Construction Machinery ME November 2016

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ISSUE 61 R 2016 NOVEMBE

N AL TERN AT IO O LO GY SED BY IN IO N LI CEN BA I TECH N PU BL IC AT ZO N E, DU N IO CT TY O DU RI O PR IA TH ED AU M NE IA FR EE ZO AN D M ED

plUs

raW POWer LYsis Ne W s & a N a g k i t sP O t t iN e s Ne W reL e a s Ore a ND MUCh M Le t t a B r O F Y D a e r r Ae deAle New U cHi for HitA

re is NOWNomoUs the FUtU’s AUto VolVo e demos p y t o t o pr eciAl p s t f i l y HeAV

r e t a gre s t h h e ig

cts e j o r p d An s ry e i t s n A u p d m n i o e ec th h t n i t r A A k b o e th A lo g n i s i A r thAt Are


GETTING CLOSER TO THE TOP...

Getting closer to the top of the tallest mountain in the UAE will soon be a lot easier, thanks to the fleet of Volvo construction equipment used in the building of the road to the Jebel Jais mountain. When it’s finished, the route will run from Ras Al-Khaimah right to the 1,910 metre summit. The road has already become a popular destination for motoring enthusiasts, who like to show off what their machines can do. VIDEO http://goo.gl/FPsU43

But when the road runs out, that’s where the Volvo operators show off their machines. And it’s impressive to see what they can do. If you want to get closer to the action, scan the code and watch the video. Building Tomorrow.



2

CONTENTS

NOVEMBER 2016 8_News The latest news from across the region and further afield.

22_RaisiNg The game Now part of GCC-based KBW investments, Italian tower crane specialist Raimondi is looking to the future with confidence.

28_To gReaTeR heighTs

28

Meraas discusses the heavy-lift operation that put the 1,800t hub and spindle assembly in place at its Ain Dubai giant ferris wheel project.

14 D Sp oT Tey IN ITaexl cavator

36_mammoThs of moviNg Global pioneer of heavy lifting and transport, Mammoet, continues to set the bar higher with new solutions in difficult projects.

42_Ready foR baTTle Armed with a brand new dealership in the UAE, Hitachi is looking forward to cementing its position as a market leader in the region.

14

iHitachi mid t Italian k on-trac a ject. railway pro

46_The fuTuRe is Now Volvo CE gives the world a sneak peek of its automated driverless machines of the future at its home facility in Sweden.

r e w o raw p e 51 _ New R

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The latest

d of m the worl releases fro

54_Top T Knowledge

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n machine

constructio

in Dubai. ’s PMV Live th n o m is nd at th ions to atte

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56_ powe A pick of th

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that defy su

perlatives.

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46

42



4

EDITORIAL NOVEMBER 2016

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR RAZ ISLAM raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5471 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR VIJAYA CHERIAN vijaya.cherian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5713 EDITORIAL EDITOR ANIRBAN BAGCHI anirban.bagchi@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5715 SUB EDITOR AELRED DOYLE

Brave new world revealed The Swedes are an engaging and interesting bunch of people. With acres and acres of beautiful forests, lakes and open spaces in their sparsely populated country, they spend as much time as they can outdoors in the short northern summers. And to ward off boredom during the long, dark, bitterly cold and dreary northern winters, they probably spend it indoors dreaming up and designing technological toys for the future. It was a few of these future tech toys that the pride of Swedish technological enterprise, Volvo Construction Equipment, showed off recently at its home base of Eskilstuna near Stockholm. At Volvo CE’s testing grounds – a typically Swedish open space, surrounded by pine forests - the global press witnessed a spell binding demonstration of automated and driverless heavy equipment going about everyday tasks in the mining, earthmoving and construction spheres. Overseen by a single remote operator, a Volvo CE articulated hauler, loaded by a Volvo CE wheel loader, went about dumping loads of gravel from one corner of the testing ground to another. The operations would have seemed routine enough but for the empty cabins of the two huge machines. They were performing the tasks on automation, without human involvement, as if they had minds of their own. And it wasn’t as if these minds were so focused on the task that they compromised safety. When a demonstrator suddenly and deliberately planted himself in the way of the wheel loader, its onboard systems detected the intervention, stopped well away and even tooted the horn.

Extending this concept further, Volvo CE showed off its electric and hybrid range, led by the HX 01 fully autonomous electric dumper. With the driver’s cab completed eliminated in the design, the machine looked unlike any other construction equipment you have ever seen before. It was mated to a hybrid wheel loader that operated absolutely silently in electric mode, with the back-up of an engine available just in case the batteries ran dry after several hours of operation. For standard operating hours, the two machines working in tandem would not leave any emission footprint, so, apparently, the Swedes love those forests and clean open spaces of theirs and are working to preserve them. But all of this is years - maybe decades - in the future. For now, this issue concentrates on the big cranes and heavy lift projects that show where the cutting-edge of construction equipment technology now stands. Except here, too, the market leaders are designing future machines that can lift a mind-boggling 24,000t. Welcome to a brave new world!

aelred.doyle@cpimediagroup.com ADVERTISING & MARKETING COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR MICHAEL STANSFIELD michael.stansfield@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5497 MARKETING MANAGER LISA JUSTICE lisa.justice@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5498 DESIGN ART DIRECTOR SIMON COBON simon.cobon@cpimediagroup.com CIRCULATION & PRODUCTION DISTRIBUTION MANAGER SUNIL KUMAR sunil.kumar@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5476 PRODUCTION MANAGER VIpIN V. VIJAY vipin.vijay@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5713

WEb DEVELOPMENT MOHAMMAD AwAIS SADIQ SIDDIQUI SHAHAN NASEEM PUbLIShED by

Registered at IMpZ pO Box 13700 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 4 447 2409 www.cpimediagroup.com FOUNDER DOMINIC DE SOUSA (1959-2015) PRINTED by pRINTwELL pRINTING pRESS LLC

Anirban Bagchi Editor, CMME

© Copyright 2016 CpI. All rights reserved. while the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.


AFGHANISTAN FAMCO (Al-Futtaim Auto & Machinery Co. LLC) + 971 4 213 5100 (UAE) famco@alf uttaim.ae BAHRAIN FAMCO (Al-Futtaim Auto & Machinery Company) + 973 1783 0226 famco.bahrain@alfuttaim.ae IRAQ Sardar Automobile and Machinery Trading Co. + 964 750 344 4701 ihsan@sardarmachinery.com JORDAN Jamil Odeh and Sons Co. (JOSC) +962 6 4160409 info@jamilodeh.com KUWAIT Al-Zabin International Group Co. For Heavy Equipment + 965 2433 4721 alzabin@alzabinkuwait.com

THE VOLVO L120G with z-bar linkage

Maximum productivity. Optimum efficiency.

LEBANON AMTRAC (Abdelmassih Trading Company) + 961 3 425625 michel@amtrac-lb.com OMAN GENSERV (General Engineering Services Est) + 968 244 90755 sales@genserv-oman.com PAKISTAN VPL Limited + 92 42 111 875 875 uzair.shahid @panasiangroup.com QATAR Arabian Agencies Company WLL + 974 44 50 0925 araco@araco.com.qa SAUDI ARABIA FAMCO (Al-Futtaim Auto & Machinery Co. LLC) 800 124 4414 famco@alfuttaim.sa SYRIA Nassib Saad Est. Trading & Import + 963 11 222 5432 i.saad@saad-syria.com TURKEY Ascendum Makina + 90 216 581 80 00 info@ascturk.com UAE FAMCO (Al-Futtaim Auto & Machinery Co. LLC) 800 FAMCO (32626) famco@alfuttaim.ae YEMEN Elaghil Trading Co. + 967 1 207 470 elaghil@y.net.ye

The new L120G with z-bar linkage gives you loads more: more productivity, more fuel efficiency and more uptime. Engineered to give optimum bucket fill, the L120G z-bar delivers superior productivity, with the z-bar lifting arm system working in perfect harmony with load sensing hydraulics and the Volvo attachment range. An optimised powertrain and Eco-pedal function contribute to outstanding fuel efficiency, coupled with easy service access, for lower operating costs. The new L120G z-bar – maximum productivity and optimum efficiency. Building Tomorrow.

volvoce.com


6

ONLINE NOVEMBER 2016

MOST POPULAR

FEATURED

READERS’ COMMENTS

CONSTRUCTION

DUbAI OFFICE DEMAND

Building work starts on ‘The Tower’ in Dubai

A TALE OF MANy MARkETS

CONSTRUCTION

UAE wage protection decree comes into force

In pictures: Sheikh Mohammed launches The Tower at Dubai Creek harbour

As someone with 12 years’ experience renting commercial space in the UAE, it was interesting to read your report about the complex nature of the market (Office rents flat or falling in most Dubai submarkets, October 18). It’s a sign of a mature and maturing market that the city’s many different areas are seeing vastly different patterns in supply and demand. Name withheld, via email

CONSTRUCTION

Arabtec awarded $92m hotel project in Dubai

MAN AND MAChINE vERSUS ThE ENvIRONMENT

INFRASTRUCTURE

Oman: Turkish firm wins $277m Duqm Port contract

CONSTRUCTION

Wael Allan named CEO of Dubai’s Drake & Scull

video: Abu Dhabi Airports’ Midfield Terminal building construction update

Your report on the building of the UAE’s highest road (up its tallest mountain) was an inspiring tale (Moving mountains: How the UAE’s highest road was built, October 19). The rugged environment (as you say – like you ‘have set foot on a different planet’) just shows the power of these machines –machines that we see in use in less extreme settings every day. Mandeep Nahel, via website



S W NE 8

Third quarTer resulTs

margins HigH at VolVo CE dEspitE 2% salEs dip

jECts, o r p w E ffiCEs, n o w E n , s HinE around k o nEw maC o l E iVEs – w t a montH i t s i i n H i t w E nEw Hat’s n w t a n o i tHE rEg MAGNA TyRES’ NEW REGIONAL OFFICE IN RAS

Volvo CE has announced a 2% slide in

AL KhAIMAh

sales for the third quarter of the year,

Dutch tyre

while maintaining an increase in its

manufacturer

operating margin. The Swedish giant

Magna Tyres has

said that a spike in order intake from

opened its Middle

Europe failed to offset continued

East and Africa

weakness in other markets, sending

office in Ras Al

its net sales in the third quarter of

Khaimah, UAE.

the year down by 3% to SEK11.5

The off-the-road,

billion ($1.2bn). Adjusted for

industrial and

currency movements, net sales were

truck tyre maker

down 2% while adjusted operating

said the new office

income increased to $67.3m for

is part of its global

an operating margin of 5.2%.

expansion, giving

Net order intake in Q3 increased

it 10 sales offices

by 17% over the same period in

worldwide and

2015, although from low levels, the

Manitowoc awards Kanoo Elite Dealer status for KSA

products running

company said. In Europe, France

in 110 countries.

and Germany reported higher order

Magna also

intakes, counterbalanced by lower

produces tyres

orders in Norway and Russia.

construction,

were at a similar level to last

Manitowoc has awarded Elite Dealer status for Saudi Arabian operations to Kanoo Machinery, its long-standing distribution partner in the Middle East, making it only the fourth dealership in the entire region to achieve the designation. Elite Dealer status is awarded to dealers in recognition for excellence in their parts and services standards, raising those standards to an international level. Manitowoc said factors contributing to Bahrain-based Kanoo winning the accolade included the distributor’s technical support and crane sales teams. Kanoo has developed a structured training programme with Manitowoc over the past two years to improve the skills and knowledge of its engineers, the statement added, which has given the dealer two master technicians trained to the highest level by the manufacturer. The company hopes to

port handling and

year, with Europe reporting

mining sectors.

higher figures. Deliveries of Volvo

have two additional engineers certified to this level by the end of the year. “Winning Elite Dealer status is a great recognition for the hard work that the Kanoo Machinery team has put in,” said Brian O’Sullivan, executive general manager at Kanoo Machinery. “The entire organisation has made tremendous efforts to deliver exceptional field service, and to improve after-sales support and market reach. This award not only demonstrates the strength of our company and its customer service, but also underlines the successful partnership we enjoy with Manitowoc Cranes.” “Awarding Kanoo’s Saudi operations Elite Dealer status was an easy decision for Manitowoc, given the company’s efforts to elevate the technical level of its after-sales engineers and technicians over the past year,” said Yannick Richaud, Manitowoc’s Middle East Crane Care director.

for the industrial,

“The new office

Deliveries in the third quarter

CE’s Chinese subsidiary SDLG’s

will provide

products were counterbalanced

great benefits

by lower Volvo-branded machine

to customers

sales in the Americas.

with complete

Compact equipment led sales

local support

in North America, while in South

in building the

America SDLG sold well in Brazil.

Magna Tyres

Order intake in Asia was 24%

brand on par with

higher on increased orders for

other premium

the Volvo brand in China and

brands,” said Vijay

continued strong growth in India.

Nambiar, new

“Despite continued low demand,

GM for Middle

operating margin improved slightly

East and Africa.

in the third quarter to 5.2%,” said Martin Weissburg, president, Volvo CE. “Further positives were that orders increased slightly across all regions. We see no immediate increase of demand and continue to focus on Volvo CE’s strongholds.”


1/3 Meanwhile… itʻs make-or-break time at the demolition site.

But thatʻs just business as usual for this beast of a machine.

No loadʻs too heavy, no space too tight, no terrain too rough. The dayʻs hardly started, and yet this jobʻs already done and dusted.

S450 Power meets comfort! With increased hydraulic power and a gargantuan grip, this skid steer loader is pure muscle. While the re-engineered cab keeps you comfy as you maneuver quickly and surely – doing more, faster and better.

Bobcat is a Doosan Company. Doosan is a global leader in construction equipment, power & water solutions, engines, and engineering proudly serving customers and communities for more than a century. | Bobcat and the Bobcat logo are registered trademarks of Bobcat Company in the United States and various other countries. ©2016 Bobcat Company. All Rights Reserved.

