Luffing jib or fixed boom for tight steel erections? Watched two crews in Houston go at it on the same job
Two crews on a job in Houston last month, same picks, and one ran a luffing jib while the other stuck with a fixed boom and a bigger counterweight setup. The luffer guys could tuck into the alley off Milam and keep their radius low, so they were setting beams up to 42 feet out with the boom walked in tight. The fixed boom crew had to spot further back on the street and lost time on nearly every pick, plus they were fighting the wind all afternoon. I know a luffer costs more per day and not everyone's logged the seat time, but if the site is tight, is it really worth trying to save a few bucks on the rental? What do you all run when there's no room to swing?