What is the Big Carl Crane?

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All cranes are big to some degree. However, the vast majority of them don’t have anything on the “Big Carl Crane,” a new crane that is the largest crane in the world. Officially known as SGC-250, which stands for “Sarens Giant Crane 250,” the Big Carl Crane is making headlines right now thanks to its immense size and its ability to lift an incredible amount of weight. Here are some fun facts about the Big Carl Crane that will blow your mind.

It consists of almost 4 miles worth of rails.

The Big Carl Crane was created by a crane rental company in Belgium called Sarens. It just sent Big Carl out on its first mission, which is to help build a nuclear plant in the UK. Simply sending the crane out was a tall task in and of itself because the Big Carl Crane consists of about 3.7 miles worth of rails. These rails must be painstakingly laid out and assembled before the Big Carl Crane can be used.

It takes more than 250 trucks to transport it.

As you might imagine, it’s not easy transporting 3.7 miles worth of rails for a crane from point A to point B. Nevertheless, you might be amazed by just how much work goes into it. When Sarens shipped the Big Carl Crane from Belgium to the UK, they had to rely on more than 250 trucks to do it. It took months for these trucks to gather up all the different pieces for the Big Carl Crane and take them to their final destination.

It lifts more than 3,000 tons.

After hearing about how big the Big Carl Crane is, you might be wondering, “Is a crane that large really necessary?” As it turns out, yes. The crane is capable of lifting more than 3,000 tons at a time, and that’s going to come in handy over the next five years as it’s used to build a nuclear plant. The Big Carl Crane is expected to pick up and move more than 600 components for the nuclear plant by the time everything is all said and done.

Do you need to get your hands on a heavy-duty crane for your next project? Astro Crane has the crane equipment you’re looking for. Call us at 978-429-8666 today to find out how we can help you get the right crane for your specific job.