UP NEXT ... A DEEP SEATED PROBLEM


10

NeWs rOuNd-uP NOVEMBER 2016

ChaNge aT The TOP

CatErpillar CHairman and CEo to rEtirE in 2017

Iveco supplies 131 trucks to Algerian oil company

VOLVO CE REVAMpS EMEA WEBSITE Volvo CE has launched a redesigned website for

Italian truck specialist Iveco has delivered 131 Astra heavy trucks to Algerian petroleum company Entreprise Nationale Geophysique (ENAGEO) for logistics and transport support in seismic surveys across the North African country. According to Iveco, the fleet is customised to operate in the extreme conditions of much of Algeria’s vast deserts. It includes 4x4 and 6x6

all-wheel drive vehicles for logistics and support that use the Astra HD9 truck model as base, all designed and built in record time for a public tender won at the end of 2015. The order included a variety of features developed specifically for the mission, such as vehicles equipped with fuel and water tanks, tractors. trucks for transporting people

and refrigerated vehicles – all made to work in the desert on extremely rugged terrain and in adverse weather conditions. With Astra being Iveco’s brand for the heavy off-road industry, the conditions will show the HD9’s robustness and versatility, Iveco claimed.

DATES ANNOUNCED FOR MIDDLE EAST RAIL 2017 The 11th edition of Middle East Rail will take place on March 7 and 8, 2017, with over 350 global exhibitors on 22,500sqm at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), said organisers the Federal Transport Authority, UAE. New MENA areas, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent will be the focus areas.

Michelin l au n c h e s ne w X DR 3 y Re s eR t e a R t h M ov dump

r rigid e of tyres fo XDR3 rang sport new es in Michelin’s surface m in g in 10%. at er trucks op by a claimed se tyre life ea cr 80 R 63 in 3/ 5 at features th 0 R 57 and e new 40.0 th vated id ca sa y ex nne of The compan e cost per to th ce mp u u d d re ng rigid XDR3 tyres perators usi o e in new m a r re fo material hey featu ng safety. T ri su ss en ce ro ile gp trucks, wh bber mixin rn, a new ru casings d an tread patte ce r resistan ea w d se ea for incr rrosion trength co with high-s b eel ca les. isolating st

customers in the

Caterpillar has announced that

Europe, Middle

chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman

East and Africa

will retire on March 31 next year.

region, featuring

Oberhelman, a 41-year Caterpillar

a more user-

veteran, led the company to its highest

friendly and

sales and revenue peak in its 91-

intuitive format.

year history in 2012 and since then

The updated site

has successfully guided Caterpillar

makes it easier to

through the downturn in the global

find and compare

construction machinery sector.

products side

The board has elected Jim Umpleby

by side with a

to succeed Oberhelman as CEO, while

product selector

Dave Calhoun will be the new non-

feature showing

executive chairman of the board.

multiple models

Among Caterpillar’s key

and specifications

achievements during Oberhelman’s

at a glance. A

leadership are an 83% increase

quick view is also

in quarterly dividend since 2010,

available of all

the granting of 7,300 patents to

attachments for

the company worldwide and a

each model.

significant improvement in safety, with the Recordable Injury Frequency improving each year. he also leaves Caterpillar with a strong balance sheet, with $6.764 billion in cash as of June 30, 2016, and a debt-to-capital ratio of 39% at the end of Q2 2016.


11

Axalta opens new GCC office in Dubai

Global industrial and automotive coatings specialist Axalta Coating Systems has opened a regional office in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority to expand its sales and customer service capability in the GCC.

The company said its move is in response to the continued growth in sales in the region’s automotive industry, which is outperforming other global markets. Axalta also plans to commission a flagship

regional Refinish Training Centre in Dubai by early 2017. The new facility will enable refinish technicians to hone their skills and learn how to maximise their use of Axalta’s refinish brands. Axalta added that the facilities are also in

RApID ACCESS NeW eNTry

ford tools launCHEs rEgion’s first ExClusiVE sHowroom in dubai

LAUNChES MIDDLE EAST App Powered access

commemoration of its 150th year in the coatings industry. “Our investment demonstrates our confidence in the region and our commitment to serve our regional customers,” said Charlie Shaver, chairman and CEO, Axalta. “Our strength in both transportation and industrial coatings will enable us to support the growth of spending on vehicles and the rapid industrialisation across the region.” Among the largest global suppliers of coatings for heavy-duty trucks and buses, and to electrical insulation, powder coatings and industrial markets, Axalta also brings its four million-strong automotive colour database to customers in the region.

IVECO SUppLIES LNG TRUCKS TO TRANSpORTER Iveco will supply 10 Stralis AS440S40T/P LNG vehicles to i-FASTAutomotive Logistics, the first delivery in Europe of heavy vehicles for LNG-powered car transport. The New Stralis NP is the first natural gas vehicle for long-haul missions, with two 540l LNG tanks for a 1500km range.

MB Crusher to show latest products at Big5

specialist Rapid Ford Tools and Ford power Equipment have

at affordable prices “We are very proud to

Access has launched the

launched their first

bring Ford Tools and Ford

first mobile app

exclusive showroom in

power Equipment to the

for aerial work

the region in Dubai.

region. Every Ford Tools

platforms in the

product is carefully designed

Middle East to

with city-based VTools,

to improve the working

enable customers

which has been appointed

comfort of the end user,”

to match their

the exclusive dealer for

said Ahmad Sorayanejad,

requirements with

both brands in the Middle

CEO, VTools, which has

the company’s

East, the store brings the

teamed up with pulsar,

model offerings.

complete range of products

the official licensee for

Rapid Access

offered by Ford Motor Corp-

Ford power Equipment.

owned brands to the region.

“The marriage of our

Established in partnership

operates a fleet of 4,000 machines

company and Ford adds

from nine depots

include power tools,

up to incredible value,

in all six GCC

hand and garage tools,

supported by a global

countries, and said

lighting, gasoline and

parts and service network

the app is being

diesel generators, electric

that ensures customer

launched in six

and gasoline pressure

satisfaction,” said

versions, one for

washers, and water pumps.

Kenneth Linde, executive

each country.

Ford-branded tools

According to Vtools, the product range includes items

Vp and GM, pulsar. The products are now also

for professional contractors

available at Carrefour, Ace

and tradesmen, as well

hardware and major retail

as for the DIy enthusiast

outlets in the Middle East.

Italian mobile crushing specialist MB Crusher will showcase two of its latest products for the first time in the Middle East at the Big 5 Dubai construction equipment show, to be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from November 21 to 24. The Fara Vicentino-based manufacturer of attachments and materials processing equipment for recycling, demolition, construction, landscaping and waste management industries said its display will include new

hydraulic drum cutter the MB-R800 and the MB-LS220 screening bucket, the first screening bucket designed specifically for loaders and backhoes from 12 to 35t. Both products were unveiled to the world earlier this year at Bauma in Munich and will be on show for the Arabian market for the first time at the company’s booth OSF40 in the show’s outdoor area. Also displayed will be other crushing and screening buckets, drum-cutters and grapples from MB’s range.


12

NeWs rOuNd-uP NOVEMBER 2016

NeW aPPOiNTmeNTs

tErEx CranEs induCts global produCt managErs

Manitowoc launches new Potain model

Terex Cranes has

and strategies,

appointed new

based on feedback

directors to its

from customers and

all-terrain and

regional sales team

rough-terrain crane

members, Terex said.

product divisions

with Terex Cranes

AL NABOODAh

global teams of their

for 16 years and has

GROUp STARTS

respective verticals.

held various roles,

FIRE SAFETy

Manitowoc has launched its new self-erecting Hup 40-30 tower crane from its new Potain Hup range, which it first showed off as a prototype at Bauma 2016 in Munich earlier this year. The Hup 40-30 has a 40m jib and boasts 16 configurations, which is unique to this category of selferecting cranes, enabling it to easily adapt to a range of applications. The crane has a maximum capacity of 4t, and can lift 1t at its jib end of 40m. Among its features is a telescopic mast for a range of working heights. The design boosts the

height under hook attainable by the crane to 25.6m in its low position, and 30m when extended to its greatest height. A remote control unit with a colour screen and new Smart Set Up software delivers on-screen information and increases operator efficiency. “Customers will benefit from even greater flexibility and adaptability with these new designs and technologies, enabling them to cover a much wider range of jobs with a single machine,” said Jean-Pierre Zaffiro, global product director, Potain.

IRONpLANET RECORDS $99M SEpTEMBER SALES Online usedequipment marketplace IronPlanet broke records with its September auction events, with more than $99 million in sales on 9,890 items. Chairman and CEO Gregory Owens said records were broken for the number of auctions (23), total bidder and buyer numbers, and total volume.

new Rough anes n cR teRRailiebheRR ane fRoM tended its mobile cnres in the

x cra rr has e -terrain d LRT Liebhe h rough it -2.1 an w 0 9 e 0 g 1 n a T r R t L the c e produ es. Th eiled at lly unv 0t class a 0 1 17, m r d 2 n fo arch 0 90t a ill be as in M hich w g w e , V .1 s tu 2 a fea re 1100 w in L 80t and to ade sho t tr 5 o 2 e p f x ies o ort bas Cone capacit le supp g b in ia r ft a li v d ere have ioBase are pow rr ’s Var ty. Both Liebhe fe a l s e s d s die ance ummin for enh 4bhp C d 6 2 a s y b ix pee and a s engine . n issio transm

Schröder has been

who will lead the

Frank Schröder will

most recently director

DIVISION

lead the all-terrain

of Commercial and

Trans Gulf

crane division as

product Support

Electromechanical,

director of product

Strategy. Natarajan

the mechanical,

Management, while

has eight years of

electrical and

Suresh Natarajan will

experience in the

plumbing

be the new director of

crane industry and

(MEP) arm of Al

product Management

was director of Global

Naboodah Group

for rough-terrain

Electrical Engineering

Enterprises,

cranes. They will lead

prior to departing

has launched

the global product

Terex in 2011 for

a new fire and

management teams in

a multinational

safety division to

the formulation and

crane equipment

supply turnkey

execution of product

manufacturer, from

safety solutions.

line development

where he returns.

TransPro Systems, will offer services such as fire detection and alarm systems, in addition to design, supply, installation, testing and maintenance of the safety systems.


POWER AND PRECISION

B-SERIES MOTOR GRADERS 1. THE RIGHT POWER FOR EVERY JOB

2. EFFORTLESS PRODUCTIVITY

3. ALIGNED WITH PERFORMANCES

Variable Horse Power: the right amount of torque for any application, optimizing fuel consumption.

A multiradius blade for a perfect mixing effect and a lowered traction effort.

The rear mounted cab grants best in class comfort as the operator is always aligned with travel direction when working with offset frame.

www.casece.com

EXPERTS FOR THE REAL WORLD SINCE 1842


14

KIT SPOTTING NOVEMBER 2016

HitacHi midi excavator on track at italian railway project

a

Hitachi ZX350LCN-6 medium excavator is working on a high-profile railway project – worth an estimated $126 million – linking cities in Italy and Switzerland. The Arcisate-Stabio line will connect Varese in the north of Italy with Ticino and Como and ensure passengers can reach Milan’s Malpensa Airport from cities in central and southern Switzerland. It is due to be completed by the end of 2017. The Zaxis-6 model was one of the first of the new generation of Hitachi medium excavators to be delivered in Italy and is owned by Mezzanzanica SpA, based in Parabiago near Milan. The company specialises in road construction, pipe-laying projects, quarrying, environmental plants, waste handling and recycling. It has a fleet of nine Hitachi mini and medium excavators, and wheel loaders, ranging from Zaxis-1, -3 and -5 models, as well as the most recent additions, two ZX350LCN-6s. On site in Induno Olona, on the outskirts of Varese, the ZX350LCN-6 is installing irrigation pipelines stretching a total of 9km underneath the railway line. Equipped with a quick coupler and a standard 2.3 cubic metre bucket, it is used for earthmoving and placing one-tonne concrete structures into the trench. Material from the site is used for restoring quarries owned by the Italian rail network, RFI, to their original state. “Our work requires a high level of precision,” says Cristian Mezzanzanica, managing director of Mezzanzanica SpA. “Over the years, we have found Hitachi hydraulics to be superb. This has also increased our productivity as working with high levels of precision means no time is lost.” In addition to its precision, the Hitachi medium excavator is capable of operating with speed, Mezzanzanica says, which is particularly important to him for public contracts such as this. “We tested the Hitachi ZX350LCN-6 against other brands and found it to be extremely fast,” he adds.


