Taken from the jib of a Potain MDT 178 in Umhlanga KZN during a regular inspection of the crane.
Louw Smit, sales director at Crane & Hoist Equipment SA, says with higher buildings the order of the day, Potain tower cranes can be specially configured for better standing height.
With higher buildings the order of the day, Potain tower cranes can be specially configured for better standing height.
According to Louw Smit, sales director at Crane & Hoist Equipment SA, this allows the hook height to be raised without the added cost of anchoring or jacking. The company is the southern African dealer for Potain cranes.
“Configuring the mast makes the crane more suitable for the high-rise structures that are popular in today’s construction sector,” says Smit. “It adds to the freestanding height of the tower crane itself, without the need to tie the crane onto the building. This saves time and money, as anchoring and jacking are expensive.”
He highlights, however, that the special configuration option needs a high level of expertise and experience.
“It is vital that contractors partner with technical tower crane experts like Crane & Hoist Equipment SA, who have in-depth knowledge of tower cranes configurations,” he says.
The process can be implemented by starting with bigger mast sections and then adapting to the normal mast size – giving a better hook height. This differs from the standard configuration available on the crane’s specification sheet, and offers greater flexibility at reduced expense to the customer.
Crane & Hoist Equipment SA deals in both rental and sales of Potain tower cranes. Its own rental fleet comprises eight top-slewing cranes and one bottom-slewing crane.
“Our rental fleet is well-suited to meet the needs of small and medium-sized projects, where lifting capacity of between 5 tonnes and 8 tonnes is required, with jib lengths of 50 metres to 60 metres,” Smit concludes.