When a construction project demands lifting modules weighing nearly half a million pounds or placing steam turbine generators exceeding 778,000 pounds, there is no room for equipment that cannot deliver. Buckner Companies, based in Graham, North Carolina, has spent the past decade building North America’s largest fleet of Liebherr crawler cranes, establishing itself as a premier heavy lift specialist. The company’s strategic investment in crawler crane technology parallels its expertise in moving oversized equipment, as seen in How Buckner Companies Specs Heavy Trucks for Cross Country Crane Hauling, where fleet coordination and transportation engineering ensure cranes arrive safely at jobsites across the nation.
The Rise of Buckner Companies as a Heavy Lift Specialist
Buckner Companies began its aggressive fleet expansion more than ten years ago, recognizing that the heavy civil and energy construction sectors would require increasingly powerful lifting capacity. Today, the company operates over 80 cranes, with Liebherr crawler cranes forming the backbone of its heavy lift inventory. This specialization has allowed Buckner to secure contracts on some of the most demanding power generation and infrastructure projects in the United States.
Building North America’s Largest Liebherr Crawler Fleet
The cornerstone of Buckner’s lifting capability is its collection of Liebherr crawler cranes. These machines are chosen for reliability, lifting capacity, and advanced engineering that suit the most challenging project environments. The fleet is diversified across multiple capacity classes, allowing the company to match the right crane to each unique lifting requirement.
Strategic Fleet Composition
The company’s crane inventory covers a wide spectrum of lifting needs, from mid-range capacities up to extreme heavy lifts. At the heart of the fleet are thirteen Liebherr LR 1400/2 crawler cranes, each rated at a 440-ton capacity. Buckner also operates LR 1350 models and the massive LR 1750, which delivers an 830-ton lifting capacity for the heaviest assignments.
The most recent addition is the Liebherr LR 1600/2 lattice-boom crawler crane, rated at 660 tons. Buckner has committed to an initial purchase of four units, with the first two delivered in fall 2009, the third arriving in the third quarter of 2010, and the fourth in early 2011. President Doug Williams has indicated these four units are only the beginning, with more to follow as demand for this class of crane continues to grow.
| Crane Model | Capacity (Tons) | Fleet Count | Primary Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liebherr LR 1750 | 830 | Select units | Extreme heavy lift / nuclear |
| Liebherr LR 1600/2 | 660 | 4 (adding more) | Wind / power plants / heavy industrial |
| Liebherr LR 1400/2 | 440 | 13 | General heavy lift / power generation |
| Liebherr LR 1350 | ~350 | Select units | Mid-range heavy lift |
This layered approach sets Buckner apart from competitors. Rather than relying on a single crane class, the company can deploy equipment matched to each project’s load requirements, site constraints, and schedule demands. For projects requiring substantial concrete work, coordination with experienced Concrete Companies ensures foundations and crane pads are properly designed for these massive machines.
Why the LR 1600/2 Is a Game-Changer for Energy Sector Lifting
The Liebherr LR 1600/2 fills a critical gap between the 440-ton class and the 830-ton class. With its 660-ton rated capacity and advanced engineering, this crane is positioned to meet growing demands in the energy sector, where conventional power plants, nuclear facilities, and wind farms all require heavier and taller lifts. The LR 1600/2 delivers a maximum tip height of 630 feet, achieved with a 315-foot main boom combined with a 315-foot luffing jib and optional derrick system.
Optimized for Wind Energy Installations
Butch Robertson, Buckner’s project manager for alternative energy, identifies the LR 1600/2 as the crane of the future for the wind industry. The crane can erect wind turbine masts up to 328 feet high and set the popular 2.4 MW Mitsubishi turbines without requiring a derrick or ballast wagon. This capability delivers key advantages for wind farm construction:
- Eliminates derrick mast assembly, reducing setup time between turbine sites
- Reduces ground bearing pressure, minimizing site preparation and matting costs
- Improves mobility across wind farm layouts for faster repositioning
- Delivers up to 20 percent faster cycle times than other 660-ton cranes
The ability to work without a derrick is especially valuable for wind farms, where cranes must move between multiple turbine locations. Each repositioning that avoids derrick disassembly saves days of schedule and eliminates significant labor costs. Williams states that the LR 1600/2 offers the perfect balance of capacity versus ease of transportation and assembly.