YEARS

in Dubai

DECEMBER 13 – 15

BIG EQUIPMENT AND A BIG 3-DAY AUCTION

will mark our 20 year anniversary in Dubai and we want you to be a big part of it. A selection of equipment in our upcoming auction:

2011 IVECO EUROCARGO 140E24 4x4

2012 CAMC HN1140Z19D8M3J 4x2

VOLVO NL12 6x4

2008 TATA DAEWOO 7542 NOVUS 6x4

2007 GMC SAVANA 4x2

Sold in previous Ritchie Bros. auctions:

2007 VOLVO FH12-440 4X2 Sold for $24,000

2008 MAN TGA33.360 6X4 Sold for $37,000

2009 MERCEDES BENZ ACTROS 4031 18000 LITRE 6X4 Sold for $52,500

2009 MERCEDES-BENZ AXOR 3028 6X4 Sold for $30,000

2011 SCANIA P380CB 6X4 Sold for $70,000

UNUSED – MERCEDES-BENZ ACTROS 3331 6X4 Sold for $62,500

UNUSED MERCEDES-BENZ ACTROS 3340 6X4 Sold for $67,000

UNUSED RENAULT KERAX 380DXI 6X4 Sold for $60,000

2012 AL JABER 100 TON QUAD/A Sold for $65,000

UNUSED – 2016 MAF 80 TON QUAD/A Sold for $40,000

Sell your equipment in this auction. Consign early for more exposure. rbauction.com | +971.4.812.0600 Auction location: Gate 8, Junction 9, Jebel Ali Free Zone P.O. Box 16897 Dubai, United Arab Emirates


16

SHOW REPORT NOVEMBER 2016

A hub of the industry

Middle East Concrete and PMV Live are ideal platforms to network with movers and shakers in the GCC construction industry.

infrastructure projects and private spending on theme parks will set the tone for middle east concrete and pmv live 2016

A

s GCC governments target a $100bn spending spree on infrastructure projects, the boom presents a huge opportunity for industry professionals attending PMV Live 2016 and Middle East Concrete The Middle East Concrete and PMV Live events – part of The Big 5 2016 at Dubai’s World Trade Centre from November 21 to 24 - will be held against the backdrop of some of the world’s largest and most lucrative infrastructure projects. The outlook remains extremely positive as regional governments continue to splash out on flagship developments to meet the needs of a growing population and the increasing demands of tourism. Multi-billion dollar infrastructure initiatives such as Dubai Expo 2020 and the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar have already presented a huge opportunity for worldwide construction companies. The GCC governments are looking to spend $604 billion in the next three years which will include $100bn on infrastructure projects. As well as the Expo and World Cup events, airports in the region are set to expand hugely by 2020 to keep up with increasing passenger numbers and cargo traffic demands of. Investment is also pouring into road and railway projects such as Dubai’s Metro’s Route 2020 . Elsewhere, and already under construction are the Qatar National Rail Scheme and the Riyadh Light Rail Network. In Bahrain plans are afoot to build a rapid transport network and in KSA, the construction of the Mekkah-Madina Railway Link (MMRL) is out to tender. There are more than $12bn worth of theme park projects in the

GCC from planning to under construction. as well as a host of recreational projects such as museums, cultural centres and theatres. Middle East Concrete and PMV Live will be an ideal platform from which to network with the movers and shakers across the Gulf region responsible for some of the major developments that are now taking place. Furthermore, it is a chance for investors to seal a few money-spinning deals. Exhibitors secured some incredible sales at the Middle East Concrete and PMV Live events last year, including Techmatik, who sold a concrete block machine for $2.7 million, MB Crusher who sold two crushers for $85,000 and Basalt Rock Composite who won the $50,000 overall prize at the 2015 Gaia Awards for its basalt fibre-based rebar. James Meltz, the event director, said: “This region remains a hotbed of infrastructure investment because the governments are still sanctioning muscular development projects to keep up with the massive pace of change taking place. This is all in line with the aim of the National Agenda for the UAE to be among the best in the world in the quality of airports, ports, road infrastructure, and electricity. “The scope therefore for infrastructure

investors is huge with a buoyant outlook for the construction industry for a number of years to come. This year alone there is a $17bn increase in infrastructure contracts awarded by the GCC, with the UAE likely to register the highest contractor awards in 2016 worth a staggering $6.3bn.” Middle East Concrete and PMV Live, organised by dmg events Middle East, Asia & Africa, are the biggest and most prestigious infrastructure and heavy machinery events in the Middle East bringing key regional and international industry leaders under one roof at the New Za’abeel Halls 4-6 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Thousands of state-of-the-art and ground-breaking technologies, as well as revolutionary ideas will be showcased by over 400 exhibitors from 40 countries to 32,000 international participants searching for products that can save money, energy, reduce emissions, and minimise waste. What is more, there will be a strong educational element with over 50 free-toattend and CPD certified workshops and technical seminars delivered by industry experts who will be highlighting the market’s current trends, challenges, opportunities and best practices.



18

EVENT REPORT NOVEMBER 2016

A CAse for roAds in TunisiA

Case ConstruCtion equipment takes its road-building maChinery to the north afriCan Country and, aided by bad weather, demonstrates its suitability for performing in extreme Conditions

f

ive years after the Arab Spring movement of 2011, Tunisia, the country that started the regional political upheaval in the cause of greater democracy and development, is now gradually reaping the rewards of putting governments and systems in place that are working to bring increased prosperity to the country. Infrastructure is one of the cornerstones of this development endeavour, and the Tunisian government views the extension and upgrading of the country’s road infrastructure as a major challenge in its aim to adjust the balance and improve access between its regions – vital for the development of its transport sector and its economy. The development plan for the 2016-2020 presidency has allocated €3.5 billion for the construction, refurbishment and maintenance of roads and motorways. The country’s infrastructure development projects are also attracting funds from international financing organisations. For example, in July last year the World Bank granted a €180 million loan to refurbish 146km of roads in some of the least developed regions in Tunisia, and in February this year the European Investment Bank signed a €150 million framework loan agreement to modernise the main arterial roads in the south of the capital, Tunis, to relieve traffic congestion. The planned large-scale projects for the development of Tunisia’s road infrastructure will require highly productive and reliable equipment to meet the country’s objectives. This is where Case


19 Tunisia represents an opportunity for Case Construction Equipment’s sturdy machines, with new roads planned to be built in harsh conditions.

Construction Equipment hopes to step in. With the wide range of equipment it offers for the road-building industry, the company sought to highlight the contribution it can make towards road and infrastructure projects in the North African country with a demonstration of its products for the sector last month. Since the Sahara Desert forms a large part of Tunisia, especially in the southern part of the country, difficult terrain and harsh weather conditions are part of the construction process for projects in the country. And it’s not always the heat. Freak Mediterranean storms can dump thousands of litres of rain on the coastal areas of the county, making the terrain impassable for all but the most robust and purpose-built equipment. Taking this into account, Case’s road-building event demonstrated the performance and capabilities of its machines in the extreme weather and terrain conditions they can be expected to work in when used for road-building and related infrastructure projects in Tunisia. Seeing is believing Case invited construction companies operating in the infrastructure sector to see its road-building equipment in action and test-drive the machines in real job-site conditions. The event, organised jointly with importer Sotradies at their premises in the eastern coastal city of Sousse, 140km south of the capital Tunis, highlighted the qualities of the Case machines developed specifically for road-building operations under touch conditions, such as those found in North Africa. According to M. Slim Tlili, sales manager at Sotradies, the machines are built to be tough, productive and reliable and can operate in the toughest conditions, with the added benefit of a very competitive cost of ownership. What helped to bring home this point to representatives of the construction companies attending the event was the exceptionally bad weather that hit the area close to the time it was being held. Days of torrential rains created the most extreme terrain and conditions the machines – and indeed many guests – would probably ever see, and the Case equipment handled the difficulties with ease. “The construction business operators who braved the weather to travel from across the country to the Case roadbuilding event were delighted with the opportunity we gave them to see first-hand what the machines are capable of in the most extreme conditions,” said Tlili.


20

EVENT REPORT NOVEMBER 2016

“The construction business operators who braved the weather to travel from across the country were delighted to see first-hand what the machines are capable of in the most extreme conditions”

The full team from Sotradies, supported by senior officials from Case and the product, training, service and marketing managers, welcomed the guests and led them on their voyage of discovery of the brand’s road-building equipment. Proven reliability The first part of the event was dedicated to the star of the event: the Case 865B 18t, 220hp grader. It is one of three models in the B Series, which have gained an excellent reputation for their ability to work in all environments and their high productivity. According to Case, the B Series graders are designed to provide superior operator control, visibility and comfort, and feature a powerful, fuel-efficient, turbocharged FPT engine. For higher performance, the Variable Horse Power feature on the 865B

model maximises operation, thanks to the triple horsepower engine curve. The transmission combines with the torque converter and the direct drive solution for full power transfer to provide a high level of smoothness, enabling fine grading. The hydraulic system with load sensor offers balanced flow for all applications, Case adds, and the front A-frame drawbar provides superior stability, while the heavy-duty boxed frame design increases the life of the components. Ground-level access to the checkpoints means daily maintenance is easy and quick. “We’re in the condition to supply the best grader for the African market. The range is perfectly sized for road-building and road maintenance jobs,” says Massimiliano Sala, Case product marketing manager, Roadbuilding Equipment, for Europe, Africa and Middle East.

Case’s Tunisia dealer, Sotradies, supported by senior Case officials, welcomed guests and demonstrated the company’s road construction machinery.

“Case graders have been tested through the years on many challenging North African job-sites. The upgraded cabin, improved design and power-to-weight ratio make them the best-in-class solution for the market and value for money for the customer. We rely on the product and look forward to challenging the competition in the field.” After the grader, participants discovered the 35t, 271hp CX350B crawler excavator, the 230hp 821F wheel loader, two T Series backhoe loader models and two radial loader SR Series skid-steer loader models. In addition to demonstrations of all the machines in real road-building jobsite conditions, participants were able to test drive all the models in the field with the guidance of Case demonstrator Steve Beardmore and product specialist Massimiliano Sala.



22

HEAVY LIFT SPECIAL NOVEMBER 2016

Raising the game

ItalIan tower crane specIalIst raImondI has carved a nIche for Itself In the mIddle eastern and asIan markets. now under Gccbased kbw holdInGs’ ownershIp, the company Is lookInG to buIld on Its lonG hIstory of InnovatIon and qualIty for a GlorIous future, new chaIrman ahmed alkhoshaIbI, tells CMME

F

ounded during the initial years of industrialisation in Italy in the 1800s, Raimondi Cranes is the quintessential Italian company, marrying the country’s tradition of local ingenuity, design and craftsmanship with modernity and cutting-edge technology. In 1863 Rodolfo Raimondi saw the opportunity to produce the first transmission equipment used in a cotton mill in Legnano, a city where, until today, Raimondi’s operative headquarters are located. In the following century, particularly after World War II, Raimondi devoted itself to helping rebuild its own country through the manufacture of construction equipment from concrete mixers to tower cranes. And since 1946, Raimondi has devoted all its resources for the production of tower cranes, which gradually took the company beyond its national frontiers. The reach of Raimondi and its global fame was confirmed in 2014 when Riyadh-based KBW Investments purchased the company. The holding company, owned by Saudi Arabia’s Prince Khaled bin Al Waleed bin Talal, found merit in the Italian tower crane specialist, which enjoys a great brand image globally. Raimondi’s new chairman after the KBW acquisition, Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, tells CMME that the purchase of the crane maker was a carefully thought-out decision. “Prince Khaled and I had met a few years prior, and we had discussed going into business together. With Raimondi, the timing was right - there was a huge market opportunity there and we jumped on it. I make it sound like a quick decision, but it obviously wasn’t as it involved a fairly intensive due diligence evaluation followed by the acquisition process,” Alkhoshaibi says. “When we announced it in January 2014, it was basically the first step in what is now KBW Investments. To sum up its significance, when Prince Khaled expressed interest in the construction sector, he knew that the opportunity to enter the industry with an establishment like Raimondi Cranes happens very rarely. As a heritage manufacturer that has existed for a century and a half, we consider it a pillar in the KBW portfolio and an anchor of sorts. Becoming part of a group that holds an esteemed and lasting brand is a real source of pride


23

Raimondi cranes, such as these in Qatar, are common at Middle Eastern job sites, with the KBW-owned brand enjoyng global traction in the tower crane sector.

to our other enterprises.” The acquisition did not come without its challenges, however, and Alkhoshaibi continues: “First off, there is always a warming-up period when new business relationships are formed in any scenario – be it a partnership, a JV, a one-off test job. Now, when you’re commencing an acquisition, during that first assessment and action period, it needs to be handled delicately. Respect for the brand “I think it was important to convey how much we respected the brand and understood its deep roots. Raimondi’s team knew that we weren’t coming in there with an attitude that suggested we were ignorant of the ownership and fealty that they all felt towards its welfare as an Italian brand. In Legnano’s once-strong manufacturing history, Raimondi acts as almost a beacon of hope. It was an area known for world-class production, everything from cotton to the manufacture of sophisticated equipment.” The feelings of ownership and fealty that Alkhoshaibi speaks of come from being part of a brand that has withstood the test of time for more than century and has become like family to its employees and to the community in its home city. Every person employed by Raimondi Cranes is dedicated to the brand on a personal level, he adds. “You almost never see this level of loyalty and staff engagement in today’s corporate world. They all feel as though they have a personal stake in the company’s success and it’s a truly valuable aspect,” Alkhoshaibi explains. “One of the things Raimondi’s executive team is tasked with is retaining our longterm staff members. These are people who have worked at the manufacturer for more than 10 or 20 years, and who literally know every detail of every crane. That type of knowledge-equipped human capital who have an inherent familiarity with our products cannot be recruited or trained in a year or two, or even three. One of the main Raimondi directives is to retain these brand experts and utilise this unparalleled advantage that it gives the company, technically speaking.” Acquiring Raimondi and pushing the company to the next level meant that changes had to be made, however, but the essential point was how those changes were brought about. “Prince Khaled made several visits personally, getting to know the executives and the people who had been with the company the longest, and I spent a considerable amount of time there in those early days. This, too, makes a difference during an acquisition.”


24

HEAVY LIFT SPECIAL NOVEMBER 2016

Alkhoshaibi adds that Prince Khaled likes to describe the KBW Investments evolution in the context of pre and post Raimondi Cranes acquisition. The Raimondi acquisition created the foundation of what is now a comprehensive portfolio that is at work on some of the region’s most ambitious projects. “In the UAE, KBW group company, NGP, signed a PPP with Dubai Courts, and in Jordan, we signed two for nationwide LED adoption, a factory, and a solar PV plant. Raimondi is an integral part of the KBW Investments Group portfolio – it is a cornerstone, and by sheer dint of being a pervasive global manufacturer in the heavy machinery segment, it gives KBW a unique vantage point. I have to say that Raimondi has seen tremendous benefits, and in turn, KBW Investments too, has seen leaps forward as the parent company.” When the acquisition was announced in 2014, KBW had simultaneously revealed that it would invest around $100 million in Raimondi over a three-year time period. A fairly significant percentage of that sum was allocated to research and development, Alkhoshaibi adds. “Raimondi’s latest products, conceptualised fully in-house, indicate the direction the company has gone in since the acquisition. With more resources, the company had the ability to recruit more talent and no longer felt suffocated by time constraints, thereby allowing the technical team to comfortably experiment with fresh technological alternatives. “The inventive application of research and the resulting solution-based designs of our three latest launches were rewarded by solid sales numbers. The technical segment, headed by technical director Domenico Ciano, is encouraged to be imaginative and the results of this has been nothing short of fantastic for the brand and for company morale,” Alkhoshaibi says. A percentage of that amount is also currently invested in enhancing existing production capabilities and being used to upgrade capacity. The chairman adds that Raimondi is currently in the process of acquiring a new factory that is approximately five times the size of its current headquarters. The new facilities will allow it to amp up production and meet growing demand.

