Potain quartet in Turkey

Four Potain special application tower cranes are working on a major hydropower dam project in Turkey.

The US$1 billion Boyabat Dam, located in the northern province of Sinop, will significantly expand Turkey's capability to generate power and help meet the growing demand for electricity.

Working on the project are two MD 1100 and two MD 2200 cranes - the largest and most powerful Potain special application tower cranes.

Thibaut Le Besnerais, vice president of special applications cranes at Manitowoc, said the cranes were custom manufactured to meet the needs of the project. "Each project is different, and we often modify our designs to achieve the best performance for the given application," he said. "We also send a highly experienced team of engineers for each installation to supervise the erection and ensure customers get the most benefit from their Potain cranes."

Main contractor, Doğuş İnşaat, purchased the cranes specifically for the Boyabat project. It is building the dam for Turkish utility giant Boyabat Elektrik Üretim. The construction work is taking place in sections, and the cranes are helping maneuver a conveyor system to place the large amount of concrete the dam requires in the most efficient manner.

In addition to moving the conveyor trusses for pouring concrete, the four on-site special application cranes are lifting reinforcement bar, penstocks and other components. They are also pouring concrete and working with 6 and 9 square metre buckets. The cranes can lift 20 tonne loads to all areas of the job site.

The Potain MD 2200 special application cranes have a maximum capacity of 64 tonnes and are working with the full 85 m of jib at Boyabat. They can lift 20 tonnes at their jib end. Both will climb as construction progresses, and by the end of the project, they will reach heights of 104 and 225 m. The MD 2200 cranes are equipped with elevators set inside the mast system for operators.

The Potain MD 1100 cranes have a maximum capacity of 40 tonnes and are working with 55 m jibs, although they can accommodate up to 80 m. When working with 55 m jibs, the cranes can lift 20 tonnes at the tip. One MD 1100 will eventually reach a working height of 120 m and the other will reach 137 m.

Upon completion, the Boyabat dam, which will include 2.7 million square metres of poured concrete, will stand 195 m tall and span more than 262 m across the Kizilimark River. Construction is expected to take 54 months.