Testimonial-Specific Machine for Specific Requirements:Merlo Roto
Located in Morrisville, NC, the Forty540, a 200,000 s.f. 5 story Class A office building sits at the I-40 & I-540 interchange in the Raleigh/Durham, NC area.
The construction of this building was taken on by one of the nation’s largest privately-held construction firms, Brasfield & Gorrie General Contractors. A full-service firm providing general contracting, design-build, and construction management services for a wide variety of markets, including healthcare, commercial, institutional, federal, municipal, industrial, infrastructure, and water/wastewater treatment.
Robert Gambill, Superintendent, described the Forty540 site as graded and stable. Construction of the 5 story building proceeded as planned, up to the 3rd floor. Reaching the 4th, 5th, and roof (+72’6”) was problematic as the telehandler on site, with its lift of 55’ and a weight capacity of 10,000 lbs., could not meet the height requirements. This lack of height capability curtailed production.
“It was our company safety manager,” Mr. Gambill said, “that suggested I take a look at the Merlo Roto.
Derek Brignac, Brasfield & Gorrie Safety Manager said, “One of our subcontractors (IQ Concrete) brought it to one of our sites first, and that is how we were introduced to it. We have used Merlo Rotos now on 4 different projects of ours. What we love about it is the reach it provides to some of our mid-rise buildings. Plus, Merlo offered hands-on training to our operators to get them familiar with the equipment controls.”
The Merlo Roto for the Forty540 site was the R40.30 MCSS. It supplied a 96’8” lift height that safely handled 3,300 lbs. at maximum lift. After this machine was in place, Gambill and his crew achieved their initial goal of lifting materials to the 4th and 5th floors, and roof safely and easily.
As the build continued, the Merlo Roto, with its overall maximum load capacity of 8,800 lbs., was put to use in other areas of the site. With its independent stabilizers, compact size, and nimble maneuverability, Gambill’s crew, and subcontractors, easily moved the Roto around the site lifting and placing “… lumber, HVAC equipment, electrical materials, and concrete finishing equipment.”
“It’s a convenient and effective way to access upper levels of buildings,” Gambill said, “that not many if any, forklifts can accommodate.”
“Due to its reach and capacity,” Brignac added, “it did help with production on the project. This Merlo Roto has been well received [by] many of our subcontractors who have been given the opportunity to work with it as well. We will continue to use it on projects where this equipment type is needed.”