NEw LR213 LuFFINg CRANE

scalInG upwards

Raimondi’s latest offering is the new LR213 luffing crane, which is available with five different jib length configurations, from 28m to 55m. The maximum lifting capacity of the crane is 14t, which is reachable on all jib lengths, while the max tip load with the 55m meter jib configuration is 2.25t. The LR213 id powered by a 100hp winch with a 1000m rope capacity. This allows a reach of 500m with twofall configuration and 250m with four-fall one. As an added benefit, this winch can be equipped with a secondary emergency brake too, standard for the luffing winch. All the mechanisms and the electronic components are positioned on the counter jib platform for safe and easy installation, and convenient maintenance. Only one electrical cabinet, installed on the cabin platform, allows for swift installation and cable connection. “Our engineers worked hard on the control system to ensure improved performance and enhanced safety,” says Alkhoshaibi. “Both the motor and the inverter are optimised to give the operator increased speed paired with more movement control, resulting in a more productive jobsite.”

Middle East focus During KBW’s acquisition of Raimondi, there was also talk of expanding manufacturing to other geographies – especially to Saudi Arabia, Brazil and India. Alkhoshaibi points out, however, that after polling its Middle Eastern clients, Raimondi found that in lieu

These features also allow for precision in load positioning, thereby reducing operator stressors, and the new control system makes commissioning easier and quicker. With a simple choice of jib length and working height, the system is ready to receive all the information during the test load phase for crane calibration, he adds.

of production bases, what was needed and requested were twofold: full scale facilities including offices, and yards staffed with specialised, trained personnel. “Instead of the manufacturing side, we invested that capital in setting up full-scale operations in the GCC. We employ over 150 people in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar. Raimondi in the Middle East is a clientdirect model, meaning that it is the same as dealing directly with the manufacturer in Italy. There is a local service department, sales department, and technical team,” Alkhoshaibi explains. With Brazil in the grip of an economic slowdown, which has affected its construction sector as well, plans of expansion there have been put on hold. However, India is another story. “We are proceeding (with expansion plans) in India and making good progress on that front. We haven’t officially announced this as yet, but we are optimistic about our plans to be up and running in late Q1 or early Q2 2017.” KBW’s understanding of and focus on the Middle East has started paying off for Raimondi with significant sales this year, as Alkhoshaibi reveals: “During Q1 and Q2,


25

“As a heritage manufacturer that has existed for a century and a half, we consider Raimondi a pillar in the KBW portfolio and an anchor of sorts” NEw DELuxE R16 CAbIN

control In the aIr Raimondi’s newest design development

check and set the crane quickly. A

is the Deluxe R16 cabin, an ergonomically

fully integrated system, the R16 is

designed command centre for crane

equipped with anemometer, black

operators created by the Italians’

box, radius, load and wind indicators,

R&D arm based on customer and

and a zoning option can be added.

operator feedback and trials. With more than 80% of its total

One of the largest cabins available today, the cabin measures 2.07m

surface made of glass, the cabin

in height, meters, 2.135m in length

enhances visibility for operators and

1.40m in width. Ergonomic seating

offers full jobsite views. Thermal and

with mobility upwards, downwards,

acoustic insulation has been given

forwards and backwards enables

special attention, while simultaneously

operators to find their best positions

reducing glare and reflection. Together

for optimal control. The new

with Raimondi’s supplier, special two-

operator panel, with enhanced

toned windshield glass was developed,

arrangement of commands and

ensuring interior cabin comfort

controls also help to optimise

while maintaining the visibility.

performance and ease of use.

The new Deluxe cabin is equipped

To increase durability and

with the new control system V3.0

longevity, the cabin has been built

human-machine interface, which allows

with increased stiffness, which

operators to check the full parameters

facilitates cabling during assembly

during work clearly and easily. It

or maintenance, and cabling wear

also allows the maintenance team to

and tear prevention during storage.

35 cranes were sold in the Middle East. Rounding of the year, we’re forecasting 60 cranes – with the bulk of these heading to Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Currently in Algeria, there are eight Raimondi MRT294s installed as part of a large scale project.” But the Middle East is not the only market to hold positives for Raimondi; there is good news from other parts of the globe as well, especially from down under, Alkhoshaibi reveals. “Raimondi is doing absolutely knock-out numbers in Australia. In 2015, the most Raimondi cranes were sold to Australia, and it has a lot to do with the strength of the construction sector there, combined with the constant business development activities of our agents, Strictly Cranes and Clark Cranes, who are both positioning Raimondi on commercial and residential sites nationwide. Currently, there are more than 200 Raimondi cranes erected in Australia, and an additional crane is being erected in a Sydney suburb,” he says. With these results and with its understanding of the Middle East market, Alkhoshaibi is unperturbed by the slowdown that the region is experiencing currently. With KBW already heavily engaged in several large-scale projects, which may also use Raimondi cranes, he trusts the economies of scale that come with being part of a large group - as well as the opportunity to leverage


26

HEAVY LIFT SPECIAL NOVEMBER 2016

the group’s collective strength to benefit individual entities such as a Raimondi. “We make it a point that our companies, as much as possible, try to cross-collaborate on large and small projects. A particular project might require interior fit-out, engineering, BIM-modelling, post tensioning, so on and so forth. KBW has the capability to execute turn-key projects so we encourage our companies to look internally before considering external alternatives. It’s one of the benefits of having a parent company, and it really can make a significant difference in sustaining an enterprise during a market lull,” Alkhoshaibi says. Specifically, in Raimondi’s case, he adds, the challenges are mitigated due to a global footprint because when one area is facing a slower market, other areas may be picking up. “In Turkey, for example, we have maintained an average of selling at least 40

cranes per year over the past eight years. That’s a solid market for Raimondi, despite the challenges the country might be facing.” But long-term success is not about the size and importance of the parent group or about supportive market conditions. A company needs to stand on its own with a sustained commitment to quality and innovation, and set itself apart from the competition by offering something extra, as Raimondi has done. “Each and every Raimondi crane is a fullyEuropean manufactured heavy machine. A contractor putting a Raimondi crane to work on a jobsite has confidence in the product because there is a solid material and technology sourcing line – every component is traceable back to Italy,” Alkhoshaibi points out. “Secondly, a Raimondi crane is heavy equipment that the construction sector can

“The inventive application of research and the resulting solutionbased designs of our latest launches were rewarded by solid sales numbers” rely on. On our technical team, the engineers often joke that some of the queries they field are about cranes older than them. This is end user-generated testimonial to the durability and longevity of Raimondi cranes; these machines are lasting and worthwhile investments. “Third, the Raimondi Cranes agent network is agile and active globally, also indicating confidence in the product and faith in a trusted heritage brand. Two of our European agents - Irish Cranes & Lifting and Bennetts Cranes - recently made news as top-ten tower crane companies in the United Kingdom. Both these agents have positioned Raimondi’s cranes on news-making jobsites, and both showcase Raimondi’s cranes in their fleets. The fact that we take the relationship with our agents to another level does set us apart, as we believe the best feedback comes from the ground.” Alkhoshaibi adds that Raimondi meets frequently with its agents, collects feedback and opinions, and backs it up with a quick turnaround time of implementation. “For valued customers we also operate on a bespoke level - we adapt quickly and ensure that client needs and specifications are adhered to and addressed whenever possible,” he says. And that is a winning mantra.



28

HEAVY LIFT SPECIAL NOVEMBER 2016

To GreaTer HeiGHTs

CMME sits down with Meraas to discuss the engineering challenges and unique features of the heavy lift operation that put in place the 1800t hub and spindle asseMbly at its ain dubai project on bluewaters island


29


30

HEAVY LIFT SPECIAL NOVEMBER 2016

a

“On numerous occasions throughout this process we have been required to break away from industry norms to develop pioneering techniques and technology”

in Dubai, the world’s largest and highest observation wheel being built by Dubaibased holding company Meraas, recently saw its hub and spindle, weighing over 1,800 tonnes, being lifted into place at the emirate’s Bluewaters Island. Previously known as Dubai-I, the project is not only an engineering marvel but also a showcase of what the construction machinery of our times can achieve. After the completion of its significant milestone with the hub and spindle assembly, Brian Schofield, vice president, Portfolio Lead at Meraas, told CMME that the project is one of the most difficult engineering challenges of its kind anywhere in the world, requiring special provisions to be taken for its completion. “Whilst embarking on a project of this nature, we knew that we would face challenges and complications that have never been experienced before,” Schofield says. “In fact, on numerous occasions throughout this process we have been required to break away from industry norms to develop pioneering techniques and technology.” For example, in addition to the high steel grades and the 45m/s wind speeds used in the design and the pad bearings, forces, stresses and deflections of the structure are many times that of existing wheels. The diameter of the wheel meant thousands of

load cases and combinations had to be considered and small changes in one part of the structure meant re-running the huge computer calculation model of the wheel, which sometimes took several days or even weeks to fully evaluate. “The off-site fabrication of the elements of the wheel and transportation to the island was certainly tricky. In addition, the working space for these large elements and the equipment had to be shoe-horned into the very busy island site whilst the other parts of the Bluewaters development continued,” Schofield adds. The key to mitigating such problems is flexibility and having a team that is able to think outside the box. “Whilst we always have a robust programme in place and the teams are working in a proactive manner, the single most important aspect of this project is safety, both in terms of the finished product and the construction process, which will never be compromised.” The hub and spindle element of the wheel were manufactured in the UAE by Denholm Yam, specifically selected due to

their world-class facility and rich experience in highly specialised steel fabrication. The grades of steel used are 690 and 460, the same high standard used for military equipment and in nuclear power stations. The high grade is required to maximise strength and minimise weight. The need to use this grade of steel required Meraas to sign a declaration confirming that it would only be used for this project. This is the first wheel to use selflubricating pad bearings instead of roller bearings, due to the size of the hubs and the loads involved. It is also is the first to be designed to withstand 45m/s (160km/h) wind speeds. The rim is a twin tube ladder design which is extremely slim compared to, for example, the triangulated truss used in London. Temporary bracing is required to hold the eight sections of the rim in their true shape until they are all connected together and pre-stressed by the spoke cables. The most challenging aspect of the fabrication and assembly was the working tolerances that needed to be adhered to.


31

The hub and spindle components were all manufactured with a tolerance of 2mm and machined to 0.1mm, extremely impressive considering the total load of the unit is 1805t spread over only a 40m span. Also, the connection of the hub and spindle to the four legs had a maximum installation tolerance of 3mm. In order to achieve this, special equipment was shipped from Singapore, along with highly trained machining operatives. Equally important were the stringent QA/ QC systems put in place to oversee the production and work of the 800 tradesmen working daily on the unit, completing works such as the 267t of welding joints. Transportation challenge Although the hub and spindle were

manufactured in the UAE, there were challenges with transportation of the unit to the Bluewaters site. Due to the size and weight of the hub and spindle, road transportation was not an option and it therefore had to arrive by marine transport. The hub and spindle were manufactured on a steel-frame structure specifically designed to facilitate the integration of an SPMT (self-propelled modular transporter). This enabled the completed unit to be relocated from the fabrication yard to the quayside, ready for manoeuvring onto the barge. Prior to loading on to the barge, combined calculations were finalised between the engineers and fabricators to ensure the barge load and crane lifting constraints had not been exceeded. Following this, the

MAMMoET PTC200

top of the lifting heap Mammoet’s giant, super heavy-lift

said Roderik van Seumeren,

200,000 tonne-metre PTC 200 DS

Mammoet president and CEO.

crane was unveiled and demonstrated

“We wanted a crane, not

at the company’s facility at Westdorpe

a derrick, not a gantry, not

in the Netherlands on June 15, 2011.

something just for one market,”

Tagged as the world’s biggest

van Seumeren continued.

super heavy lift crane, the PTC

“The orders already received

200 DS was designed in-house

prove that our decision was right.”

by Mammoet engineers. The largest in Mammoet’s PTC series

High lifting capacity and long reach on a small (45m and 55m)

of containerised ring-based cranes

footprint was the target. The

was accompanied by a 140,000 tonne-

main winches can lift a 3,200t

metre version also erected on the site.

load to a height of 120m in 12

Components of the third super heavy

minutes. A full 360 degree rotation

lift PTC were also there in preparation

takes 15 minutes. The luffing

for assembly following the dispatch

jib, which does not reduce the

of the first unit to work in Brazil.

load moment, allows the crane

The three cranes represent a Euro

to reach over large obstacles.

160 million investment, said Jan van

A fully rigged PTC 200 DS

Seumeren Jr, Mammoet chief technical

ships in about 250 containers

officer. The PTC 200 DS nomenclature

(20 and 40 foot).

reflects the crane’s 200,000 tonne-

The crane was loaded on two

metre rating. In its development phase

inland waterway barges from the

the cranes were referred to as PTC

Mammoet terminal in Westdorpe,

120/160 DS, prior to testing and the final

the Netherlands, and was first

maximum load moment being revealed.

shipped to Antwerp in Belgium.

The applications that the crane is

From there the containers

designed for are building large structures

were transhipped on board

on major construction projects in

cargo vessel MSC Antares,

petrochemical, power generation

which left Antwerp in the early

and offshore industries worldwide.

morning of November 29.

The PTC 200 DS was designed

The crane arrived in Brazil in

because the modules used to build

late December for it first job,

refineries and other big plants are

working on the construction of

continuing to get bigger and heavier.

an FPSO vessel for the offshore

“A versatile crane is what we wanted,”

petrochemicals industry.

