A supplement of:
CRANE REPORT PLUS
EXPO 2N0G20SPECIALISTS L IF T I ON KEY REFLECT POINTS G L E A R N IN
NALYSIS A E N A R C E IL B O M RS IS BOLSTE
AL FAR R LONG TERM FLEET FO
G N I R E W O T E V O B A
ES NFT CRAN
TURED C A F U N A M SPECIALLY ANES TAKE THE TOWER CR MARKET TO REGIONAL EIGHTS IN DUBAI RECORD H
1 A supplement of:
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GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR RAZ ISLAM raz.islam@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5471 MANAGING PARTNER VIJAYA CHERIAN vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5713 EDITORIAL ASSISTANT EDITOR MARK DOWDALL mark.dowdall@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5496 ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER BRIAN FERNANDES brian.fernandes@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5479 DESIGN ART DIRECTOR SIMON COBON simon.cobon@cpitrademedia.com CIRCULATION & PRODUCTION DATA & PRODUCTION MANAGER PHINSON MATHEW GEORGE phinson.george@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5476 MARKETING & EVENTS EVENTS EXECUTIVE Minara Salakhi minara.s@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 433 2856 SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING EXECUTIVE Gladys DSouza gladys.dsouza@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5478 WEB DEVELOPMENT ABDUL BAEIS FOUNDER DOMINIC DE SOUSA (1959-2015)
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AIMING FOR NEW HIGHS It has been a difficult couple of years but mega projects in the region, such as EXPO 2020, helped lift up the sector when it was needed, and in our project focus section we reflect on some of the key lifts executed for this special event and the lessons that can be taken into the future. Although some larger projects have been completed, we are seeing an emergence of new markets and a raft of renewable energy projects that provide optimism for the longterm growth of tower cranes, mobile cranes and crawler cranes in the Middle East. As the overall crane market recovery continues at a steady pace it is encouraging to see NFT Cranes setting new standards in the region, while in the rental market, Al Faris adds further to its fleet. Safety remains a critical issue in machinery and as such a prominent feature of large projects the dangers of cranes should not be forgotten. It is a sector where any complacency can have deadly consequences. We look at new technologies making cranes safer such as the latest anticollision system plus the latest kit that the likes of Tadano, Grove, Comansa and Liebherr have brought in which will have an impact on job sites soon.
Mark Dowdall Assistant Editor, CMME
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MOBILE CRANES CR ANE REP ORT 2022
AL FARIS STAYING MOBILE WITH EMERGING MARKETS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST PROVIDING CONFIDENCE IN THE LONG-TERM MOBILE CRANE MARKET, HEAVY-LIFTING SPECIALIST AL FARIS AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN BUSY BOLSTERING THEIR FLEETS
O
ften when you think of a mobile crane, you may think of them as short-term solutions for small lifting jobs. Yet, some of today’s modern mobile cranes can lift hundreds of tonnes depending on the type of project. The all-terrain mobile crane, for example, is the most versatile and economic self-driven machine that provides an economical lifting solution across various industry sectors with short mobilisation and quick assembly. It can be used across manufacturing for lifting steel structures and components and in maintenance for replacing and repair works as well as in both civil construction and logistics and shipping. It has been a tumultuous last couple of years with Covid-19, fluctuating oil prices and at certain periods several construction and infrastructure sites around the world, in key locations for cranes, were shut down. Although infrastructure projects have picked up again, globally, in the last twelve months, in the Middle East the mobile crane market is taking time to recover. Speaking about the reduced demand and overall recovery, marketing & communications manager at Al Faris equipment rental, Ninoshka DCosta van
Veldhoven says that currently “larger projects have reached their peak” but despite this, Al Faris has continued to expand its fleet, to ensure it is ready when demand starts to pick up once again. “Within the last year we have purchased around 60 mobile cranes – all-terrain and rough-terrain ranging from 30 tonnes to 600 tonnes. The LTM1110 and LTM1120 are new to our fleet whilst we have also added the Liebherr 500 tonne crawler crane.” She explains: “At the moment our allterrain cranes in the 25-50 tonne capacity are most in demand in the region. This includes lifting light components for civil structures and precast panels for residential projects. These are highest in demand due to the sheer size and increase in residential projects. Al Faris manage a large fleet in the UAE and KSA, of which, around 60 percent is made up of all-terrain cranes. These are especially important to the different industries that require quick mobilisation plus they can lift up to 200-300 tonnes and even more when mobile cranes are used in tandem. The heavy-lifting specialist has recently executed several heavy lifts using a combination of meticulous planning and all-terrain cranes in tandem. “We are doing, and have done a few projects for the Solar Park and Etihad Rail.
3 Al Faris has purchased around 60 all-terrain and rough-terrain cranes in the last year ranging from 30 tonnes to 600 tonnes.
