fork, as was utilized on the church project.
David said: “Safety is our number one goal and as of now this is the safest way to install such blocks. Previously, we would have used forks and / or slings—usually a combination of the two.”
Texas Landscape Creations will continue to use the adjustable lifting grab for upcoming projects. David explained that the company is typically hired for commercial installations at office buildings and apartment complexes; homeowner’s association (HOA) entrances; and roadways. It has also been involved in projects on the campus of Texas A&M University. However, it retains a crew for smaller, residential work and has three mowing teams and two irrigation repair technicians.