Monster cranes such as the Mammoet PTC200 offer capcities that make thousandtonne-plus lifts like the Ain Dubai hub and spindle assembly possible.

barge was given clearance and the 15-hour journey to Bluewaters Island commenced, where it was finally guided into position by two tug boats after full coordination with the Dubai Coast Guard. Once the massive hub and spindle consignment reached the site, the equipment used for the lift was of course equally massive. Two of the biggest and most powerful cranes in the world were used. The first was the Mammoet PTC 200 (Platform Twin Ring Containerized), with a lifting capacity of 3200t on a boom length of 123m and a 55m jib. The second crane used in the lift, the Liebherr LR13000, is the largest crawler crane in the world with a 3000t lift capacity on a boom length of 120m and a jib length of 48m. “The physical lifting process took


32

HEAVY LIFT SPECIAL NOVEMBER 2016

three hours; however, there were many challenges to overcome before, during and after this process,” says Schofield. “Throughout the design stage, the team of engineers always remained aware that the hub and spindle needed to be transported and lifted into place as a single completed unit. This meant that the design needed to take into consideration the load distribution and trunnions [lifting eyes] locations at each design stage.” “The lift itself was always dependent on weather conditions, which meant that we needed a day where the wind speed was less than 12m/s and also on high tide. “Arguably the greatest challenge to this lift was the fact that it was a tandem lift, meaning that the load was split between the PCT200 and LR13000 cranes. Throughout the lift, it was imperative that the centre of gravity was not compromised. This was managed through onboard computer systems and the skill of the crane operating teams. This operation was made even more high risk given that the initial lift from the barge to land had the cranes working at 99% capacity.

“Safety considerations did not just start with the lift; they started with the procurement of a specialist lifting contractor with a proven track record”

AIn dubAI LIFT

facts and figures

Length of legs is 126m each and are long and wide enough to fit inside 15 London buses

180 metres Two of the world’s largest cranes - each comprising a 180 metre-long boom and a lifting capacity of over 3,000 tonnes each - placed the hub and spindle on top of the 126 metre-high legs


33

“Once the hub and spindle were lifted above the legs, inclinometers were used to digitally assist with the final positioning before 25% of the load was transferred onto the legs, ensuring that the 3mm tolerance was adhered to. Following three weeks of internal and external welding, the full load was transferred onto the legs and the cranes were disengaged.” Safety matters “Safety considerations did not just start with the lift; they started with the procurement of a specialist lifting contractor with a proven track record, as Meraas always knew this would be fundamental to the safety and success of the project. Therefore, these capabilities were analysed in detail during the pre-qualification stage of which Mammoet was successful,” Schofield explains. “With regards to the lift itself, planning involved a series of meetings with all stakeholders to review and analyse every aspect of the lifting sequence and associated risks, which in turn led to the

production of a very robust lifting plan and method statement. This planning commenced almost six months before the lift and enabled the actual operation to progress without incident. “In order to deliver a project of this magnitude, which constantly pushes engineering boundaries, along with the highest safety standards, it was necessary for Meraas to form a team of world-class engineers and consultants from around the globe.” Despite the global nature of stakeholders being based in many places around the world, the decision was made for them to be based on-site for ease of communication and coordination, and to establish a cohesive team. Also, as the project requires specialist components from around the world, the team has engaged in multiple international factory visits and workshops to verify compliance and quality assurance. “The other components of Bluewaters are on target, and we are excited for everything to come to life,” Schofield concludes.

The assembled hub and spindle weighs 1,805 tonnes, which is equivalent to

Four A380 aircraft The hub and spindle was manufactured in the UAE and shipped to Bluewaters Island as it was too large to transport on land

Delivered with fully-fitted internal and external platforms, cooling pipework, cable trays and access ladders, the hubs will later be connected to the rim via

192 spoke cables with the structure then resembling a gigantic bicycle wheel




36

HEAVY LIFT SPECIAL NOVEMBER 2016

MaMMoths of Moving

A pioneer of heAvy lifting And trAnsport, the dutch giAnt continues to blAze A trAil of innovAtion in its field, setting the bAr higher with new technologies And solutions in difficult projects

E

ven though Mammoet proudly proclaims as its motto, that “the biggest thing we move is time”, when you are entrusted with moving massive objects worth millions in any currency - and required to do it quickly and safely no matter what the constraints - it does look as if the biggest thing you move is trust. And that trust has not been earned overnight. The Dutch company has a history going back more than 200 years all the way to 1807, when the first entity of what was to become Mammoet was set up in The Netherlands by Jan Goedkoop with the purchase of a 140t cargo ship, ‘Twee Gebroeders’ (Two Brothers). In 1966 was founded Van Seumeren Kraanbedrijf crane rentals, which grew to become part of today’s Mammoet. Gebroeders Goedkoop formed ‘Mammoet Transport’ with ‘Van Wezel’ in 1971, which became Mammoet when it merged with the Dutch KNSM Group two years later and was Van Seumeren in 2000. Mammoet achieved global fame in 2001 when it lifted the sunk Russian nuclear submarine Kursk from the floor of the cold Barents Sea, bringing tremendous growth that saw it transform into a billion-plus Euro company by 2011 from a few hundred million one. “Mammoet is the biggest heavy-lift company in the world. We are right now significantly larger than our closest competitor. We are a global company, present on every continent, anywhere or anytime you need to move heavy items,” explains Mike Abbas, commercial director for Mammoet Middle East. “We lift and move anything that is heavy or oversized, such as large components in the oil and gas and refineries sector, wind turbines, power plant components, and such others. And we term heavy-lift as not just lifting but also transporting items, which is our specialisation.” In fact, Mammoet has many industry firsts to its credit, such as introducing the SPMT, or self-propelled modular transporter to the market. A long, low, flat-bed vehicle with an array of powered


37

ERC TRAnSPoRT, EgYPT

surmounting obstAcles

“Right now, we are significantly larger than our closest competitor. We are a global company present on every continent, anywhere and anytime you need to move heavy materials”

The transport of 1700t of oil and gas

Qalubiya where the 1600t and 750t

equipment and reactors in Egypt last

Mammoet cranes were configured to

year proved that nothing can stand in

receive and install the heavy items.

the way of Mammoet and its goal. The company was tasked with moving

Most of the cargo was received at Suez port between August-December

16 heavy items a distance of 247km for

2014 and the last item in July 2015. The

the Egyptian Refinery Company (ERC) in

inland transportation for the 16 heavy

Mostorod, the biggest semi-government

items started on October 1 and took

project in Egypt. The massive cargo was

around five months to complete. The

transported for the first time in Egypt

two smallest reactors with weights of

using high-tech self-propelled modular

79t and 140t were transported safely to

transport vehicles (SPMT) by an expert

the site and installed on the foundation

team of internationally experienced

in mid-October. The biggest cargo of

professionals in collaboration with

1220t, a hydro refining reactor, arrived

highly qualified Egyptian professionals.

safely at the job site on December 5

This was the longest distance covered

and was transported by three trains

by SPMTs in Mammoet’s history.

of 34 axles SPMTs and seven PPUs –

The route led from Suez to Cairo and

which meant a 102 axle configuration

followed 247km of desert, mountain

within 45 days. On December 11, the

roads, and highways. Enormous civil

lifting and installation of the reactor

works were required before Mammoet

was completed by Mammoet experts.

could even start with the transportation

The ERC project was a historical

– including over 30km of compacting

step for the future of the transport

and road reinforcements and the

industry in Egypt, building investor

reinforcement of five highway tunnels

confidence in infrastructure. It was

with steel beams and hydraulic jacks.

also important for the petroleum and

Furthermore, 80 city trees had to be cut

energy industry in the country because

and 250 light poles and more than 200

it sought to address an important

road barriers needed to be removed.

challenge – that of meeting the growing

The challenging route also included

demand for lighter products, such

inclines of 4% and led straight through

as diesel, whereas the technology in

Cairo – one of the busiest cities of the

most of Egypt’s refineries was geared

world – to the jobsite of Mostorod in

to produce large amounts of fuel oil.


38

HEAVY LIFT SPECIAL NOVEMBER 2016

nEw 24,000T ConCEPT CRAnE

shAttering All records in confined areas.

Mammoet and Stoof Engineering

technical director of Mammoet

and Innovation (E&I) are

and founder of Stoof E&I, invented

joining forces to develop a

the MSG 50 (Mammoet Sliding

assembled on site with the

new type of heavy lifter, named

Gantry), with a maximum load

whole assembly taking place in a

Focus, which is envisaged

moment of 50,000 tonmeters.

vertical direction as opposed to

to have a mind-boggling

The MSG-50 was the first

conventional assembly of cranes

lifting capacity of 24,000t.

machine with containerised

which is usually on the ground.

The “Focus” combines an

masts and components, which

There is no need for auxiliary

unparalleled lifting capacity

leads to fast and cost effective

cranes as lifting capacity is

and manoeuvrability with fast

transportation of the crane.

integrated into the design, making

mobilisation and demobilisation

Mammoet went on to develop

the Focus and its boom sections -

and is particularly suited for

the MSG 80 ring crane (80,000

even above 200m - self-erecting.

use in confined areas, such

tonmeters) followed by the

as industrial complexes.

containerized PTC ring cranes (up

configuration, the Focus is

The Focus can be fully

Depending on the

to 200,000 tonmeters). The PTC

expected to lift up to 24,000t,

Mammoet always looking to

is currently the strongest crane

which is beyond the capacity of

improve the efficiency and

of its kind available in the market,

cranes currently available. The

turnaround time of its projects,

combining lifting capacity of up

concept crane is also designed

where heavy lifting and

to 5,000t with a long reach, small

for manoeuvrability, combining

installation of components is

footprint, flexible configuration

linear movements and turning

always a critical component, the

and quick mobilisation.

in one fluent motion, regardless

According to Abbas, with

company constantly develops

Mammoet and Stoof E&I now

of the radius involved. The

approaches and equipment

again join forces to develop

Focus can pick up a load from

that allows it to bring deadlines

the containerised Focus as

a ship in a linear movement,

forward. The Focus has the

an addition to Mammoet’s

pull back while turning, and

ability to lift significantly bigger

current fleet of ring cranes.

place the object at any point

and heavier loads, making

The Focus is designed to

around the crane. Because of

many construction projects

facilitate easy and fast assembly,

the length of the mast – up to

much more efficient.

lift ultra-heavy loads and

200m - the object could even

provide unique manoeuvrability

be placed over other buildings.

In 1996, Piet Stoof, former

axles, it is designed to transport super heavy and super-sized cargo, usually over short distances. “Mammoet not only was the first company in the world to use the concept, back in 1980s on a project in Canada, but was also instrumental in refining it to its current state,” says Abbas. “We also have conventional hydraulic trailers for longer distances on roads, often a few hundred kilometres,” says Abbas. This is of course apart from an army of cranes of all sizes, including custom-designed ones that are some of the heaviest in the world with the highest capacities. Engineering at heart “Of course everybody knows Mammoet moves big, heavy items, but ultimately the most important part of any project is time. When you are building, say, a refinery, the solution you are always looking for is ‘how can I shorten my construction schedule?’ That’s something we pride ourselves on doing – saving time for our clients and thereby saving them money,” Abbas says. “But one thing that is important about Mammoet but is sometimes overlooked is that we are a true engineering-at-heart company.


39

“One thing important about Mammoet that is sometimes overlooked is that we are a true engineering-at-heart company. We are an engineered heavy lift company” SAudI moSquE moVE

when work is worship For Mammoet, never was the age old

Unsupported, the floor would not be

expression “work is worship” more true

able to hold the building’s weight after

than in the first half of 2015, when it

it was placed on the skid shoes. Further,

took an entire mosque in Saudi Arabia

there was only a 2m-wide by 1m-high

and moved it out of demolition’s way

space available underneath the house

at a construction project in Jeddah.

of prayer to position the skid tracks,

Nesma Trading Co. Ltd had been

skid shoes and push-pull units, making

contracted to build and expand five

it extra challenging to manoeuvre

hospitals in the kingdom’s western

the required equipment into place.

port city. Right in the middle of one

Mammoet solved problem by digging

of the planned construction areas,

out a 60cm cavity under the mosque

however, stood a 30-year-old mosque.

and filling it with a concrete base strong

The original plan was to demolish and

enough to carry the entire building.

rebuild it, but Mammoet suggested a

Next, the path for skidding the mosque

different approach: jack up the 2,400t

to its final destination was laid out and

mosque and skid it in one piece over a

the trenches were dug underneath

distance of 120m out of the construction

the mosque. Mammoet jacked up the

area. A solution that would not only

mosque using hydraulic cylinders

save the original mosque, but seven

so the foundation could be cut.

months of construction time as well. Before Mammoet could perform

Demolishing and rebuilding the mosque would have taken 10 months;

the operation, the mosque’s structural

Mammoet’s solution of moving the

integrity had to be guaranteed.

entire structure piece only took three.

