About C&A Erectors
C&A Erectors, LLC describes itself as a structural steel and precast concrete erector. It is a PCI certified erector, holds licenses in several states and focuses on steel and precast erection across the South Central United States. Its owners formed the partnership in 2021, and the company is based in West Monroe, Louisiana. More is on the company site at candaerectors.com.
West Monroe is about a four-hour drive east of our yard on I-20, so most C&A employees who train with us stay in the area for the course.
Since the company works in several states, the national scope of NCCCO certification is useful: the card an operator earns after training in Texas is the same one recognized on a job in Louisiana, Arkansas or Oklahoma.
How erection crews use cranes
On a steel or precast job, the crane sets the pace for everyone. The raising gang, connectors and bolt-up crew are all waiting on the next pick. A few things make this work different from general lifting:
- Many picks per day. Columns, beams, joists and deck bundles go up one after another, so the operator and signal person must work as a practiced pair.
- Multiple lift rigging. OSHA's steel erection standard (29 CFR 1926 Subpart R) allows a christmas-tree lift of up to five members under strict conditions, and riggers need to know those limits.
- Precast pieces. Wall panels, double tees and spandrels are heavy, often need spreader beams or two cranes, and have to be rotated or tilted as they're set.
- Long reach. Bigger projects bring in lattice crawlers to reach over the structure.
Matching training to the crew
Operators
Erection work uses both telescopic and lattice cranes, and NCCCO certifies them separately. For hydraulic cranes, the fixed/swing cab courses (120 hours for a new operator, 40 for someone with experience) lead to the NCCCO written and practical exams. For crawlers, our lattice courses run 40 hours, or 20 hours for an operator who already has time on lattice equipment. Our yard has a lattice crawler and gives the NCCCO lattice practical exam on site.
Connectors and riggers
The ironworkers who hook beams, rig precast and direct the crane benefit from the 28-hour rigger and signal person course. It prepares students for NCCCO Rigger Level I and Signalperson certification and covers hardware, sling angles, load control and hand signals.
Traveling students
Because of the distance, premium courses are worth a look. The Premium Mobile Crane Operations Lattice Course offers optional room and board for students who travel in; see the premium course page.
What our yard offers erection crews
The classroom includes a crane simulator, and the yard has telescopic, lattice and tower cranes. Students practice on the same course used for the NCCCO practical exam. Load chart work goes beyond simple capacity lookups to cover deductions, parts of line and working with the lift's actual radius after the boom deflects.
For precast and steel erectors, the load chart lessons are where students spend extra effort, because one heavy panel at long radius is where margins get thin.
Signal training also matters more on an erection job than almost anywhere else. Connectors working at height and operators on the ground often rely on radio, and the signal person has to keep the hook moving in small, precise increments while a beam is lined up on its bolt holes. Students practice those signals with an operator in the cab, not just from a chart, and the practical exam course gives operators steady, repeatable practice at controlled swings and accurate placement.
Scheduling a group
Training takes place only at 304 Tunnell St in Seagoville, Texas; instructors don't travel to job sites. To set up seats for several employees, go to company classes or contact us with the course each person needs and the dates you can spare them.