Our specialised lifting project in the power plant industry has definitely been a big achievement for us considering our in-house capacity to take on this entire project,” says DCosta van Veldhoven. She adds: “In terms of Sabic and private plants in the eastern region and western region of KSA we are expecting a demand in the medium to higher-capacity crane requirements along with qualified riggers and safety crew for their various ongoing shutdowns. There are also several opportunities for infrastructure in Saudi too as entertainment and theme park projects are booming and the smaller mediumcapacity range cranes, at lower than the average market price, will be in demand.” The latest analysis from specialist forecasting and market research company, Off-Highway Research paints a similar picture of the current mobile crane market. The world’s 100 largest crane-owning companies had a fleet almost 34,000 cranes in 2021, 19 percent more than a decade earlier, revealed the Global Mobile Crane Fleet report. Yet, taking China out of the equation because a huge stimulus spending meant the market went to a new, unprecedented high in 2020, total crane sales globally actually fell by 24 per cent. This was almost double the decline in demand for earthmoving equipment which dropped 12 per cent in the same year. The wider global construction market rebounded last year hitting record global sales for construction equipment, and although there was a bounce in crane sales too, demand lagged the overall construction market. Commenting on the results earlier this year, Off-Highway Research managing director, Chris Sleight pointed out, however, that this should be considered short-term rather than an indicator of a deep-rooted problem. “The boom in construction equipment sales in the second half of 2020 and throughout 2021 was largely compact machines (under 10 tonnes operating weight), which were linked to strong residential construction markets. By their nature these are relatively high volume, low value, machines – they flatter the unit sales figures,” he said. He added: “Sales of larger construction machines, including mobile cranes, can be
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MOBILE CRANES CR ANE REP ORT 2022
expected to take longer to recover. In times of uncertainty and economic stress, it is the larger purchases which are the first to be cancelled. Demand, however, should recover and could become very strong as post-pandemic stimulus spending and infrastructure projects come on stream.” We have seen evidence of this already in the Middle East, this year, as the used market for mobile cranes continues to gain strength as chip shortages and manufacturing delays further impede the availability of new, large capex equipment. At a recent Ritchie Bros’ Crane Sale in Dubai, for example, 30 mobile cranes were featured with some of the top sellers including a 2007 Liebherr LR1400 Lattice–Boom Crawler Crane - sold for $500,000, a 2009 Tadano GR700EX Rough-Terrain Crane sold for $165,000, and a 2006 Grove GMK5100 Rough-Terrain Crane – sold for $155,000. Moving forward, another reason to believe that demand will pick-up in the long term is the emergence of new markets in the region and steps being taken towards sustainable energy which provide significant drivers for future growth of the mobile crane market. As a global report by Research and Markets on the global mobile
Mobile crane demand in the region is expected to pick-up due to new markets and the incresed emergence of sustainability projects.
crane market points out, there is an “increasing demand for renewable energy sources due to the rising focus on sustainable development.” It adds: “For generating wind, solar and thermal energy, several machines are being utilized, and mobile cranes are one of them. Few machines can match the efficiency and safety of mobile cranes when
it comes to installing wind turbines for wind farms. A mobile crane is appropriate for such project sites, whether farmers are carrying rail siding or other key components.” In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has stepped up its drive for smart-city, sustainable projects in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 which calls for half the kingdom’s electricity to be drawn from renewables and nuclear by 2030. Meanwhile Abu Dhabi continues to establish itself further as a cultural hub with infrastructure in the entertainment sector bolstering the construction sector. Against this backdrop, Saudi Arabiabased industrial service provider Expertise Contracting Company (Expertise) placed an order for 79 Demag cranes, last month, as companies still look to expand their fleets. Demag said it was not only their biggest order in 15 years, but it was also the largest ever from a customer in Saudi Arabia. Among the all-terrain cranes that were purchased were 50 Demag AC 55-3, 17 AC 130-5, 11 AC 250-5 and one AC 500-8 model. Long-term, the demand in the mobile crane market can be expected to pick up, driven by a range of new projects across the region with those companies that have full fleets well positioned when it does.
PROJECT FOCUS
AL FARIS ERECTS AMMONIA FLARE STACK COLUMN AT SAUDI PLANT commenting on the project.
Al Faris’ Liebherr 750 tonne
would be 80 percent of the
crane with superlift & its
total load during top and
In addition to the mobile
21 metre luffer along with
tail operation. However,
cranes being rigged up
the 550 tonne main boom
our technical engineers
mobile crane with superlift,
performed a detailed
recently erected a 60 metre
analysis and accurately
company added that
long and 72 tonne ammonia
calculated the precise
their skilled rigging
flare stack column and flare
load on each crane,
crew made it a time
tip, at a plant in Saudi’s Jubail
finding it to be
efficient solution for
Industrial City Saudi Arabia.
within safe working
their. client. A detailed
“The client preferred using
loads of our mobile
crawler cranes considering
cranes. Hence, we were
the length & weight of the
able to provide a safe
column as well as the weight
and technically feasible
on the tailing crane which
solution,” the company said,
faster in comparison to a crawler crane the
lifting study for the job was provided prior and executed as per schedule including mobilization and demobilization from site.
30
in heavy lifting, heavy transport & energy solutions
2450+
HEAVY LIFTING
HEAVY TRANSPORT
ALTERNATIVE LIFTING METHODS
SPECIALISTS IN HEAVY LIFTING, HEAVY TRANSPORT & ENERGY SOLUTIONS
WITH THE LARGEST FLEET OF CRANES & OTHER HEAVY EQUIPMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST DUBAI: info@alfarisuae.com, ABU DHABI: info.ad@alfarisuae.com, KSA: sales@alfarisksa.com, IRAQ: iraq@alfarisgroup.com www.alfarisgroup.com
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COVER STORY CR ANE REP ORT 2022
TOWERING ABOVE NFT GROUP RECENTLY RAISED CRANES IN THE REGION TO NEW HEIGHTS WHEN IT SUCCESSFULLY INSTALLED FOUR SPECIALLY MANUFACTURED TOWER CRANES FOR DUBAI’S ICONIC NEW WASTETO-ENERGY PLANT
I
t’s a little over a year since the construction of the world’s largest Waste-to-Energy plant to be built in one phase was finally given the go-ahead when a 1.2-billion-dollar financing deal was officially put in place with a first-class public-private partnership in the UAE. Four years of hard work had culminated in this decision which provided a new, historic milestone for Dubai and brought about a consortium comprising BESIX, Hitachi Zosen Inova, Dubai Holding, DUBAL Holding, Itochu Corporation and Tech Group. Early construction works on the site had actually started in 2020 and was carried out by BESIX and Hitachi Zosen Inova. When fully operational, the facility will have the capacity to process 1.9 million tonnes of municipal waste per year and generate 200 MW of electricity. Not only that but it will consist of five processing lines, which will be delivered in 2023 and 2024. At the peak of the works, 2,500 workers will be deployed, and the site will use up to 16 tower cranes. With this in mind it is no surprise that NFT Group, who are no strangers to big projects in the region, have recently announced that they have
7 The Waste-toEnergy facility is expected to process 1.9 million tonnes of waste per year and generate 200 MW of electricity when fully operational.