We are an ‘engineered heavy lift company’.” He explains that many Mammoet’s clients come not only to get an object lifted and moved but also for ideas on how to be most effective “time-wise and cost-wise”. As an example is a project in Saudi Arabia in which Mammoet moved a whole mosque out of the way of a construction project. The mosque would have been demolished and rebuilt 100m away by Mammoet’s client Nassma, a contractor building a hospital extension. The entire process would have taken around a year. “We dug out the mosque from its foundation and put it on jacked-up skid shoes. And we skidded it on the skid tracks, which are like rails, moving it 100m to its mew location,” says Abbas. “This was the first time in Saudi that someone had moved an actual physical building. “It significantly shortened the whole process for our customer, taking a total of three months from the time we did the engineering and gathered approvals to the time we did the actual move. So, apart from the shortened time frame, there were significant savings for Nassma, where it would have been costly to demolish and rebuild the mosque.” Every lift-and-move is a meticulous project, Abbas explains, requiring detailed planning and thinking ahead of time, which he illustrates by citing another project last


40

HEAVY LIFT SPECIAL NOVEMBER 2016

year, when Mammoet moved a 1500t reactor 247kms from a port in Egypt to the Mostorod refinery. “First of all, Mammoet did a survey of the final site of the item and also of the entire route. In a route survey you look for things such as whether the roads can take such heavy loads and whether you need to take by-passes. Going over bridges sometimes is a tough issue because some of them may not be built for such heavy loads or may not be in the proper shape. In this case, we made a by-pass through a farm area to take it to its final place,” explains Abbas. “You also need to think of other obstacles, like powerlines and light installations, as often the objects being moved have considerable height. You have to consider everything that could present a challenge while transporting. In Egypt it was even more critical as we were also passing through a populated place. Then

you have to clear the way on the day of the move by coordinating with the authorities, obtain all necessary permission and ensure you have the right equipment for the job. So what comes across as only a move, is in effect a solution with a well-coordinated engineering and logistical operation.” Mammoet has always been at the cutting edge of offering lifting solutions, Abbas adds. “We come up with new ideas and we design new equipment. Traditionally the equipment we’ve designed eventually made it into the main stream of the business. We work with equipment manufacturers and give them our ideas and feedback on how to design new types of equipment for the segment.” Speaking of the future, he alludes to the Makkah crane tragedy last year, saying the incident deepened focus on safety, allowing Mammoet to gain because of its flawless safety record. The company has a culture

Mammoet offers an engineered liftand-move solution, no matter how massive the weight of an object, or whether it’s traversing a desert or a cityscape.

of safety, and invests heavily into training its personnel and has safety teams monitoring each of its projects. “Our market performance has been going up this year, as customers realise that safety has to be the No.1 priority. I think everybody realizes that after the Makkah crane accident. There is a definite awareness that we cannot continue to afford taking risks. There is a need for very strong, reliable partners when it comes to safety so that’s one thing I think is playing in our favour,” Abbas adds. “I think today in the market things are always going to get heavier and heavier and we increasingly need to come up with new solutions for clients. So it comes back to us to not only design methods, solutions and equipment to lift and move heavier pieces faster, but also with greater safety. That’s something only a few are able to do – and we are the best at.”

SAudI REACToR TRAnSPoRT

A 1,080km duel with the desert

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

When Samsung Saudi Arabia

to make up for lost time, apart

requiring the transport to be fully

made the Mammoet team

needed to transport a 1,048t

from ensuring a safe move.

self-supporting in its final stages.

completely self-supporting along

reactor from its factory in

The long journey through the

The reactor was transported

the way. The international team

Damman to a petrochemical

scorching Rub’ al Khali desert

on two hydraulic trailers and 10

of 18 successfully conquered the

plant in Shaybah, Mammoet was

had to deal with not only the

prime movers. Each hill was a

many obstacles. Once on site, it

the automatic go-to choice to

natural terrain and conditions,

mission: going up with six trucks in

took half a day to install the column

handle the treacherous 1,080km

including dunes with inclines of

front of the load and four behind,

using two heavy crawler cranes.

journey over steep desert hills

up to 8%, but also obstacles such

and then switching to six behind

The crew managed to finish the job

and narrow winding roads.

as low-hanging power lines, not

and four in front at the crest. The

before a sandstorm struck, avoiding

to forget the ticking clock in an

suspension of the trailers had

further delays to the project.

of Mammoet’s control affecting

already delayed project. To make

to be adjusted continuously to

the project, including a delay

matters even more challenging,

ensure safe weight distribution.

in the construction of the

there were no facilities whatsoever

reactor, the heavy mover had

along the final 500km of the trip,

With numerous factors out

With the first reactor in place, the Mammoet team returned to

Fuel and water tankers, mobile

Damman to pick up the second

accommodation and a workshop

column and do it all over again.


21-24 November 2016 Dubai World Trade Centre NEW Za'abeel Halls 4-6

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Register before 20th November and avoid paying AED 150 at the door! Co-located with:

www.middleeastconcrete.com/Reg www.pmvlive.com/Reg


42

HARD HITTERS NOVEMBER 2016

Ready foR baTTle

Armed with A brAnd new deAlership in the UAe, hitAchi constrUction mAchinery corporAtion tells CMME how it is reAdy to fAce the fUtUre chAllenges in the region with strong After sAles-sAles sUpport And its trAditionAl emphAsis on qUAlity

T

here is excitement in the air at Hitachi Construction Machinery Middle East Corporation (HMEC). The present may not be the best of times for the construction equipment sector but the company has a secret weapon up its sleeve for the battle ahead. After sharing a lack-lustre 2016 with its competitors in the heavy equipment market, the Japanese giant is on the verge of making huge strides in 2017, at least in the UAE market. “Just as everyone else in the sector, HMEC is also under the influence of the dipped oil price,” says Piet Hein van Bakergem, general manager, HMEC. “This has of course led to less budgets for companies in the region, for example in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar, where investments are a little in slow motion.” As a result, he adds, the good folks at HMEC “have to wake up very early and go to bed a little late to make the same results and turnover”. “But we’re doing fine, because we are creative and we are also looking at our colleagues in the industry and taking points from them.” But did Van Bakergem just speak about the region and not mention the UAE in the examples of the countries he highlight? Yes he did, and with very good reason. That reason is a piece of good news for HMEC and its weapon in the battle for market share – something that Van Bakergem says heralds good times ahead for the company in the UAE. And the good news is that HMEC is signing up with a new dealership in the UAE. “We are in the process of going to a new dealership in the UAE, which means we are in the process of starting afresh in the country. And that means we are getting prepared to be part of a market again, which we have been out of for a few years now. I predict that we can only head upwards from this point now,” Van Bakergem tells CMME. “We are again going to be part of the UAE market with a lot of ambition and with a fresh dealership. Our new partner is Middle East Crane Equipment Trading based in Dubai’s Jebel Ali. It is part of the well-established Luyckx group of Belgium, with whom the Hitachi brand already has a long association. So they are trusted partners as well, and our relationship is a proven one.” Long-standing partner Belgian group Luyckx is one of Hitachi’s most important and long-standing distribution


43

Among the top three equipment makers in the world, Hitachi offers equipment solutions for the biggest mining, quarrying and construction jobs.

“The quality of our machines is very important to us and it means that we are not making any concessions like stripping a machine of features for a lower market price. We stick to our quality and prices and the made in Japan label is very important for us�


44

HARD HITTERS NOVEMBER 2016

partners in Europe and HMEC is about to sign on the dotted line with them on November 7 at the ADIPEC exhibition in Abu Dhabi. “All the terms and conditions have been discussed and agreed upon already. They will represent our full line and will be responsible not only for Hitachi’s full product range but also for Hitachi Sumitomo – the crane part of our business. The coverage will also be for the whole of the UAE,” Van Bakergem reveals. “We have chosen ADIPEC to ink the agreement as a D-Day to celebrate the business partnership.” He goes on to say that HMEC is looking forward to the future operation together with the new dealer, and the company is very excited about it. “This is especially because the capabilities of this new dealership is on a very high level, which means that we will have a one-stop shop operation in the UAE after a long time.” Elaborating on what he looks for in a new dealership, Van Bakergem says what is essential for the job is the right skill-set, which is a combination of many factors. “They should have great knowledge of the sector, which in this case is construction machinery. They should be up to speed with all the technical aspects. On top of that good, what is imperative is an understanding of the market, with a good network,” he explains. “But I believe the most important part of what we look for is good after sales and support operations. This is because, as I always say, selling a machine is one thing but, after that, to maintain it in the right way is the biggest challenge. So when we look at future partnerships, we look closely at not only the commercial numbers but also cast

a deep insight at the after sales part of the operations. We want to embrace our partners, but securing water proof after sales support operations is very important to us.” And perhaps it was the ability to offer – indeed to excel at - this side of the operation that clinched the deal for Luyckx’s UAE arm, Middle East Crane Equipment Trading. Wim Aernouts, Luyckx’s in-charge of UAE operations, agrees: “Hitachi chose us for their UAE operations based on our background and our relationship with the brand in Europe. We have been the dealers for Hitachi construction machinery in Belgium and Luxemburg for more than 40 years and have also delivered a lot of machine to our network of international contractors, especially in the infrastructure sector. “With us, Hitachi enjoys a deep level of trust that their machines and customers will receive the high standards of after sales support that the brand is known for offering. And we have a proven track record of meeting those standards for more than four decades now.” Elaborating on the support and services his company will provide in the UAE, Aernouts adds: “We will have our full technical team behind Hitachi. There will be at least six experts roaming the country daily to provide technical, trouble shooting and maintenance support to customers on-site. We have a sales force here as well and in our premises at Jebel Ali we also have our team handling spare parts, import-export - the whole gamut. We have a complete set-up to offer end-to-end solutions Hitachi customers.” For a brand that prides itself on its track record of quality, this is precisely what Hitachi

“We don’t do a little bit of everything, we do just a few things and we do them well. And that makes us appreciated for the performance of our products”

Hitachi’s range is a specialised one for special tasks and now includes green equipment, such as the ZH210 LC hybrid excavator, that saves fuel and has less emissions.

was looking for. Van Bakergem emphasizes the no-compromise philosophy of the brand when he says: “The key to our success is the total cost of ownership. Many other manufacturers might compete with us with lower price tags, but if we make a calculation five years down the line, you will find that the investment on the Hitachi machine is a much better one. You’d be looking to investing in such quality machines as we offer, rather than those that have very short life-cycles and problems in after-sales support. Sticking to quality “The quality of our machines is very important to us and it means that we are not making any concessions like stripping a machine of features for a lower market price. We stick to our quality and prices and the made in Japan label is very important for us.” To maximize the total cost of ownership, he adds, Hitachi makes sure to keep a customer as close as possible after a sale is made. “We work with service contracts, we are proactive in looking after the machines and we go to the remotest areas and job sites to service our customers’ machines. We are training and qualifying our dealerships to perform all tasks related to Hitachi equipment successfully and up to our high standards, providing everything needed to make it a water-proof operation. Our goal is to ensure a strong


45

positive feedback from customers.” Looking at the future Van Bakergem takes a cautious approach when he says: “Perhaps its wishful thinking but we hope to see some recovery in 2017 - and it’s not that there are no signs of that. Saudi has been our biggest market traditionally, but demand there is low at the moment because of the oil price situation. 2016 has been a flat year with not too much room for growth but under the circumstances we did quite well. “We are working on our networks in the territory all the time and constantly improving our coverage. And that has led to a strong grip on the market we are responsible for. With these efforts and our new dealership in the UAE, I believe we can only go up in the future from where we are now.” Van Bakergem expects the heavy construction and infrastructure projects to drive demand in the year ahead and refers to encouraging projects, such as the new Dubai Creek extension, where “you can see a lot of Hitachis swinging”. Earlier, there was a port project in Doha, which employed a Hitachi fleet, he adds. “Heavy machinery is not limited to the traditional applications we think about, like mining or quarrying. You will find them in large construction works as well. There are even opportunities in the mining and quarrying sector. At Mine Expo recently, we had some promising visits from the Middle East. We are looking at some outstanding quotations for dump trucks and haulers so there is demand left but obviously less than before… it boils down to taking these opportunities and making the deals materialize.” On the lifting equipment side, Hitachi Sumitomo has also been doing well, he adds. “We have been meeting double digit market share and there’s been very strong growth over the years, making it an important part of our business. “Oil and gas is among the sectors we are targeting. Even though the oil price is down there is some activity in expanding capacities or refurbishing refineries, so our customers could be rental companies who know exactly where the market is. We try to anticipate that market as well as we can by having the right specification available to them.” As HMEC prepares for the battle ahead to “shake up the UAE construction machinery sector with a new partner”, Van Bakergem signs off: “We don’t do a little bit of everything, we do just a few things and we do them well. And that makes us appreciated for the performance of our products.”

Thanks to our wonderful customers, partners and employees, Genie is celebrating its 50 years of success. With exceptional horizontal outreach, added flexibility & the Genie® Fast Mast™ system, we give you an enhanced lift structure that increases operator productivity with machines such as Z™-80/60 & S™-65 which epitomises the Genie culture of innovation. We couldn’t have done it without all of you & we look forward to building an even brighter future together.

+9714 3990381 AWP.INFOME@terex.com GENIELIFT.ME © 2016 Terex Corporation. Genie and Taking You Higher are registered trademarks of Terex Corporation or its subsidiaries. Images are for illustrative purposes only.


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HARD HITTERS NOVEMBER 2016


47

The fuTure Is now VolVo CE giVEs thE world a snEak pEEk of its automatEd, driVErlEss maChinEs of thE futurE at its faCility in swEdEn

I

n order to produce what customers will buy, it is crucial to listen to what they say they want. That may sound obvious, but it is the guiding principle behind Volvo Construction Equipment’s research into electrification and autonomous vehicles. Volvo CE really wants to hear from its core customers – what they say may determine the next steps in the process. Much insight and input comes from discussions with customers, according to Johan Sjöberg, a specialist in site automation. “We often talk to customers, especially key account customers, and get a lot of inspiration from them, from any problems they’re facing. We bring these issues home and discuss them together in order to come up with new ideas on how to solve them.” The objective of September’s Exploration Forum in Eskilstuna, Sweden was to bring Volvo CE key account customers and the media face-to-face with new solutions that could soon be doing their hard work with little or no human help. “This is a good opportunity for us to connect on the subject and talk about it,” says Jenny Elfsberg, Director of Emerging Technologies at Volvo CE, talking about the ongoing research program into tomorrow’s construction machines and how they will benefit customers. “We are doing it because we believe in it, believe in electrification, and believe in automation. We believe it will make their work better, eventually helping the whole industry perform better and treating the planet better,” she explains. Elfsberg was speaking at the Eskilstuna test ground where Volvo CE’s driverless wheel loader and cab-less hauler were being put through their paces. These are still experimental concept vehicles, not quite ready for the market or the workplace, although the next generation is just a hair’s breadth away. Presenting research material to participants in the Exploration Forum is expected to lead to further work being carried out in closer collaboration with customers.


