Playing Jenga with Excavators

Let the games begin. The ultimate challenge is on in a new series of Caterpillar short films—all featuring the Built For It Trials. First in the film queue is “Stack.” The Stack challenge pitted five heavy equipment operators against a mountain of massive wood blocks—weighing over 8 tons total.

The object of the game for the operators: remove and then reposition a stack of nearly 30 blocks one at a time—using only their Cat machines and work tools. What ensues as the cameras roll is a show of operator skill, and machine power, strength and agility.

View here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWc8dUl7Xfo

Ready, Set, Action In the film, view here  the operators, who boast 121 years of combined experience, operate five Cat machines, including a 320E, TH514C, 277D, M316D and 349E. All of the machines are known for their control and precision when lifting robust objects. Typically that means objects like concrete pipe and road construction barriers, but here the challenge is hoisting and placing wood blocks weighing in at over 600 pounds apiece.   The operators take turns skillfully making their maneuvers. They work machine controls. Buckets move. Booms raise and lower. Tires roll. Treads turn. Their equipment rolls forward and backwards—all while tapping, hammering, pulling, lifting and placing the large wooden pieces.