installed, for Besix, the biggest tower cranes Manager of NFT Group, the company will continue to ensure the smooth operations currently in the GCC. “The tower crane technical requirements of the tower cranes, providing the site with were too high for any available Potain tower monthly preventive maintenance and a crane to manufacture on time, so NFT dedicated technician on site 24 hours for Group contacted Yongmao Holdings Ltd, a emergencies: “Our goal with any project company with a proven track record when is to make sure that the tower cranes are it comes to special giant tower cranes and increasing productivity and minimizing cost worked closely together to manufacture the for the contractor,” she said. The iconic project, led by Dubai required customised tower crane in a short period of time,” the company said when Municipality, and located at the former Warsan landfill site will have the capacity announcing the milestone. to process up to 45 percent of Manufacturing of the four Dubai’s current municipal waste tower cranes took around six generation, significantly months including shipping with the Singaporean-based minimising the volume of municipal waste in landfills. company producing two Lifting heig In line with the UN STL4200 tower cranes and ht, in metres, of Sustainable Development two STL2400 tower cranes. the STL4200 Goals (SDGs), the facility will The STL4200 came with a contribute to reaching the 62.5metre jib and the capacity goals set by Dubai Municipality to reach 88metres in height and in minimising the volume of municipal lift up to 100 tonnes, while the STL2400 arrived with increased jib length of 70metres waste in landfills and developing alternative and the capacity to reach 74 metres in height energy sources. It will also contribute and lift up to 80 tonnes. greatly to sustainable and ecologically The super-scale tower cranes arrived at friendly waste management in the Emirate site early in March 2022 with a program to and the targets outlined in the Dubai Clean install the tower cranes in 25 days, yet, as Energy Strategy 2050 Speaking about the project when the NFT Group points out, the installation was not only completed in record time; it was consortium was announced. Pierre Sironval, Chief Operating Officer, BESIX Group, reduced by 50 percent. “The STL 2400 on fixing angle was explained the role Besix would play in the meant to be installed in 18 days and NFT project. “BESIX Middle East is involved in completed installation in 7 days. The the project in three ways: the investment, gigantic STL 4200 on undercarriage was construction and operations of the plant expected to be completed in 25 days and for 35 years. We look forward to delivering NFT Group managed to reduce the time to and then managing, together with Hitachi 12 days. To achieve that, 2 fully dedicated Zosen Inova, these world-leading facilities,” “He added: With the EfW plant, the teams supported by a supervisor from the OEM, were working 12 hours a day every Emirate of Dubai has once again confirmed day, safely and simultaneously to achieve its leading role in the field of sustainability these targets. While one team was off and the environment.” loading and assembling, the other team Of course, it is not the first time NFT has was erecting the assembled parts – 2 to been called in to use some of the largest 3 mobile cranes were on site to cater to tower cranes in the world. By now, it has these simultaneous activities,” explained notched up a long list of distinguished the tower crane specialist. projects to its belt; notably in 2020 NFT From the time the tower cranes were supplied a fleet of five Potain tower cranes commissioned, several lifting activities of 90 comprising two MCT 565s, the largest topless tonnes were successfully conducted under potain crane in the Asian market and three the supervision of NFT team. The STL4200 MCT 385 units in the construction of a public has now had to been dismantled so it can housing project in Hong Kong. Potain tower cranes, of which NFT Group relocated and re-installed elsehwere. According to Mazen Barbar, Dubai Branch is the soul distributor in the Middle East has
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had a string of launches in recent months, most recently the Potain MCT 565 A, introduced by Manitowoc, which is a more compact version of the 32 tonne capacity MCT 565 M32 and the second-largest topless crane produced at its Zhangjiagang, China facility, after the Potain MCT 805. Speaking about the topless crane market Brian Wang, Senior Vice President of Emerging Markets for Manitowoc said: “Topless cranes are an increasingly popular choice on jobsites across Asia and elsewhere because of the efficiencies they offer when working alongside other tower cranes. The MCT 565 has demonstrated this through its exceptional lifting performance on a range of projects,” “We’ve also seen the emergence of these cranes spawn new ways of working in emerging markets. Through our ‘Voice of the Customer process’, we saw an opportunity to add increased appeal to the range. By introducing the compact MCT 565 A, we are now offering greater choice in this class. The new model is positioned alongside the existing three MCT 565 options, allowing customers to choose the right crane for their specific job.” In another milestone this month, global developer of regenerative
C
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Y
CM
The tower cranes arrived at the site in March 2022 with NFT Group installing all cranes in 12 days, reducing the installation time by more than half.
infrastructure, ACCIONA operated a tower crane with a portable zeroemission electricity generator based on hydrogen, the first of its kind in the construction sector, according the company. Until recently, a common solution in projects where it was not possible to connect to the grid was to use generators powered by fossil fuels, mainly diesel.
