Capital Equipment News October 2016

MATERIALS HANDLING NEWS IN BRIEF

Hiab renews loader crane range Hiab, part of Cargotec, has renewed its mid-range loader cranes with 24 new or updated models. The new cranes are, at their maximum, 300 kg lighter than Hiab’s previous ones, which means an equal amount of extra payload for the customer. “The updated cranes come with innovative features that make crane operation simpler, safer and more productive. Crane Tip Control minimises the complexity of coordinating the crane for the operator and Load Stability System ensures the safe usage of the crane. Semi- Automatic Folding makes it possible to park or activate the crane semi-automatically, which simplifies one of the most difficult operations when working with a loader crane,” says Hans E. Ohlsson, director, Medium Range Loader Cranes, Hiab. Liebherr A 934 C on show From its material handlers programme, Liebherr will showcase the A 934 C Litronic at Bauma China 2016 next month. It has an operating weight of approximately 37 t. It is powered by a Liebherr diesel engine with turbocharger and charge-air intercooler, which complies with Tier 3 / Stage IIIA emission limits. It is of 7 000cc capacity with an engine output of 150 of 1 800 rpm. The A 934 C Litronic material handler has a wide support base with large pads for maximum stability. Depending on the working equipment, extremely heavy loads can be raised by up to 17 m and moved out to the same working radius. The tried-and-trusted multi-tine grapples, wood grapples as well as clamshell grabs are essential tools for every Liebherr material handler. Tower crane manufacturer Comansa CM, part of the Linden Comansa group, has launched a new series of flat-top tower cranes. The four new models, with maximum load capacity of 10 and 12 t, are already available for global markets, while two more will be arriving soon, before the end of the year. The new cranes are models 16CM185 (10t), 16CM185 (12t), 16CM220 (10t) and the 16CM220 (12t), all with maximum jib length of 65 m. The 16CM260 and 16CM260 will be launched soon and will come with jib length of 70 m. All the cranes from the CM1600 Series feature flat-top design, frequency controlled mechanisms, different options of hoist speeds and the PowerLift system. The new CM1600 fills the gap between the CM1100 Series (with max. loads of 6 and 8 t) and the CM2100 Series (up to 25 t of maximum load capacity). b New flat-top tower cranes from Comansa

POTAIN PREVAILS OVER VILLAGE WALK

The Potain tower crane is tasked with the main materials handling duties for the structure.

The five cranes strategically positioned between the high rise buildings at the Village Walk give an indication of the sheer extent of another important building project under way in Sandton, South Africa. By mid-July 2016, the building contractors had already tackled approximately 10% of the works, which comprises a new commercial and retail development in Gauteng’s business hub. Prominent South African property devel- oper, Eris Property Group, has contracted a joint venture between Trencon Construction and Aveng Grinaker-LTA Building to construct the two new office towers that make up this development. One of the complexities on this project is the immense work involved in building the two large office towers in one of the busiest areas of Sandton. Together, both structures have a large footprint of 16 000 m 2 in an excavation that challenged the geotechnical contractors ahead of the arrival of the construction JV. The biggest tower has a footprint of 9 000 m 2 at basement level. Once completed, this building will comprise seven basements, two floors of retail space, 13 floors of offices and a roof structure. It will be occupied by MMI. This is the second tower to be tackled by the JV. It flanks the existing Nedbank building, and calls for the careful planning and coordination of material handling and lifting activities considering the tight project schedule. Themain materials handling tasks are being undertaken using a Potain MC 125 tower crane. Ernst Bezuidenhout, Trencon’s senior site agent, says during the initial stages of the build, the tower crane had to be erected with a 30 m jib due to its very close proximity to the adjacent building. Potain has designed its tower cranes to accommodate different combinations of 5 m and 10 m jib sections. Specifically, the Potain MC 125 can be erect- ed in a 60 m, 55 m, 50 m, 40 m and 30 m jib configuration, a major benefit on this partic- ular project site.

At the end of July, the tower crane was anchored and jacked to about 54 m, sufficient height to adequately clear the neighbouring structures. The crane will be raised five times over the duration of the contract. The next jack took place in mid-September when the crane was raised to a height of 68 m. The jib was removed using a mobile crane and extended to 60 m to allow the required reach for materials handling activities across the construction site. By August 2017, the crane will reach its final height of 123 m. From the outset, the Potain MC 125 has been servicing the construction requirements of the main elevator shaft. The tower crane handles the extensive formwork, concrete and reinforcement needed to build the structural elements of the tower. At the same time, it is tasked with lifting and placing the 5 t hydraulic boom pump with its counterweights at the work face. Here, a preformed steel system, using hydraulic shutters, that is able to jack two platforms at a time is being used to build the 13 m by 7 m elevator shaft, fireman’s lift and fire escape stairway. Toni Flavio, operations director of Trencon Construction, says the JV’s supply chain partners were carefully selected based on their sound performance in the South African construction industry. “We look for an ability to supply us with a top quality service. This is vital, considering that our business relationships are based on mutual trust and performance,” he says. This is exactly why Trencon Construction uses SA French for all its tower crane requirements. The company has been doing business with the Potain dealer for the past five years. Flavio says the Potain brand has always inspired confidence in the company to build complex high-rise projects. “Building 30-storey structures is a complex activity. You need to be sure that when you embark on such a project you have the correct equipment, as this can make or break a contract,” he says. b

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