Potain cranes employed in major Italian development

Trento, a city in the North of Italy, is currently witnessing the construction of a new multi-purpose development called La Albere, and it is utilising eleven Potain cranes, with two further cranes scheduled for arrival in August.

La Albere is the largest development in the Trento province, and Sabino Riefoli, the sales and marketing support manager for Manitowoc in Italy, said, The three-year project will completely transform this region, creating a new district of homes and businesses.

The cranes range in capacity from 6 to 12 tonnes, and can operate at heights of up to 61 metres. The collection features two MDT 218 A models, a flat top MDT 98 model, and eight MDT 178 models. They are employed in the transport of various building materials, and will continue working until the completion of the development, scheduled for 2012. Colombo Costruzioni, the primary contractor, is utilising Potain's anti-collision programme, Top Tracing, and so the cranes are set up in overlapping operational areas. A few of the cranes are owned by Colombo Construzioni, whilst the remainder have been hired from GB Manci Noleggi.

The development spans over 11 hectares of a former Michelin factory site, and will provide 30,000 square metres of office and retail space, 300 residential apartments, 2000 parking spaces, a science museum, 5000 hectares of sculpted parkland and numerous piazzas. It was designed by architect Renzo Piano, and he has incorporated into the design a number of environmentally friendly features.

The Chinese crane market

One of China's largest B2B platforms, FRbiz.com, has issued a report on the state of the market for crawler cranes, mobile cranes, and the general market for cranes for sale. They predict the crawler crane market in particular will continue to grow.

The crawler crane sector was rather staid in China pre-2004, and was largely based on imports. However the breakneck rise of the Chinese economy, particularly infrastructural projects as well as power, steel and chemical industries, has fuelled a exponential increase in demand for crawler cranes. Between 2006 and 2007 the rate remained stable, but 2008 saw an increase of 69 percent, with 1648 units sold. The global economic downturn affected the market in 2009, and the sales of crawler cranes in China dipped by 31 percent, to 1131 units sold. The crawler crane market in China is still relatively young, and imports still account for 15 percent of sales. However, the broad range of incentives and road building and industrial projects instituted by the Chinese government means that projected sales for crawler cranes indicate a coming rise. Future infrastructural projects include a variety of wind power and nuclear power stations, which will further increase demand for crawler cranes. The next ten years will see an investment by the Chinese government of more than RMB 3 trillion, and with the need for wind stations and power plants, will come the need for all manner of cranes

New mobile crane for Spencer Crane Hire

Devon-based crane hire firm Spence Crane Hire, has received a new model, which they ordered form Liebherr's selection of cranes for sale. Their new acquisition is a Liebherr LTM 1040-2.1, a 40 ton capacity model from Liebherr's range of mobile cranes. The crane is equipped with high-tech specifications, which include BlueTooth technology and remote control options. It is a two-axle model, with a 4x4x4 drive option, and superlative lifting capabilities. The main boom is 35 metres in length and is comprised of four sections, with a capacity of 7.4 tons, or 1.1 tons at a working radius of 31 metres.

It is driven by single engine, and is equipped with a ZF automatic transmission, which has 8 gears; two for reverse and six forward. The smoothness of the mobile crane when it travels is ensured by the hydropneumatic suspension. The steering capabilities include the ability to operate from the crane cab. The control systems are of the LICCON 2 genus, which is an on-board computer system that optimises the performance of the vehicle. It features a touch screen display system and a BlueTooth terminal. Julian Spence, of Spence Crane Hire, commented on the the company's new Liebherr, This is our tenth Liebherr and is equipped with the latest technology from Liebherr. We believe that it is the first mobile crane based in the West Country to have the optional BTT-Bluetooth remote control unit, which allows us wireless control of all crane superstructure functions. We are confident that this will make the set-up procedure safer and quicker and, if required, the operator can be close to the load to be lifted or placed.

Construction underway on world's largest semiconductor plant

Saratoga County, New York has become the site of the largest computer chip production facility in the world. The construction of Module 1, the first of three semiconductor production plants to be built on the site, is under construction presently at the Luther Forest Technology campus.
The 1st module is to comprise four structures, which will span over 1.45 million square feet. The structures will include a support building, an administrative building, and a central utility building.

The construction is under the auspices of M and W US, which was awarded design and build contract worth $650 million, and is a three year project, having begun in 2009, with production of the semiconductors set to begin in 2012. A variety of Liebherr cranes are being utilised, and they have been supplied by Bay Crane. Bay Crane is the largest supplier of mobile cranes in New York City, and has been expanding its reach across the Northeastern regions of the country; the cranes for module 1 were supplied form their new Connecticut facility.

Joe Zils, Bay Crane's regional manager, said:

On such a high profile and fast tracked project, it was important for us to use the best machinery on the market. We operate one of the largest fleet of Liebherr crawler cranes in the Northeast, and they never let us down. The lifting capacity, maneuverability and reliability of the LR 1100 and LR 1300 made them the perfect cranes for this job.

Hiring Cranes

Construction is an industry that places demands on time, money and equipment. Equipment needs to be top quality, and yet project budgets need to be balanced. Added to this, some equipment seems to cost the earth, whilst being in operation for only a short time. This is because it may perform a function that is crucial to the project, and yet is only necessary once. An example of this is are cranes, which require a significant investment. This is the reason that hiring cranes has become such a common practice among contractors; buying and then assembling cranes is expensive, time consuming and potentially hazardous. Instead, contractors are hiring mobile cranes to do the lifting. This solution is beneficial for a number of reasons. Assembling a static crane requires a day or so of down-time whilst its assembled, which costs money, alongside the actual cost of acquisition. A mobile crane can be hired for a designated day, or number of days, and can come in and perform the necessary lifting, with no down time. It also creates more space on site, as static cranes tend to sprawl, whilst a mobile crane is anchored by its vehicle, and some outriggers.

Space is an important concept when considering the pros and, well pros, of hiring a mobile crane, for one key reason; manoeuvrability. Mobile cranes are capable of accessing spaces which wouldn't have been possible with a static crane, and can operate effectively in compact and demanding sites. Narrow roads, awkward building configurations, these things are now accessible, and the lifting apparatus of mobile cranes are powerful enough to handle the majority of applications.

Another benefit of hiring a mobile crane is that all of the auxiliary costs- maintenance, MOT, insurance and so on- are covered by the hire company. This ensures that the crane will be in excellent condition when it comes to yyyou, that it has been recently serviced, and it frees up your time, as these things simply don't have to concern you, as they would if you owned a crane. If the circumstances arise that you will need the crane for an extended period of time, but still don't want to buy one outright, then leasing a crane could be the right option. This is similar to renting, but over a longer period, and can work out as very cost effective. The only caveat is that in the case of leasing, maintenance and insurance are your responsibility. All of the key manufacturers are represented in the mobile crane hire world, with hire firms offering Liebherr cranes, Potain cranes, and so on. The hire firm will also be able to listen to the details of your project, and help you to decide which crane is best suited.