In this case however, the company used the prototype generator, which has a power range of 100kW and can feed auxiliary equipment and site machinery, on a construction site for the new Norte III Penitentiary Complex in San Sebastián, northern Spain. The project was awarded last year to a joint venture involving ACCIONA, and the crane will continue to operate for the next three months with the help of the hydrogen-based electricity generator. “The development and validation of this first prototype of a 100kW portable electricity generator based on hydrogen is part of the demonstration phase of the ‘Everywh2ere’ innovation project, in which the company is participating together with another 12 European partners,” said ACCIONA. The project, financed by the European Commission through the FCH JU (Fuel Cell Hydrogen Joint Undertaken) initiative, develops portable generators that use hydrogen instead of oil-based products to generate energy. In the process this helps reduce noise and fumes created by current electricity generators.
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CRANE SAFETY CR ANE REP ORT 2022
SAFETY TECH
IN AN INDUSTRY THAT LEAVES LITTLE ROOM FOR ERROR, THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY IS SHAPING THE WAY CRANES ARE OPERATED AND FINDING NEW SOLUTIONS TO OLD ISSUES
S
ince the 1970s tower cranes have been increasing in size and construction sites have become increasingly complex places, often with a high quantity of cranes within close proximity, making it imperative to have the right safety approach to avoid accidents that can have truly catastrophic consequences. Fortunately, as technology continues to advance equipment operators have more tools at their disposal than ever to safeguard the process and ensure that even
the most complex of projects can operate safely and effectively. This can manifest itself in a number of ways, from the correct training of operators to establishing a thorough safety plan, to positioning an “umpire” between cranes or simply using the highest possible quality equipment. These aspects continue to be refined down to the smallest details with each technological enhancement or innovation taking us a little further down that road to accident-free sites. Here, we pick out three recent safety additions putting their stamp on the industry.
Radar Sensors Collision is one of the greatest risks to the safe operation of lifting equipment, behind only collapse, power line contact or a load fall. There are numerous ways this can happen on-site – between crane and the environment, between load and environment; or on a multi-machine site either between the cranes themselves or between load and crane. Anti-collision systems, however, have really taken off in the last decade and the latest addition to this segment comes from global sensor manufacturer, SICK with Radar Sensors
11 Anti-collision systems have taken off in the last decade with the latest RMS1000 designed to operate in particularly harsh conditions.
RMS1000, designed for cranes operating in the harshest of environments. The German-based company which manufactures sensors and sensor solution for industrial application says the RMS1000 offers “reliable detection in the most difficult visibility and ambient conditions, such as heavy snow, rain, dense fog or dust.” It has a working range of up to 100 metres, within which it allows flexible adjustment of monitored areas in terms of radial object distance and radial object speed – and all this for several objects at a time. The ability to adjust the aperture angle and the range
of interfaces offers flexibility, SICK has spent several years developing a new platform for anti-collision radar sensor technology and the SICK RMS1000 is the latest release in the product family. As a 1D radar sensor, it the first in a roll-out of radar sensors on the same robust new platform, which will see 2D and 3D models launched in the near future. With low power requirements, the RMS1000 can be powered by solar panels, or batteries, and used day and night 365 days a year. SICK took over Croatian IT company MOBILISIS at the beginning of the year, further enhancing its competencies in the wireless networking of industrial IoT devices and supplementing its portfolio of sensorbased cloud and edge solutions. This is expected to “create seamless connections between sensor data and cloud platforms, making a major contribution towards rapid networking between the worlds of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT),” the company said. This comes on the back of a breakthrough by a renowned brand in the crane technology space - ACMS Technologies who introduced the DCS 61-S system, a world-first at the time, that can manage multiple tower and mobile cranes on a job-site by automatically detecting and integrating movements of mobile machines and tower cranes. Describing the new approach taken in developing the DCS 61-S system, AMCS said: “The anti-collision management of the AMCS technologies solution does not lie in the simple temporary neutralisation of areas on the site prohibiting tower cranes to work within a defined perimeter where the mobile crane could potentially be located. The new functionality of the DCS 61-S automatically detects the movements of mobile machine and integrates the control of tower cranes.” According to AMCS, the DCS 61-S for mobile cranes is easy to install and program, with a screen installed in the crane operator’s cabin that provides the information needed
for operating the machine in real time. The DCS 61-S placed on tower and mobile cranes communicate their information via a radio network enabing fleet magers to constantly know the position of each of the machines and take swift and decisve action, if necessary. T-Lift Crane Hoist The everyday work life for a tower crane operator is not easy. Most operators start their working day by climbing the tower crane section, which can be very high on sites with taller buildings. This involves time lost at the beginning and end of the shift to go up and down the tower via the stairs, a huge level of fatigue for the operator, with relief driver changeovers and rest breaks being key for crane drivers. In case of an emergency, or if any assistance is needed, the operator is far away from help with the time it would take for support to climb the crane to get to the cab. In light of this, T-Lift crane hoist by Terex has been introduced make their daily life easier and safer. The crane hoist runs along a track that is connected to the outside of the tower and can reach any tower height. It can accommodate up to two people and runs at a speed that can reach 40 metres per minute in the model with an inverter motor. It is adaptable to all tower crane models, thanks to its versatile tie in system, and is easy to install so it can be simply
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CRANE SAFETY CR ANE REP ORT 2022
moved from one jobsite to another. According to Terex if an operator needs additional support or assistance while in the air, the site’s rescue teams, or support crews, can now gain access to the cab quicker and more effectively which could prove to be life saving in case of an emergency. Simulation Training The developer of Vortex training simulators, CM Labs Simulations, issued a new software release for its construction simulator training packs at the beginning of this month. This new release is designed to boost trainee engagement by featuring heightened visuals, greater training immersion, and increased learning retention. The company says it can help achieve faster, more efficient results in operator skills development, further reducing the gap between classroom training and the worksite. The lifting simulations include the luffing tower crane, flat-top tower crane, crawler crane, rough terrain crane, boom truck, and forklift with a clear message that safety starts in the classroom before any operator ever steps inside the cab of one of these machines. “The current boom in construction jobs is highlighting the importance of closing the skills gap,” says Lisa Barbieri, Vice President of Marketing & Product Management at CM Labs. “That’s why we are focused on providing the most immersive learning experience to deliver the world’s best training outcomes.” It follows software developer and solutions provider, NNTC’s research which found that training conducted on VR simulators increase retention rates by up to 75 percent, improve work speed by up to 30 percent and accuracy by up to 96 percent. “Dubai is increasingly embracing smart-city applications and a digitalfirst attitude for the efficiency, safety and sustainability these technologies inject into infrastructure. Our customised VR simulators, such as the one we have just built for Dubai
The T-Lift crane hoist, introduced to make operators lives safer and easier can accomodate two people and run at speeds of 40 metres per minute.
