Gateway Dredging Uses Liebherr LH 60 C for River Material Handling

Gateway Dredging & Contracting, LLC., uses a Liebherr LH 60 C Industry Litronic material handler to move sand and sediment for operations along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and support construction projects in the St. Louis area.

The company operates across more than 150 miles from the heart of St. Louis. Its work includes moving thousands of tons of sand and sediment each day, with the LH 60 C unloading approximately 500 tons of sand per hour for local construction operations.

“We have had this machine for a year a half now – the name of the game is uptime, and so far, we have had great success with the Liebherr,” noted Terry Bangert, chief operating officer of Gateway Dredging & Contracting.

Gateway Dredging & Contracting was established in 2011 through a partnership between Limited Leasing Company and Jotori Inc., two dredging companies that had supplied materials to dock locations since the 1970s and 1980s.

The company currently uses a fleet of material handlers to unload river, fine, and low lignite sand for operations along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Its construction support services also include barge rental and charters, boat charters, towing assistance, drilling support, painting, and bridge maintenance.

“We run almost every day. Maintenance has been easy and friendly. We have also worked with the Central Power staff to keep us running for scheduled maintenance, and so far, it has been a very reliable machine.”

Gateway Dredging & Contracting worked with Liebherr dealer Central Power Systems & Services for the sale and service of the material handler. According to the release, availability and cost were among the company’s main criteria when purchasing the machine.

Bangert said operators have responded to several features of the LH 60 C, including its control system, hydraulic cab riser, and visibility into the hopper and barge.

“From an operator standpoint, they like the control system, the hydraulic cab riser, and their viewpoint. They really love that they can see into the hopper and the barge,” noted Bangert.

The LH 60 C is designed for heavy-duty material handling applications involving scrap, timber, and harbor operations. Gateway Dredging uses the machine for sand handling.

The material handler is equipped with Liebherr’s ERC energy recovery system, which captures energy during lowering motions and reuses it to support lifting. Bangert said fuel consumption has been a consideration for the company.

“On this particular project, fuel savings is something that’s got our attention right now,” said Bangert. “There is technology on the Liebherr that makes it more fuel efficient and provides a noticeable fuel burn difference between Liebherr and the competition.”

The LH 60 C can also be equipped with material handling attachments including quick coupling systems, multi-tine grabs, clamshell buckets, and sorting grapples.

For Gateway Dredging, the machine is used in river dredging and barge-based material handling, where the company moves sand and sediment to support construction operations.

“It’s a good, solid machine at a fair market price that does the job that we want to do,” said Bangert. “Certainly, in the future, Gateway would look to Liebherr if we had machines or fleet needs – Liebherr would be at the top of our list if we are going to add more equipment to grow our operation.”