48

HARD HITTERS NOVEMBER 2016

Cleaner, cheaper, safer “We have talked to customers and the key demand is that the solution must be safe,” says Uwe Müller, chief project manager for the electric site. “They have stated quite clearly: ‘our people need to be safe and to feel safe’. That is really, really important to them.” It is an aim that has underpinned the drive for greater efficiency and environmental protection. “People want to go on site, feel safe and work in that environment, so our target is to make it even safer than it is today.” Safety can be secured in different ways. Since a construction site or quarry can be a dangerous working environment, what better approach could there be than removing the need to work there at all? And that is where autonomous machines come to the fore. That does not mean worksites will be void of people, but according to research engineer Torbjörn Martinsson, they can stay safely out of harm’s way with electrification and automation bearing the burden. “With Volvo’s advanced engineering we can do that now,” he says. “And to some extent we’re doing that with the electric site project – we go in, electrify but also automate production; not just single machine operation, but the complete process.” Jobs in the quarries and on the construction sites of the future are likely to be different and more pleasant, says Martinsson. “Instead of sitting in a machine for eight hours and bumping around, you’ll sit in an office and deal with several machines, so your work will be more skilled,” he says reassuringly. Another advantage is that the technology is cleaner, which makes machines cheaper to operate. “Our experiments show that we can reduce the amount of CO2 by 95% on a site using electrified machines and

autonomous machines,” says Dave Ross, Vice-President for Advanced Technology and Verification, “while at the same time raising the profitability by 25%. Or you could say reducing the total cost of ownership by 25%.” And all without sacrificing the work rate: the new machines on the demonstration site can still shift around 900 tonnes each hour, according to Müller. Electrification is a great enabler from both an operational and design perspective, according to Young. With the advantages offered by electrification and autonomous machines, in terms of meeting environmental concerns, lowering CO2 emissions and noise

The HX 01 autonomus hauler prototype that Volvo showed off has the potential to revolutionise the mining and construction sectors in future.

pollution, reducing operator costs, improving safety and providing a more pleasant working environment, this is one revolution that is unlikely to meet much opposition. As the American journalist Lincoln Steffens wrote of another, rather different revolution: “I have seen the future; and it works” – or it will very soon. It is a sight that takes some getting used to: a fully-loaded hauler without a cab, and therefore without a driver, trundling off to its next destination on its own. No human effort required: the machine does the thinking. Volvo Construction Equipment’s Joachim Unnebäck sees the cab-less, driverless hauler as the dump truck of the future. “It’s not even hugely complicated,” he says. “It’s autonomous, but it’s also an electric vehicle and when we go with electrification and automation we see that we can take away many of the machine’s pieces and parts and simplify the base. We only keep the bare necessities, such as the big bucket, the simplified frame and the electric drivetrain. But it’s totally different – it’s a very simplified base loader with a simple drivetrain.” Artificial intelligence The machine uses artificial intelligence and is designed to work on fairly level sites, unlike the bigger articulated haulers, and on repetitive jobs. “We have batteries on the machine which we recharge very often but very quickly,”


49

says Unnebäck, a specialist in autonomous vehicle systems. “We can refill the battery storage within one minute.” In fact, the vehicle runs on a cycle of about six minutes, five of those spent on loading, travelling and dumping its load, and one on being recharged – an operation it does on its own. It is fast, efficient and requires no human agent. The new autonomous machines will prove safer for people working on the job site of the future. Torbjörn Martinsson, a research engineer, demonstrates another prototype, this time a wheel loader, a specially adapted L120E which requires no driver at all. Still diesel-powered at present, it thrusts forward, lifting a bucketful of rocks and gravel and tipping it nearby. As it goes forward a second time, Martinsson steps in front of it. The vehicle halts, remains still and sounds its horn repeatedly to warn him. As soon as he steps out of the way it continues its maneuver. With sensors such as these, the new-generation vehicles are able to avoid accidents more effectively than a human driver can. The hybrid wheel loader under development at Volvo Construction Equipment is powered by batteries and a diesel engine can be operated in virtual silence. While the diesel engine is very small, the combined peak output of engine and batteries is much higher than that provided

Volvo’s driverless articulated haulers and operator-less wheel loaders performed their tasks flawlessly without human intervention at its proving grounds.

by the diesel engine in a conventional wheel loader of comparable size. “The system is completely decoupled,” explains Andreas Hjertström, chief project manager for the hybrid wheel loader. “The machine’s batteries can provide full power to the loading unit and the propulsion system at the same time.” Not only do the batteries provide high power, but they also enable energy recuperation. “During braking, the electric motors work as generators and charge the batteries”, Hjertström continues, “and when we lower the bucket it also generates power.” This reduces the power needed from the diesel engine, lowers fuel consumption significantly and limits the environmental impact. “We are testing the hybrid, comparing it to bigger machines and can see that we beat them in productivity and, of course, fuel efficiency,” says test engineer Mike Skantz. Skantz has been working with this hybrid loader over the last few years and highlights another striking aspect of the machine’s power delivery: “At full throttle the hybrid machine can be completely silent but you still have all the power you need”. When the hybrid loader runs with the diesel engine switched off, it still has higher power capacity than a conventional machine. In this almost silent mode the machine can operate at full productivity for 20 to 30 minutes.

Even when the diesel engine is on, the hybrid machine is quieter than a conventional machine which needs a much bigger engine. This is an advance likely to make construction machines more welcome on urban sites where noise and pollution can be an issue. In addition to saving fuel and reducing noise, the downsizing of the diesel engine results in a more compact machine installation which gives much better visibility from the cab. Meanwhile, an adapted A25F articulated hauler demonstrates how it can be maneuvered around a complicated course without an operator. It moves quickly and confidently without the man in the cab touching the controls. Jimmie Wiklander is a specialist in embedded software, but it is the bank of special computers that do the work. “They need to be able to do image processing,” says Wiklander, “and to calculate and track objects, for safety reasons, so the computational power is much higher in this machine.” It certainly has to be for such a large vehicle moving through what could be a hazardous site, using GPS and LiDAR which performs 3D laser scanning. “We have different kinds of sensors,” Wiklander explains. “The GPS system can actually locate the machine, with centimeter accuracy – if anyone is standing in front of it then it will stop automatically because we have to ensure it is safe.”


50

RAW POWER NOVEMBER 2016

R E W O P W A R EED TO N U O Y G IN EVERY TH

KNOW

54

51_neW ReLeases The latest releases from the world of construction machinery.

56_POWeR LifTeRs A look at some class-leading giants of the heavy lifting world that defy superlatives.

ssiOns TOP 10: se d aT PMV TO aTTen LiVe 2016 l ide to usefu CMME’s gu sessions. knowledge

60_neW siLk ROad An army of Volvo CE machines is helping to rebuild an old route.


51

BOBcAt’s nEW tElEhAndlER is AttAchmEnt chAmPiOn Why get it? GREaT VERsaTIlITY WITH mORE THaN 20 aTTacHmENTs Not only is Bobcat known for some of the best compact equipment; its forte has always been versatility in the uses that equipment can be put to. This versatility comes from the plethora of attachments and tools the brand offers. But offering an array of attachments is only half the story. The attachments need to be easily mountable and interchangeable, so that there is no need for work to stop when you’re switching a machine from, say, digging earth to cutting rock.

Bobcat accomplishes this with its BobTach quick attachment mounting systems. The system is one of the prime features on Bobcat’s newly-launched V519 telehandler, the first model of its size to come with Bob-Tach. Powered by a Bobcat D34 engine generating 74hp, the telehandler features a two-stage boom with a reach of more than 3m, a lift height of 5.8m and lift capacity of up to 2.5t. The D34 engine does not require a diesel particulate filter and features an Eco mode to reduce fuel consumption in tasks that do not require full power. A two-speed hydrostatic drive system is standard on the V519. Bobcat says the machine comes to a stop when the operator’s foot leaves the pedal, and in a feature exclusive to the V519, it engages an automatic parking brake whenever the machine idles when it is stopped, such as in neutral, to avoid unintentional movement. A speed management feature allows operators to dial in the desired speed whenever full auxiliary hydraulic flow is

needed without full travel speed. A fullfunction joystick controls travel direction, boom up and down, carriage tilt, auxiliary control and two-stage boom extension. An enclosed cab with heat and air conditioning in standard on the V519 and designed for all-day comfort with automotivestyle directional air vents, adjustable steering column and suspension seat. And of course, the Bob-Tach quick attachment system enables the machine to use more than 20 attachments, such as angle brooms, bale forks, buckets, combination buckets, industrial forks and grapples, sweepers and snow implements. SPECIFICATIONS

bObcaT V519 TElEHaNDlER Engine power: 74hp Lift capacity: 2.5t Boom reach: 3m Lift height: 5.8m


52

NEW RELEASES NOVEMBER 2016

cAsE tV380 cOmPAct tRAck lOAdER Why get it? casE’s mOsT pOWERfUl sKID-sTEER lOaDER WITH sUsTaINED pEaK pERfORmaNcE Case Construction Equipment’s SV340 is the company’s new flagship skid-steer loader with a rated capacity of 1.5t and bucket breakout force of 4.3t. To tailor performance to all attachments, the vertical-lift skid-steer offers two auxiliary-hydraulics options to its 91.6lpm standard setup: high flow at 146.5lpm and 3,450 psi, and enhanced high flow at 132.5lpm and 4,000 psi. The TV380 is also Case’s most powerful skid-steer with a 90hp engine with Selective Catalytic Reduction, which eliminates the diesel particulate filter and associated regeneration. The electro-hydraulic controls have nine speed and control sensitivity settings adjustable-on-the-fly. Switching between operating patterns is via a single rocker switch. The SCR is an after-treatment system that lets the engine breathe easier and run at

peak performance, translating to maximum power, lower operating temperatures and greater fuel efficiency. It is also a simpler system, requiring no new filters and instead using only diesel exhaust fluid. The machine is also equipped with a large 96.5l fuel tank that greatly extends its uptime. The TV380 tackles inclines, slopes and slippery terrain easily due to a dozer-style undercarriage. Loading is also faster and easier with its superior hinge pin height position and narrow chassis width. With a 25% larger cab, visibility, comfort and controls are all improved. Options available include heated air suspension seats, air conditioning, a removable front door and side windows. Advanced roller and idler technologies reduce maintenance and maximise undercarriage life. The suspension is easy to maintain with a rigid track frame and fewer moving parts. Compatibility with 250 attachments makes for great versatility. SPECIFICATIONS

casE TV380 sKID-sTEER Operating capacity: 1.5t Bucket breakout force: 4.3t Power output: 90hp Fuel tank capacity: 96.5l

GEniE sX 135Xc lift Why get it? HIGH WORKING HEIGHT WITH ENHaNcED OUTREacH aND capacITY The first model in the new Genie Xtra Capacity (XC) stick boom family, the Genie SX-135XC self-propelled telescopic boom lift combines a maximum working height of 43.15m with more outreach and capacity throughout the full working envelope, providing operational accessibility with 27.43m of outreach, a compact footprint of 3.94m x 4.11m, and the ability to work 6m below grade. The new XC design features a standard 2.44m tri-entry platform with side-swing gate offering an unrestricted 300kg capacity for two people, or a restricted 454kg capacity for three people while still leaving room for tools and materials. “With 3m more outreach and 32% more capacity than typical self-propelled booms of this size, the Genie SX-135XC boom lift is ideal for rental customers working on challenging job-site applications due to its unique up-and-over style capability to navigate obstacles at height,” says Adam Hailey, director of product management. Built to lift operators to a full platform height of 41.15m in two and a half minutes, and drive-enabled at full height, the Genie SX-135XC boom lift is equipped with a Deutz or Perkins 74hp, Tier 4/Stage IIIB diesel engine with four-wheel drive and fourwheel steer. Working height is 43.15m and horizontal reach 27.43m - 3m more than any other self-propelled boom on the market.


53

liEBhERR t236 mininG tRuck PROtOtyPE mB cRushER’s hydRAulic dRum cuttER Why get it? TWIN DIREcT DRIVE mOTOR sYsTEm fOR sTabIlITY, accURacY aND lONGER lIfE Already offering a comprehensive range of crushers and screener buckets, Italy’s MB Crusher has recently expanded its selection with the MB-R hydraulic drum cutter range, available in three models, for excavators from 6-35t. Particularly suitable for rocks and levelling concrete surfaces, in quarry excavation, tunneling, demolition and road works, the drum cutters feature accuracy in operation and reduced sizes, making them ideal for applications in urban areas and confined sites. The range is designed with a low centre of gravity to improve overall balance and reduce the strain and vibrations on the excavator arm. The MB-R range is also the only one in the world with the patented twin direct drive motor system, which allows force distribution in the two drum heads. In case of materials with different harnesses, MB drum cutters mould by using a proportional force depending on the tenacity of the material, thus resulting in increased stability and reduced stress on the excavator arm. A versatile piece of equipment, MB Crusher says it reaches its best performance level with natural materials such as rocks, stones and frozen ground, but is also efficient with plaster and wall coverings.