Municipality, allow enterprises to train their personnel in a safe, parallel digital environment,” said Dmitry Doshaniy, general manager at NNTC. “Employees can practice equipment operation and maintenance procedures, process flow and interlocks, and can conduct emergency drills. They can master new skills without increased risk, and
without affecting the operational process,” he added. In the crane world, most importantly, this can save lives. Partnerships are becoming increasingly common to ensure this happen – the combination of ITI VR and Serious Labs being a particularly successful example with an extensive Crane Simulation Library featuring over 1,000 scenarios across 8 crane models to a community of subscribers that benefit with each new crane model, scenario and feature released. The ITI VR Crane Sim also possesses critically important OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) accredited simulations which enable trainees to become certified through learning with their virtual crane simulators. The addition of safety technologies can make crane operation safer for both people and equipment; while inspections and advanced services can help uncover further safety issues so they can be addressed quickly. Tower crane accidents, happen at such at height that any severe collision or accident is likely to be fatal. It must be pointed out, too, that crane accidents do not just affect the operators and those on-site but can have dramatic ramifications for the greater environment and its people.
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HEAVY LIFTING CR ANE REP ORT 2022
RISING RAIMONDI ITALIAN MANUFACTURER RAIMONDI CRANES HAS BEEN SERVING THE HEAVY LIFTING MACHINERY SEGMENT FOR A FORMIDABLE 160 YEARS, CONTINUING TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS IN A RANGE OF MARKETS WORLDWIDE. CMME SPEAKS EXCLUSIVELY TO WAEL HASAN, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, ABOUT THE HEADWAY BEING MADE IN THE REGION
W
hat trends have you being seeing in the market in the Middle East region over the last twelve months? We have seen an increasing demand for luffing jib cranes over the past few years, especially in Qatar and the UAE. Also, larger capacity cranes, such as the topless tower crane MRT294, are in high demand across the GCC, which it is also in line with most of the European markets. We continue working closely with our R&D team in Italy, as Raimondi has
been investing resources in responding to market needs and requests. In recent times Raimondi has worked on several projects not just in the Middle East, but globally in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Italy and Hungry. What do you put down as one of your bigger achievements recently? We are extremely proud of having supported – and continue to support – one of the most important developers of the region, Arada, with the deployment of a total of 24 Raimondi tower cranes in the past 12 months for the construction of Aljada.
One of the most complex and largest jobsites in the UAE, Aljada has a variety of ongoing infrastructure developments under way, ranging from residential housing to educational and healthcare complexes. Presently, seven Raimondi’s cranes can be found on the construction of Aljada’s premier student accommodation, Nest, and 11 cranes are onsite for the construction of one of Aljada’s East Village neighborhood. The bulk of Raimondi’s activity in this region has been in UAE and Qatar. What do you think about the prospect
15 Raimondi Cranes has deployed a total of 24 tower cranes in the last twelve months for developer Arada and the construction of Aljada student accomodation.
PROJECT FOCUS
RAIMONDI TOWER CRANES WORK ON STUDENT COMPLEX At the turn of the year Raimondi
of 2022, Nest will consist of 12 five-story
cranes, including five MRT294s and
apartment blocks over a 388,000 square
two ER240s, for the construction of
foot area. It is just a short walk from the
Nest, an integrated student complex
University City of Sharjah, one of the
located at the Aljada megaproject in
largest education hubs in the region.
Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates. Developed by Arada, Aljada is one
The 16-tonne MRT294s are all freestanding at heights ranging from
of the largest and most complex
37metres to 53.1metres with jib
jobsites in the region, with a number of
lengths ranging between 46metres
different residential, retail, hospitality,
and 50metres. “The MRT294 flattop
entertainment, commercial, education
remains one of the bestselling models
and healthcare components.
in the region due to its maximum lifting
“Our relationship with Arada continues
of growing elsewhere in 2022? Have you got any plans to do this? Qatar and UAE are currently the two strongest countries in terms of demand for heavy lifting equipment. Raimondi Middle East is working on different projects across these countries. In Qatar, we are supplying cranes for the ongoing elaborate infrastructure works, as well as working on the construction of several leisure and transportation developments whereas in the UAE, we are focusing more on port and residential developments. However, there are definitely huge opportunities in the region, with Saudi
Scheduled for completion by the end
Middle East deployed seven tower
capacity of 16tonnes and its durability
to grow with this latest machine rental.
in challenging climate conditions
We are pleased to supply Arada with five
of extreme heat,” Hasan added.