Superior Ground Bearing Pressure Design
Buckner opted for 79-inch-wide crawler tracks instead of the industry standard 59-inch width. The wider tracks distribute the crane’s weight and load forces over a larger area, significantly reducing ground bearing pressure. The benefits include:
- Less site preparation before crane assembly can begin
- Reduced matting and cribbing costs on soft or variable soil
- Faster movement between lift positions with less ground remediation
- Lower ground bearing pressure than the smaller LR 1400 in many cases
These savings are comparable to the efficiency gains seen in modern material handling systems used by leading Cement Companies United States, where advanced equipment design directly improves project economics.
Real-World Performance on Major Power Projects
Buckner’s first LR 1600/2 units proved their value immediately on some of the most challenging heavy lift projects in the country. These real-world applications demonstrate the crane’s capabilities across diverse project types and conditions.
Florida Power and Light Gas Turbine Upgrade
The first LR 1600/2 was deployed in Loxahatchee, Florida, for Zachry Industrial on a Florida Power and Light gas turbine plant upgrade. The crane began with 276 feet of main boom in the derrick and full ballast wagon configuration, placing 22 heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) modules weighing up to 479,000 pounds each. After completing these lifts, the crane was reconfigured with a shorter 197-foot boom to set the 778,000-pound steam turbine generator and combustion turbines.
Stennis Space Center and the Ares I Mission
After Florida, the first LR 1600/2 moved to the Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, where Beyel Bros. Inc. is using it to set the test cell for the Ares I space rocket, part of upcoming NASA missions. The transition from commercial power generation to aerospace infrastructure highlights the crane’s adaptability. The precision required for setting rocket test cell components exceeds typical industrial standards, and the LR 1600/2’s control systems meet these exacting demands.
The John W. Turk Jr. Power Plant Project
Buckner’s second LR 1600/2 is deployed in Fulton, Arkansas, supporting Babcock and Wilcox Construction on the $1.3 billion, 600 MW John W. Turk Jr. coal-fired power plant for American Electric Power. Six months into a 24-month project, the crane has proven its value. Project manager Jerry Masten reports that both units have exceeded expectations in capacity, reliability, and ease of maintenance. The LR 1600/2 holds a capacity advantage over other cranes in its class, with top-notch finish quality and logically laid-out components that simplify routine servicing.
Smart Technology and Maintenance Advantages
Beyond raw lifting capacity, the LR 1600/2 incorporates advanced technologies that improve lift planning, operational safety, and site adaptability. The crane combines mechanical engineering excellence with digital intelligence.
LICCON Lift Planning Software
The LICCON (Liebherr Computer-Controlled) software system allows operators to perform sophisticated lift simulations in real time. Masten describes it as a substantial step up from other lift planning software, enabling the team to calculate required boom lengths and simulate lifts before committing to actual crane configuration. Software capabilities include:
- Real-time lift planning with immediate load chart verification
- Boom length optimization for specific lift parameters
- Ground bearing pressure calculation and weight distribution planning
- Full lift simulation to identify potential conflicts or clearance issues
This saves significant time during planning and execution. Instead of manual estimates, Buckner’s engineers model each lift with precision, optimizing crane configuration while maintaining safety margins.
Hydraulically Adjustable Ballast System
The LR 1600/2’s hydraulically adjustable ballast trailer can be adjusted even under full load from a compact 43-foot radius to an extended 59-foot radius. On congested power plant sites where space is at a premium, the ability to pull the ballast wagon in maintains lifting capacity while keeping a smaller operational footprint. Masten highlights this as one of the biggest advantages, particularly for space constraints common on power plant projects, where multiple trades work simultaneously and available space around the crane is limited. When evaluating different contractor categories involved in complex projects, the overview in Comprehensive Guide to 8 Types of Construction Companies provides useful context on how heavy civil, industrial, and energy-sector specialists each bring expertise to large-scale developments.
The combination of fleet depth, innovative crane design, advanced planning software, and experienced operators positions Buckner Companies as a leader in the heavy lift sector. As energy projects demand larger components, the company’s investment in Liebherr crawler cranes provides the lifting capacity, operational flexibility, and technological sophistication to meet these challenges.