SECTOR REPORT Ӏ RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION
North America, too. The multiple benefits that
using a fast-erector can bring is illustrated by an example from Abbotsford, Canada-based tower crane and fast erector provider Bigfoot Crane Company which provided a Liebherr 81 K.1 fast- erecting crane to help build an apartment complex, in constricted conditions, near Departure Bay in the Canadian coastal town of Nanaimo. “The fast-erecting crane has
played an integral role in various construction tasks, including trailer unloading, concrete work and the installation of rooftop equipment,” says Cale Anderson, managing director at Bigfoot Crane, who sees great potential for fast-erecting cranes in North America. The hoist rope's two-fall operation and the Load Plus feature are of particularly use; both functions are designed to ensure fast lifting speeds and allow heavy loads to be lifted. “Our customers especially
appreciate the crane's speed and performance that these features make possible,” Anderson says. The 81 K.1 was used with
several other cranes on site. Its maximum hook height of 38.9 metres combined with 2.4 metre tower sections meant it was able to maintain the necessary safe distance between other cranes and buildings in its vicinity and to slew above, or below, other cranes depending on the circumstances. The 81 K.1 can lift up to
6,000kg. It can reach a maximum radius of 48 metres and has a jib head lifting capacity of 1,350kg. An interesting aspect of
the Departure Bay job, which was conducted for contractor Westurban Developments, was the dismantling of the fast erector. Assembly was, as already highlighted as a being feature of this crane type, quick and easy – conducted on the jobsite’s access road. Disassembly, however, proved a greater challenge. “It's easy to get a crane onto site
Big Foot’s
Liebherr 81 K.1 fast erector being lifted out of the jobsite
when there isn't a building yet,” explains Anderson. “But additional challenges arise once the building is erected because of its structure. When we're planning a project we always start by looking at how to remove the crane at the end.” In this instance the completed building was in the way as far as normal dismantling was concerned. “This meant the fast-erecting crane had to be lifted over the newly constructed building,” Anderson continues. “A large Liebherr mobile crane was used to safely set the 81 K.1 down on the other side of the building.”
EFFICIENCY GAINS For longer term residential
construction jobs contractors may opt to utilise tower cranes, which can offer higher lifting heights and heavier lifting capacities than their ‘fast erecting’ relatives whilst retaining similar advantages of versatility and a small footprint. Another key reason tower cranes are often used for
CRANES TODAY 17
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