Raimondi MRT294 flattop tower cranes
The two ER240 hammerhead
and two ER240 hammerheads; all with
cranes, chosen for the model’s 14
good lifting capabilities, that more than
tonne maximum lifting capacity,
meet the needs of the build onsite at
are both at work with a 50metre jib
Aljada,” said Wael Hasan, Commercial
and height under the hook (HUH) of
Director, Raimondi Middle East.
35.4metres and 37metres respectively.
Arabia leading the rebound in construction activity. This has already unlocked very good chances for our industry with megaprojects announced across different infrastructure sectors. What do you see as the biggest challenges for Raimondi in the Middle East region at the moment? A significant challenge is represented by labor shortage with the lack of qualified candidates. This is partially caused by the advance of our industry into digital technologies to boost productivity and safety. Hence, forming new talents and
expertise will be essential yet challenging to navigate. Finally, what else are you looking forward to achieving in the near future? What we are really keen on for the rest of the year is developing and expanding is our rental fleet across GCC. We would love to increase the capacity of it up to 100 tower cranes to continue serving our existing and potential customers. This will also help us to fulfil the increase in demand for heavy lifting cranes in the region, by having a larger variety of machines.
16
PROJECT FOCUS CR ANE REP ORT 2022
LEARNING LESSONS: EXPO 2020
IN THE WAKE OF THE BIGGEST SHOW ON EARTH COMING TO A CLOSE WE SPEAK TO JOHNSON ARABIA, KANOO CRANES AND WOLFFKRAN ARABIA ABOUT THE KEY LIFTING PROJECTS THEY EXECUTED FOR THE EVENT AND THE LESSONS THEY CAN EACH TAKE WITH THEM INTO THE FUTURE
T
he dust has finally started to settle since Expo 2020 came to a close after eight years of anticipation, over $7 billion in investment, 240 million hours of labor and six months of festivities. It leaves behind a legacy not only in innovation and design but also in the country’s first “15-minute city” which District 2020 will now become, meaning it will be possible to walk or cycle from end to end without the need for a car. Only a select few national pavillions will remain, while other buildings will be rebranded as a new business district emerges from the Expo site. As thoughts turn to the future and the lessons that we can learn from a project of this sheer scale, the world of construction is no different. Here, we speak to three people who were each involved in crucial parts of the Expo build and get their key takeaways.
17 The dismantle and re-install of the Expo gates involved a complex tandem lift using a 150 tonne Grove mobile crane and a 100 tonne Demag AC100.
JOHNSON ARABIA PROJECT: EXPO GATES LEAD ENGINEER: SREETHU THULASEEDHARAN For this particular project, we were required to assist with the modification of the Expo gates for contractor Besix.. This required a dismantle of the existing structure and then allowance for the contractors to modify the gate and reinstall it. The timeline for this was one day of dismantle, one to two weeks of modification and then one day after for re-install. This was a complex lift as it used two cranes – the 150 tonne Grove mobile crane and 100 tonne Demag AC100 – and involved tandem lifts. The cranes had to be on the roads below and all controlling of the lifts were done by our expert team by radio communication and following the lift plan to accuracy. The biggest takeaway we gained from a project of this nature was the importance of planning. We had planned everything to a tee, and this is why our lifts were successful given the site conditions. The max load of the portal gate was four tonnes and as it was made of polycarbonate (Carbon Fibre) the chances of damage were very high. Since cranes were being used on roads this presented some time constraints. . Both cranes were selected and lifting plans were prepared by Johnson Arabia as they efficiently dealt with each of these obstacles and the lifting of all three gates and re-erection were completed safely after modification. For the initial risk assessment we needed to divert access to the roads. Lifting the load above the constraint space without full visual signal was a challenge as the lift was above the bridge and the cranes were positioned on the road. As all tandem lifts go, there needs to be a 25 percent margin for safety and tailing operation. There was very low risk for site conditions, however, as it was an open space for all offloading. As well as this, in terms of accessibility cranes had to be positioned below the bridge for the lift and signals and plans had to be followed carefully which we had. Finally, there were no space constraints for offloading as it was open space but the lift itself was over a bridge, so the cranes had to be carefully positioned to execute the lift.
18
PROJECT FOCUS CR ANE REP ORT 2022
WOLFFKRAN ARABIA
KANOO CRANES PROJECT: SWISS PAVILLION, RUSSIAN PAVILLION, FIRDAUS AR RAHMAN PAVILION REGIONAL MANAGER: AHMAD WRAIKAT The Spiering’s crane was used for many general lifts in the Expo2020 for its easy erection and manageability; namely Firdaus AR Rahman Pavilion by ALEC, the Swiss Pavillion by Expomobilia, and the Russian Pavillion by Cyber Construction. On the back of this job one of our key takeaways was that sometimes we can get a job by just being on location and site managers/engineers seeing the usability of the equipment and that is exactly what happened in this case. For the Swiss pavilion this company saw us on location and gave us the contract after seeing the ease of manuveribility and lift. This requirement was to lift for HVAC, general materials and external panel - straight forward lifts for exterior. This took about three days spread out over a week. For the Russian Pavillion by Cyber Construction we were required to lift the coloured pipes of the exterior. It was a straightforward lift and took about two months to complete. In this
PROJECT: AL WASL DOME OPERATIONS DIRECTOR: JEFF WATSON
For the Al wasl Dome the Wolff 500B Luffing Tower Crane was chosen to put the 17-18 tonne steel segments in place.
case, we had to provide the wooden mats to spread the load and protect the walkways. The big thing about this project was that they needed a crane in a high-density area. Both jobs had sapce constraints and their only option was Spiering.. Kanoo is the only crane contractor that has a Spierings in the middle east and this was the only crane that oculd be used.
