How tower cranes are transforming cities

Tower crane industry to meet in Spain

ITC has been running since 2011 (Photo: KHL)

On 13 and 14 June the global tower crane industry will meet in Barcelona, Spain, for the International Tower Cranes (ITC) conference.

Organised by International Cranes and Specialized Transport and KHL Group, ITC will include a site visit to the Sagrada Familia on the afternoon of 13 June, followed by a full-day conference on 14 June.

The event is for tower crane rental companies and contractors and will provide a forum for professionals to discuss tower crane productivity and safety as well as trends in crane design and technology. Book your place now by visiting: www.khl-itc.com

CITY LIFTS

Two Potain MCH 175 luffing jib tower cranes were selected for The Nexus in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam by local contractor Ricons. The cranes have been working on The Nexus jobsite since September 2021.

The project will help transform District 1’s landscape with a new Grade A office complex called The Nexus. It consists of five basement levels and two towers with a total building area of 114,000 square metres.

“We selected Potain cranes because we are fans of the MCH 175’s VVH hydraulic luffing system. The crane has a short out-of-service radius, making it easy to work in tight spaces such as downtown construction sites,” said Nguyen Hoang Khang, Ricons project manager.

The MCH 175 lifts 10 tonnes, offers a maximum radius of 55 metres and a maximum tip capacity of 1.5 tonnes. Configured with 50 metre jibs and with working heights to reach up to 147 metres, both MCH 175 cranes are expected to remain on site until the end of Spring 2023.

MAJOR STEPS

Australia-based Marr Contracting has been awarded a subcontract to deliver specialized heavy lifting crane services for Brisbane’s Kangaroo Point Green Bridge.

Marr’s scope of work will include more than 10 major lifts and general construction lifting requirements over a period of 12 months. One of Marr’s Favco M2480D luffing tower cranes arrived onsite in January. It has been erected and commissioned, completing its first lift – a 25 metre by 25 metre-wide working platform soon after.

At a length of 460 metres, the bridge will be among the longest span cable stay pedestrian bridges in the world and a must-visit destination in Brisbane.

Marr was engaged early in the design phase to develop a lifting strategy that supported the company’s preferred construction methodology. On Brisbane’s busy river, the key challenge was how to construct the bridge tower while minimising potential impact on the public ferries and private vessels that use the Brisbane River daily.

Working with Brisbane-based engineers, Robert Bird Group, Marr developed a solution using the M2480D with a 64 metre boom and installed on a platform in the middle of Brisbane River.

The heaviest lift for the tower crane will be the 180 tonne, 28 metre tall, pre-fabricated steel masthead.

“Reaping the benefits of modularised construction with fewer, heavy lifts is not only helping to deliver a safer, more productive site; but also allowing our client to share the economic benefit delivered by the project by engaging more South East Queensland businesses away from the workfront,” said Simon Marr, Marr’s managing director.

Construction of the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge started in late 2021 and is anticipated to be completed in 2024.

THREE’S A CHARM

German crane rental company Hüffermann Krandienst added to its rental fleet with new Liebherr tower cranes, ordering them at the Bauma 2022 trade show. The new units were put to work on three construction projects – a tropical zoo, a residential building and an office with daycare facilities.

The Liebherr 172 EC-B 8 flat top, with a freestanding hook height of 39 metres, a 60-metre radius, and a capacity of eight tonnes, was used to move steel components for a dome structure at the Allwetterzoo in Münster.

“The crane supported smooth operations on site in the best possible way with its precise slewing and easy operation,” said Tjark Bethke, site manager and managing director at Windhorst Stahl- und Metallbau. His company designed and manufactured the dome. “All components were placed in exactly the right position with millimetre precision and without any problems.” He considered the crane to be an important success factor in the dome’s time-consuming and challenging assembly.

Sustainability also influenced the construction of a residential and commercial building in the centre of Oldenburg. The 172 EC-B 8, with a freestanding hook height of 39 metres and a 45 metre radius, was in operation there for structural work for 120 apartments. A 125 EC-B 6 with a freestanding hook height of 24 metres and a 30 metre radius was also involved. Both cranes were mounted on foundation anchors due to the tight conditions on site.

Another 172 EC-B 8 helped to build an office building complete with day-care centre and underground car park in the Überseestadt district of Bremen. The new building is part of a neighbourhood development project along the Weser River. A Liebherr LTM 1120 wheeled mobile telescopic crane assembled the flat-top crane, which has a freestanding hook height of 38 metres and a 45 metre radius, at the end of September 2022. The 172 EC-B 8 is being used to install locally manufactured prefabricated façade elements as well as for other construction tasks.

CLIMBING HIGH: A new Zoomlion R4300-200 heavy lift double winch flattop climbing crane. The model boasts a capacity of 200 tonnes, an 80 metre jib and a maximum 102 metre free standing tower system.

BRIDGING THE GAP

We reported in the February issue of ICST that the historical Elster Viaduct in Vogtland, Saxony, is being completely refurbished and that two Liebherr 340 EC-B 16s from BKL’s crane fleet were commissioned for the lifts.

The crane specialists positioned the two flat top cranes, at a hook height of 36.8 metres, at each end of the structure so that they extended over more than half of the 270 metre bridge. Click here to read the full site report.