The cab of Garco Constructions new $1 million Italian-made tower crane not only offers a spectacular view, but also is more upscale than one might expect. Its relatively spacious, and has remote-controlled heating and air conditioning, joystick controls, a touch-screen computer, and even a stereo sound system.


The crane arrived here a few weeks ago in 17 40-foot seagoing shipping containers, and Garco erected it immediately at the city of Spokanes waste-water treatment plant.


The big Spokane-based contractor began work there earlier this year on a $34.1 million project to build and install two huge sewage-sludge processing tanks, called egg-shaped digesters, and the tower crane will be operating there for a year.


This is new stuff. Its called flat-top technology, says James T. Tim Welsh, Garcos president. Its the first tower crane weve bought.


Manufactured by Terex-Comedil, based in Fontanafredda, Italy, the CTT 561-32 flat-top tower crane stands about 190 feet tall and has a nearly 180-foot jib, or horizontal working arm, as configured at the treatment plant. Its designed, though, to accommodate up to a 275-foot jib, which would give it a total operating radius of 550 feet.


The crane can lift up to 71,000 pounds, or about 35.5 tons, and Garcos operator, Wally Forbush, says that thus far it seems to handle heavy loads effortlessly. Its bolted into a 660,000-pound concrete base that was poured for the job and that might or might not remain in place there after the job is completed.


Whats most unusual about the crane visually, for those more accustomed to seeing older-generation tower cranes, is that it has no mast section above the jib, nor jib-supporting cables called pendant lineshence, the flat-top name.


Flat-top cranes are engineered differently to eliminate the need for those stabilizing components, which allows themsince they take up less vertical spaceto operate more easily at congested job sites, such as where more than one crane is being used, says Wayne Gibson, president of Spokanes L&M Truck Sales Inc.


Garco bought the crane through L&M, which is a Terex dealer. The manufacturer says the flat-top design also allows the crane to be set up more quickly.


L&M sells and rents out a wide range of specialty trucks that it customizes for particular uses by its customers, including trucks mounted with lift baskets and cranes. We dont normally sell tower cranes, Gibson says. Ive sold one in my life. This is two.


Contractors often prefer to rent tower cranes, rather than buy them, Gibson says, but rental costs on lengthy projects can be substantial, and Garco has its own iron workers who are familiar with setting up and operating such equipment.


Welsh says renting a tower crane for the treatment-plant project likely would have cost Garco more than $500,000, but one was needed there due to site constraints, so buying one seemed a logical alternative.


Gibson says the crane bought by Garco offers the latest technology available in that type of construction equipment.


Its a brand new model, completely computerizedthe whole thing. Its got like a condo for the operator. Its very sharp, Gibson says. The thing is so smooth, and has so much capacity, its just amazing.


A joystick on the left arm rest of the operators chair controls the trolley that runs along the jib to move a load in and out from the cranes center, andwhen pressed right or leftalso controls the cranes rotation. An identical joystick on the right arm raises or lowers the load. A small touch-screen computer panel mounted in the front left corner of the cab facing the operator provides a range of information, such as load weight, wind speed, tower lean, and hook height above the ground. Welsh and Gibson say the crane also has multiple safety features to ensure that its not operated beyond its limits.


Contractors use tower cranes to lift steel, concrete, and a wide range of other building materials, as well as large tools such as acetylene torches and generators, as quickly and efficiently as possible to where theyre needed on job sites. At the treatment plant here, one of the things the crane will be used for is lifting into place the heavy, curved-steel panel sections that will give the sewage digesters their rounded shape.


Welsh and Gibson flew to Fontanafredda, north of Venice, last April to tour the Terex-Comedil factory and to observe the crane-fabrication process and the testing of a crane identical to the one that Garco bought.


I wanted to look at it and touch it, because there werent any of them up here, Welsh says of the reason for the trip.


The manufacturing process impressed Gibson, who says, It was like watching an airplane being built. It was first-class.


As part of the purchase price, two Terex-Comedil technicians traveled here from Italy to assist in setting up the crane. The technicians were supposed to be able to speak English, but only one did, and not well, Welsh says, adding, Of course, we couldnt find any interpreters. The first day was a little rough, a lot of hand signals.


The crane took a few days longer than expected to erect, but is hard at work now, and Welsh says he expects it to pay for itself in big jobs yet to come.


Though located in Italy, Terex-Comedil is a subsidiary of Westport, Conn.-based Terex Corp., a diversified global manufacturer with 2005 revenue of $6.4 billion.


The subsidiary was formed after Terex acquired Gru Comedil in 1998.


Garco is one of Spokanes largest contractors. It said recently it expects to post record contract revenue of around $150 million for 2006, up 6 percent to 8 percent from last year, and already this year has picked up jobs worth more than $230 million, assuring a continued record pace in 2007.


Contact Kim Crompton at (509) 344-1263 or via e-mail at kimc@spokanejournal.com.