Wolffkran Arabia were used for both Al Wasl Dome and the Opportunity Pavilion - the Wolff 500B Luffing Tower Crane with a jib 25.5 metres high being used for the first of those these projects and two Wolff 8060.25’s – 50 tonne cranes (but in the 25-tonne regulation) being used for the latter. For Al Wasl Dome the Wolff 500B was chosen as the Al Wasl Dome Steel segments were made in a fabrication yard on the other side of Expo and had to be driven to the Al Wasl dome area, through the small roads of Expo, with a super wide load. Each segment was about 17-18 tonnes each and once offloaded with the tower crane, they were then just put together like a jigsaw puzzle. There were many factors WolffKran had to consider during the planning and preparation for this tricky task. Whilst they were putting in place the top half of the dome, construction had already begun and was ongoing at the base so there was nowhere to put a tower crane at the beginning. Originally, we had looked at using crawler cranes but because of the construction already ongoing this was not possible. The tower crane location, in the end, was very different because we couldn’t tie the crane to any structure, so we had to have a free-standing crane. The square base had to go in an eight metre diameter circle so we had to thread the base into the basement, then sit it on a specially constructed steel grillage and spread the load throughout the basement Usually, you have vast areas to erect and dismantle the crane and you can come in and do what you want but for something like this, it had to be super tight and planned to the millimetre which is exactly what we did.
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20
NEW RELEASES CR ANE REP ORT 2022
NEW LIFTERS ON THE SCENE
THE MAJOR GLOBAL CRANE MANUFACTURERS SUCH AS TADANO, GROVE, COMANSA AND LIEBHERR ARE CONTINUING TO RAISE THE BAR BY INTRODUCING NEW MODELS WITH THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES AND FEATURES INCLUDING HIGHER LIFTING CAPABILITIES IMPROVED STEERING AND RECORD BOOM LENGTHS
21
MAXIMUM LIFTING
NEW TADANO® AC 2.040-1 ALL TERRAIN CRANE Tadano launched its AC 2.040-
the counterweight tailswing
1, the first all-terrain crane
radius. As a result, Tadano
to be developed jointly by
Surround View makes it
Tadano’s Lauf and Zweibrücken
significantly easier to optimally
locations in Germany, and
position the crane at work sites.
also the very first member of
The 2.040-1 also comes with
the future Tadano AC early
the IC 1 Remote telematics
in 2022. This was one of the
solution, which makes efficient
more significant launches in
crane and fleet management
the industry, in the last twelve
possible and shows both the
months, as it signalled the
location of the crane and all
completion of the announced
its operating information on
brand merger where all
the monitor. This system helps
Tadano Group cranes would
with scheduling projects and
be sold exclusively under
routine maintenance, ensuring
the Tadano brand name.
that the crane will have the highest possible availability for
Like all future models, it features the innovative IC 1 Plus
assignments. Moreover, it can
control system with automatic
be used to read error codes
counterweight detection, a
so that service team members
capacity radar, and a work area
can read the corresponding
display. The system determines
data “remotely” and run
the crane’s lifting capacity
fault analyses to quickly
for every boom position as a
diagnose and fix problems.
function of the superstructure’s
The ESTA-award-winning
slewing angle. This enables
E-Pack with its 32-kW electric
the AC 2.040-1 to always
motor is also optionally
make use of the maximum
available and enables the AC 2.040-1 to work whisper-
available lifting capacity
quiet and with zero
with any outrigger configuration, including asymmetrical ones. This advantage is literally maximized when
85
emissions indoors and at nighttime in residential
km/hour m ax travelling speed
combined with the Flex Base system,
areas, for example. This makes the two-axle crane the third
Tadano AC to be
which makes it possible to
compatible with the E-Pack,
extend the outriggers to any
with the two others being
point within their range.
the AC 3.045-1 City and
In addition, the crane
the AC 4.080-1. Finally, like
features the one-of-a-kind
all future Tadano cranes, it
Tadano Surround View camera
comes with the particularly
system, which shows both the
ergonomic cab, previously
maximum possible extension
only used on Zweibrücken
lengths for the outriggers and
produced all terrain cranes.
22
NEW RELEASES CR ANE REP ORT 2022
IMPROVED STEERING SYSTEM
MANITOWOC EXPANDS GROVE TRUCK CRANE OFFERING Manitowoc has expanded its
make this new crane a
Grove truck crane offering
reality,” explained JJ Grace,
with the new four-axle
Grove’s product manager
TTS9000-2, boasting
for truck-mounted cranes. “Once again, our
all-wheel steering and an
commitment to the
impressively long boom on a lightweight carrier. According to the company much of the improved INCREASED LOADS
design comes
COMANSA INCREASES LOADING CAPACITIES IN 21LC SERIES
from Manitowoc’s
52
Voice of the Customer process resulted in the development of
Max reach extended b of oom in metres ,
“Voice of the Customer” process, which
an innovative new model that will greatly benefit both Manitowoc and
our customers.” Each of the all-wheel
Comansa has further
a precedent in previous
uses consumer insights to
steering modes can be
developed its successful
Comansa flat top models.
improve engineering work
activated by the operator
and product development.
