COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION Ӏ SECTOR REPORT
to 12. This is driven by the
requirement for heavy lifting tower cranes, which continues to increase, particularly in the energy and data sectors. Our clients, including Laing O’Rourke, see the benefits of these heavy-duty machines when deploying modern methods of construction to deliver projects for clients. We will soon see more CTL1600 machines being installed on sites across the country, including a fantastic project in Oxford and further projects to be disclosed in the near future.” The Powergate Data Centre, in
west London, is an example of a current UK high-tech data centre project. Construction company Mace is using five Wolff tower cranes from crane manufacturer Wolffkran to build it. The cranes in use are: three
Wolff 630 Bs; one Wolff 700 B; and one Wolff 500 B. Four of the cranes have 70m luffing jibs, whilst the fifth has a 60m jib. Wolffkran is also suppling the
eight tower crane operators and two crane coordinators to oversee and carry out all lifting operations. “We at Mace have been appointed to manage construction of this hyper-scale data centre set in West London,” says Andrew Wiggins, operations director (construction) at Mace. “The sheer scale of this project reflects the demand for an enhanced digital infrastructure.”
SMITH ERECTORS USES TWO LINK-BELT TELESCOPIC CRANES FOR FITTING DISTRIBUTION FACILITY ROOF
Smith Erectors of Markle, Indiana, USA, is utilising the reach and versatility of two Link-Belt telescopic cranes – the TCC-2500 and the ATC-3275 – for construction of a new 700,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility in Rushville, Indiana. The state-of-the-art facility represents a $259 million investment. Construction is set for completion by the end of 2024. “We have the TCC-2500 and ATC-3275 on-site to set all the internal steel structure for this building,” says Jason Moore, crane operator at Smith Erectors. “Then we are lifting insulated metal panels for the walls and insulated metal panels for the roof primarily with the TCC-2500.” Smith Erectors is utilising the long reach of the
TCC-2500 for placement of roof panels of the 600-by-1200-foot (182-by-365-metre) distribution centre. To accomplish roof panel placement of the entire 700,000-square-foot project, Smith Erectors has fitted the TCC-2500 with one or both lattice fly extensions (depending on the radius requirement) when erecting the fly to give the TCC-2500 the greatest reach possible. By inserting one or both 25-foot (7.6-metre) lattice fly extensions, the TCC-2500 is able to place panels up to a 260-foot (79.2-metre) radius by traveling up and down the 600-foot (182-metre) length of the building. “This TCC-2500 really is a beast. When you add in all of the lattice extensions with the fly, it can work at a really great radius,” Moore explains.
Xin-Hong Crane
Engineering’s new Liebherr LTM 1300-6.3 will work on taller production facilities for semiconductors and microchips in Taiwan
Smith Erectors has broken the roof schedule
into three sections, giving the TCC-2500 three locations to work from: both 600-foot (182-metre) lengths of the building and the middle of the building. “We left a hole in the middle of the building
for the TCC-2500 to travel inside on the finished concrete and place panels roughly 160 feet (48.7 metres) in either direction. We’re obviously obstructed with our boom angle, but that lets us do the whole building with the TCC-2500,” Moore says. The ATC-3275 placed most of the initial steel
structure of the facility. Each bay, roughly 60 feet wide, is lifted into place and weighs approximately 60,000 pounds. “These are both just handy cranes for this kind
of work. The computers both set up easily. You can set your limits easily – especially when working with roof obstructions,” Moore concludes.
For the full jobsite story see:
www.cranestodaymagazine.com/ news/london-data-centre-work- for-wolff-11584131/?cf-view
POSITIVE FUTURE There is a long horizon for the construction of new microchip
factories with the work set to continue for many years, Manitowoc believes, with projects still being announced. Additional projects are in the
pipeline, it says, and they aren’t just factories. This is because a key component of the CHIPS and Science Act is research funding. Universities could build new facilities to accommodate this work, for example. This means that there are even more opportunities ahead for lifting companies to win projects tied to CHIPS and Science Act funding.
“I was just talking to folks in the
industry that think this could be a 20-year run of work,” Manitowoc's Blaney concludes. “There is a chain reaction of new construction work boosting lifting work.”
16 CRANES TODAY
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