Why get it? sOON-TO-bE-aVaIlablE bENcHmaRK Of EffIcIENcY aND pERfORmaNcE CMME is giving you a heads-up here on what will probably be the first heavyduty dumper-hauler of its kind to hit the market when Liebherr introduces it commercially in the near future. The German giant, which has been testing and demonstrating its new T236 dieselelectric mining truck, has designed it to carry up to a 100t payload with a 1,200hp power output. The vertically integrated Litronic Plus Generation 2 AC drive system with advanced Active Front End technology makes efficient use of electrical energy during retarding events, and the drive system is able to deliver controlled engine speeds with almost no fuel consumption. Vertical integration of Liebher-designed and manufactured components ensures the T236 powertrain components achieve optimal system efficiency and performance throughout the full range

of applications. The truck’s variable hydraulic system provides maximum power while lowering fuel consumption when power is not required. With its high take-off torque and continuous power to ground capability, the T236 is less sensitive to variations of grade and payload. Liebherr says it is the first diesel electric truck to incorporate an oil-immersed braking system with four corner retarding capabilities. Safety has been given importance with a double pole battery, starter motor and hoist system isolators as standard to ensure safety of maintenance technicians. The Litronic Plus Isolation system, a drive system inhibitor electrically interlocked to grounding devices for each plug and drive power module, operates on a voltage of 690V AC and 900V DC. The first prototypes are being field tested, with an official product launch to follow. SPECIFICATIONS

lIEbHERR T236 TRUcK Payload: 100t Drive train: Litronic Plus Generation-2 AC drive system Power output: 1200hp Operating voltage: 690 AC & 900 DC


54

TOP TEN NOVEMBER 2016

01

02

HOw TO buy aNd sEll cONsTrucTiON EquiPmENT likE a PrO

FuEl EFFiciENcy FOr HEavy macHiNEs

: n e t p o t s n o i s s e s e g d e l Know e V i l V M p t a d n e t to at he 10 must-attend sessions ks t event CMME pic a g e m ’s onth at this m

a PracTical aPPrOacH TOwards bEHaviOur basEd saFETy THrOugH OHs culTurE maTuriTy dEvElOPmENT TOOls

e s sentinasl s e s s io guideiscussing the

experts d With noted pics of the nds and to n s ove r biggest tre rous sessio e m u n in a list of industry t together u p e ’v e w ns at four days, ttend sessio -a st u m e a ke the som help you m to 6 1 0 2 e and PMV Liv f your time the most o er h c ri y with a c o m e aw a . experience

03 04

rEcyclEd cONcrETE iN rOad PrOjEcTs


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05 06

EvOluTiON OF THE TiPPEr bOdy wEigHT FOr THE cONsTrucTiON markET wOrldwidE

PErsONal PrOTEcTiON EquiPmENT (PPE) – HEalTH aNd saFETy

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don ’ t see what you’re r? o o K in g f o o f

TiPs TO FiNaNcE macHiNEry

plenty t, there are yo u r Don’t forge s to pique n io ss se e v ts that other li you insigh e iv g d n a else. interest anywhere le b a il a v a tations aren’t a or presen d n e g a e te at Visit th vent websi e e th f o n sectio live.com www.pmv more. to find out

09 07

POlyurEa, a miraclE iN cOaTiNg iNdusTry

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10 PErFOrmaNcE-basEd sPEciFicaTiONs: casE sTudiEs iN THE uaE

08


56

HEAVY CRANES NOVEMBER 2016


57

Power lifters

In the world of lIftIng, there are everyday cranes and then there are the record setters. CMME brIngs you Its four pIcks of the classleadIng gIants that defy superlatIves LiEbHERR LR13000

heavyweIght champIon of the world Special heavy lift jobs require

than 100m in length. This is where

suitably special equipment. This

the LR13000 is in its element.

was amply in evidence when the

most powerful conventional

world’s biggest ferris wheel - the

crawler crane in the world – apart

Ain Dubai – was lifted into place

from its lifting capacity it is also

at the Bluwaters Island in Dubai

powered by a 1300hp engine - it

earlier this year.

is also the highest. In its maximum

One of the two giants lifting

combination of a 120m main

12m high final resting place on

boom and a 126m luffing jib

the legs of the ferris wheel was

produces a lattice boom system

the Liebherr LR13000, the world’s

with an overall length of 246m.

biggest and most powerful

When measured from its solid

conventional crawler crane.

crawler chassis base, the total

of 3,000t, it has found great use

The LR13000 ’s maximum lift capacity, hig hest in its class

lattice boom configuration, its

this 1,800t piece of metal to its

Capable of lifting a maximum

3000t

The LR13000 is not only the

hub and spindle assembly of the

height it reaches is 248m. The LR 13000 reaches its

in the construction of power

maximum boom length with

plants, where the ability to hoist

the single main boom and the

extreme component weights is an

luffing jib. When fitted with the

important requirement, especially

Liebherr PowerBoom, the double

for the latest generation of power

boom in the lower section, the

plants. Other applications and

achievable lengths are reduced

sphere where this behemoth

as a result of the higher boom

comes in handy are in the oil and

weight, but the load capacities

gas, refinery and pipelines, and

are considerably higher. When

ship-building sectors.

fitted with the PowerBoom, which

Especially in the refineries

consists of the lattice sections

sector, there is often a

of the standard luffing jib and a

requirement of lifting and placing

strong luffing jib consisting of

cold boxes, refractory cylinders

main boom lattice sections, the

and columns weighing in excess

LR 13000 can hoist around 330t

of 1,500t and measuring more

to a height of 202m.


58

HEAVY CRANES NOVEMBER 2016

KRoLL K10000

towerIng above the rest The main standard hook height

Out of the operation the crane can

This behemoth is the go-to option

cooling towers and reactor covers

when the heaviest duty lifter is

of most nuclear facilities. And if

for the K10000 is 86m, allowing

withstand wind speeds up to 42m/

required for massive construction

that is not mind-boggling enough,

smaller cranes and mobiles to

sec. The K10000 is equipped with

projects such as nuclear power

then consider this: the 200m work

work underneath it with no risk

the most advanced crane control

plants and oil refineries.

diameter that its 100m jib provides

of collisions. Apart from the wide

systems with motion control and

enables it to cover an area that

coverage its long jib provides in the

monitored safety systems, which

now, the Danish giant has held

can spread across six regulation

static version, the K10000 is also

in seconds will calculate the

the record for the largest capacity

American Football fields. What’s

available in a rail-going version on

stress on all critical members.

tower crane on the planet.

more even the under-jib height of

a rail portal base, which gives it

Manufactured by Kroll Cranes,

86m is more than two Statues of

almost unlimited work area in terms

the most profitable solution for

Denmark, the K10000 is, as the

Liberty standing on each other.

of horizontal reach – just in case

heavy lifts and a proven potential

the 200m work area diameter of

in reducing construction times.

the static version was not enough.

The well-known problems created

For more than a quarter century

What the K10000 provides is

name implies, a 10,000t rig. No

Another unique feature, among

other tower crane comes close,

many, of the K10000 is an auxiliary

not only in total weight but also

service crane mounted on top

For such a massive piece of

in lifting capacity and reach.

of the main crane arm, which

equipment, safety has not been

on a large construction site are

can work with loads up to 20t

compromised. According to Kroll,

eliminated with this giant. It is

120t over its entire jib reach of

independent of any heavy lift

a lot of effort has gone into making

estimated that this 10000t crane

100m. At the 44m mark on the

operation being conducted on

the crane operable under any

can lop six months off a four year

jib, that lifting capacity swells to a

the main jib below it – making

climatic conditions and its cable can

construction phase of a power plant

whopping 240t – enough for the

the giant Kroll a double decker.

work in wind speeds of up to 20m/s.

with considerable cost savings.

The K10000’s load capacity is

by a forest of 30-40 smaller cranes

200m

Working diam eter of the K10,00 0’s jib, equal to six fo otball fields


59

MANitowoC 31000

LiEbHERR LtM 11200-9.1

flexIble gIant

mobIle monster What has nine axles, is 20m

muscle to lift three of them

long, can lift weights of up to

simultaneously.

1200 tonnes, towers more than

4 weeks

to many unique projects, such

extension and yet goes from

as one in the centre of Lyon,

one site to another at speeds of

where the crane lifted two 58t

25km/h and is slim enough to

excavators over a row of six

squeeze into most city streets or

storey buildings to place them in

country lanes?

a yard for demolition work. The

The answer: the Liebherr

Time taken to disassemble, m ove and reassem ble the Manitowoc 31000

This brawn has also lent itself

50 storeys high at its maximum

boom extended to 70m to enable

LTM 11200 9.1 mobile crane.

the crane to hoist the heavy

Leibherr’s second entry in the list

excavators and equipment high

of superlative lifting machines,

over the buildings.

this crane gives the German

The LTM 11200-9.1 is both the

manufacturer bragging rights for

strongest and tallest telescopic

the top spot in both the mobile

crane in the world. Its eight-part

and crawler crane categories - for

telescoping boom extends up to

the 11200 is the biggest mobile

100m and can be increased to

crane in the world and – with

188m by adding a lattice jib.

being the only mobile crane to

Power comes from a separate

be able to lift more than 1000t –

six-cylinder 321hp engine for the

with the highest lift capacity.

crane and a 670hp engine that

Built primarily with the erection

runs the 20m, nine-axle carrier.

of tall wind turbines in mind, it

Its 100t boom is as long as the

The largest crane ever built by

for a 900t pick, and then back

first broke cover at Bauma 2007

truck itself and actually has to be

Manitowoc, the 2,300t capacity

again just a couple of months

and has since then not only found

shipped separately when moving

31000 crawler crane, has a

later for two 1,000t lifts.

many wind turbine blade lift jobs

job sites. Luckily, the carrier isn’t

but has also proved its utility in

much wider than a normal big

busy schedule. Blame it on the

In addition to its considerable

monster’s design, which allows it

capacity and unique Variable

several other projects. And why

rig, which means that it can travel

to be disassembled, moved and

Position Counterweight, the

not? The blades of the world’s

where other large cranes can’t —

re-assembled in just four weeks.

boom and jib combinations

biggest wind turbines can be 364t

like into fields, where the wind

Mike Wood, senior product

of this innovative crane are

each and the 11200 has enough

turbines live.

manager with Manitowoc

the longest ever designed for

Cranes, says that with a crane the

Manitowoc crawler cranes.

size of the 31000, maximising

A three boom configuration

flexibility and versatility were

maximises flexibility of the

major design priorities.

31000. The crane comes

“We have designed the 31000

standard with a 55m heavy-lift

to be as adaptable as possible,”

main boom, but using optional

he says. “The crane is available

5m and 10m inserts, the main

with multiple boom and jib

boom can be extended to a total

configurations, as well as five

length of 110m. Optional boom

counterweight configurations.”

configurations can also greatly

This adaptability has often

increase the crane’s reach and

come in handy, as can be seen

lift height. The 31000 also has

from some of the jobs that the

a combination boom, which

31000 has performed over the

combines parts of the main boom

years. Take for example a series

and the luffing jib. and offers a

of lift operations in South Korea,

total maximum length of 138m.

at Posco E&C liquefied natural

The fixed jib has a basic

gas plant in Gwangyang in 2013

rating of 1,400t and a basic

by the first 31000 in the field.

configuration of 24m, with

After performing a pick-and-

optional inserts able to extend

carry lift with a 650t LPG cold

the jib length to 42m. A luffing

box in March, the crane was

jib with a 1,100t maximum

back at the site in November

capacity is also available.

1200t

Maximum th e LTM 11200 9.1 can lift, highest amo ng mobile crane s


60

THE LAST WORD NOVEMBER 2016

mAjor A r o f y A g thE w n i V A p s t routE i n t E E i E C l n f A E fAblEd A A VolVoC f o n o i ExpAns

d a o R k l i S w e n e h t g n i n e h t Smoo

00 workers. e job, team of 1,0 a e d si g hines for th n o and al e right mac th et n ib o T and g f ls in o ia id of Mater When dec e Himalayas eral manager Volvo n 2 ge igh up in th 5 ity, f ty al o pu qu et uang, de CE. “The akistan a fle CE) Jie H ked to Volvo o o lo lv e northern P o E, ar B (V R t es C n in mach ipment at n Equipme cy of Volvo new Equ en e ci th ly Constructio ffi n ite -e o n el rk efi o will d ty,and fu is set to w d, as such, I as a safe excavators g features, an road that w in t n s,” he says. en efi er ci d p r o an ei el an other dev a and th in to h iteration of for C em n th ee d mmen ill be used ection betw avators w Polo. reco xc co e fabled conn ar ith L M W D . 0 as es oval duti The EC30 lorers such t of d spoil rem ar elled by exp an p p av ut is u tr o I) g t, ar -I in es te H g w d dig the 5kN an ay II (KK ram Highw ut force of 20 o o is ak ak r – re ar to b K ve a va e ti h T ad initia e 30t exca elt, One Ro of 166kN, th B e e ’s rc n It fo O e. s in – a’ h Chin ging mac Silk Road ultimate dig as the New e n th ax w m o s kn er also gine deliv revive trade Volvo D7 en es plans to lk and includ Si t n 8hp. e ci power of 22 ng the an hines routes alo h it w largest mac a in Joining the nnect Ch co d a e 20t f an th o , e ad Ro o fleet ar The length CRBE’s Volv rasia. in Eu t f ors, o if at h st s av re s the ler exc KKHcontinuou C220D craw ction of the E E 5hp C 16 o 6, lv D A 102km se o Volvo ot and that the V uipped with ties of Thak ci eq rk e o ility th b w s si l vi il an r w II sp superio kistan. excavators ines. With orthern Pa g n en in ure n at 2 ia fe 4 el r ey Hav fort, th ructed daily fo perator com ill be const o w d ve, si an ad n o ro . s sp e Th month flow for re nd when a lic u s, ra th yd n h o d s. increase over 4 2 m have eight g operation ol in gradin in 2020, will tr n d te co d mony le te an p ar ra H m es co accu y Beijing ver bridg supplied b , passing o e es n er la icated w c s ed it d affi n tr The u ent. “The els. Bridge ical Equipm d ultiple tunn an m an h hines h ec g ad ac u o M m R ro e es th , China d for th Resourc the project pport offere ying out su rr s with le ca o sa y g ran To deliver to te p decision on-site af the com ctor in our olvo CE g (CRBE) – V fa n y ri 2 high 5 , ke ee f is o in er th g th et e En was ano roject lik sing a fle p ili a L b o D n 0 m “O . 30 is g C Huan and E the work – Volvo,” says g E C 2 20 D comprisin a single s e e at ntial.” in er se h p es o ac is m uptime , which will rs rk o to w va ill ca w hines crawler ex These mac f 10 hours. daily shift o

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