at the click of a button on
21LC series, adding two
As part of improved access
the right-hand console. For
new models as an evolution
to the turntable and the
of the 21LC550 flat top
rotating part: the cathead has
truck crane features an
instance, with crab steering
crane. The latest additions
been redesigned to facilitate
automated steering system
selected, all tires point in
can have a 20 or 25 tonne
the passage of lifting cables,
that helps operators
the same direction when
maximum load assembled
including a welded ladder
navigate challenging driving
the steering wheel is turned,
with ranges of between
that allows access to the
conditions, whether on
allowing the crane to travel
30 and 80 metres with
highest part without the need
congested urban jobsites or
diagonally. Another option is
configurations every 5 metres.
for the cab platform. Another
small backcountry roads.
a coordinated mode where
The 115 tonne capacity
According to Comansa
key strength that Comansa
“We listened to the
the driver turns the front
this allows a maximum point
points out is that operators
input of customers who
wheels in the direction of
load of up to 4.95 tonnes
can access the cab platform
were passionate about
travel and the rear wheels
while the an optional boom
direct via the turntable due
the need for rear steering
turn in the opposite direction.
configuration allows the
to the folding ladder. This
capability and worked with
This reduces the truck crane’s
total range to be extended
prevents falls while working
Manitowoc’s Lift Solutions
turning radius and makes
to 85 metres at the tip.
on the upper level and is
engineers and other teams
tight turns much easier for the
also easier to transport.
to leverage our successful
operator who doesn’t have
TMS9000-2 platform and
to rely on manual operation.
Load capacities are now on average 16% higher for the
Both tower crane models
21LC600 and 23% higher for
offer the double trolley
the 21LC650 compared to the
system with
previous 21LC550 model.
automatic
Of the the new features in
changeover as a
these models the first thing
standard feature
to standout is that they have
and incorporate,
a shorter, modular counter-
as a novelty, the
jib which ranges from 24.4
optional availability
to 16.4 metres and has up to
of single trolley (ST)
5 possible configurations.
which simplifies
This concept allows greater
maintenance while
adaption when working in
increasing load capacity
confined spaces and has
in short boom lengths.
23
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
LIEBHERR ACHIEVES RECORD LENGTH WITH NEW MOBILE CRANE Liebherr has unveiled the
which enables individual
times for crane work in
helps save fuel and reduce
first mobile crane that can
telescopic sections to be
windy conditions. Although
noise, Liebherr adds.
carry a 90-metre telescopic
removed particularly quickly.
such charts for cranes are
boom with an axle load of
This makes it straightforward
generally only valid for gust
metres is achieved by the
just 12 tonnes. The company
to set up the crane for the
wind speeds of up to 9 m/s
new LTM 1300-6.3 using an
said the new LTM 1300-6.3,
road with a gross weight of
the manufacturer points out
8-section telescopic boom –
a 300-tonne, all-terrain
less than 60 tonnes and axle
that it has calculated the
the pivot section plus seven
model “sets new standards
loads of under ten tonnes.
load charts for additional
telescopic sections. That is
maximum wind speeds and
one section more than similar
in the 6-axle class” and is
There is also a self-assembly
The record length of 90
designed “to be used as a
solution which enables the
programmed them in the
cranes in this class. To ensure
fast-erecting crane with a
telescopic sections to be
crane control system.
that the complete boom as
high capacity at great hoist
removed without the need
heights with a raised boom.”
for an auxiliary crane. This
focuses on the
It has also been made
is compatible with other
eight-cylinder
possible to drive the LTM
models such as the LTM
Liebherr diesel
1300-6.3 with different
1650-8.1 and the LTM 1450-
engine in the
axle loads and gross
8.1 increasing the flexibility
undercarriage
weights, to ensure the crane
and economy of the crane
which
operates economically and
enormously as a result.
develops
efficiently, the company
Included in the latest model
well as all the outriggers plus
ECOdrive, meanwhile,
sufficient
the hook block can be
85
carried on public roads with an axle load of 12 tonnes, Liebherr
km/hour m ax travelling speed
has optimised the entire steel construction of the crane
said. Components such as
are a range of recent recent
power before
the telescopic boom and
innovations from ECOmode,
this power is
outriggers can be installed
and ECOdrive, to VarioBallast
transferred to the
and removed quickly and
Auto-Ballast, single-engine
crane axles by a 12-speed
easily to achieve axle loads
concept and wind speed load
ZF TraXon torque gearbox.
78-metre telescopic boom,
of less than 12 tonnes. One
charts. These loads charts,
A torque converter ensures
remains in the portfolio
interesting feature in this
for example, can improve
excellent manoeuvring while
as the entry point model
respect is tele-separation,
safety and increase operating
additional ECOdrive mode
into lufing jib cranes.
for lightweight construction. The LTM 1300-6.2, with its
24
LAST WORD CR ANE REP ORT 2022
PLETED M O C E R E W LLENGES PMENT I A U H Q C E D T E A M C ERENT TI IECES OF FOUR DIFF NG SIX SEPARATE P USI
GE N E L L A H C TE E L P M O C S R E L A E D T A C
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© Tadano Ltd. 2022. Tadano and Demag are trademarks of or licensed by Tadano Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
AC 300-6
Above and beyond. Take your business to the next level with the new Demag AC 300-6. It delivers class-leading reach combined with strength, including the ability to lift 15 t on a fully telescoped 80 m boom. To allow for high versatility, the AC 300-6 can be adapted to the needs of a variety of jobs and is the smallest crane in the Demag AC range with a luffing jib. The HAV and many components are shared with Demag 5-axle cranes — increasing your return on investment and reducing the amount of spare parts you need to have on hand. Above. Ahead. Always.