CRANES AND LIFTING: March/April 2017 by Mayfam Media

$9.90

MARCH 2017

DON’T LOOK DOWN

INSIDE

Unless you’re with Enerpac

• JLG’s old school ethos in a competitive market • Work and play on the world’s tallest cranes • On the up and up

DON’T LOOK DOWN

18 26 28

Unless you’re with Enerpac.

CONTENTS | MARCH 2017

10 FROM CICA’S PRESIDENT 26 TOWER CRANES Kicking off 2017

Work and play on the world’s tallest tower cranes

15 EQUIPMENT

Picking the right machine

18 RIGGING

On the up and up

Rigging ain’t rigging

CRANES IN ACTION – TASMANIA Building bridges

CRANES IN ACTION – VIC Victoria…the place to be

PILING AND FOUNDATION Industry standard sets new standards in safety

Cranes and Lifting is a media partner of

SIA: EMERGING 28 AMARKETS

30 TELEHANDLERS

2017 trends and challenges

32 CONEXPO-CON/AGG What happens in Vegas

34 ASSOCIATIONS

Crane associations unite

36 EQUIPMENT

(Not) a rubbish solution

Senior Editor: Jacqueline Ong Senior Journalist: Kylie Field (kylie.field@mayfam.net) Creative Director, Patterntwo Creative Studio: Toni Middendorf Advertising Sales: Ross May (ross@mayfam.net) Subscriptions: Phone: (02) 9267 1166 Email: contact@mayfam.net Web: www.insideconstruction.com.au Office: Suite 18, 104 Bathurst Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2000 Phone: (02) 9267 1166 Email: contact@mayfam.net Website: www.insideconstruction.com.au COPYRIGHT WARNING: All editorial copy and some advertisements in this publication are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced in any form without the written authorisation of the managing editor. Offenders will be prosecuted.

NOTE FROM THE TEAM

News updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au Viva Las Vegas! (Credit: Graeme Maclean, Flickr CC)

Focusing on the year ahead

t’s hard to believe that it’s March and already the year has kicked off in a big way. One of the crane sector’s leading safety trainers, Stephen Holmes has just launched a book “Be a good crane operator one day at a time”. It’s a clever reminder that safety is always the number one priority. More on page 8. JLG’s managing director Bob Mules chats to Cranes and Lifting on page 16, about how they remain innovative in a competitive marketplace and what impact the Commonwealth Personal Properties Security Act (PPSA) will have on the elevated work platform sector. CraneSafe and the Piling and Foundation Specialists Federation (PFSF) have formed

a partnership called PileSafe. On page 24, CICA discusses how the green sticker system currently used for major inspections in the crane sector will be the same set-up for piling rigs. On the cover is an incredible image from Enerpac, and just like that old Castrol GTX TV commercial with the catchphrase “oils ain’t oils”, the same applies to rigging equipment. On page 18, Mr Lift It director Colin Chapman, discusses how cheaper units may be suitable for one or two lifts but generally do not stand up to the rigours of industrial use. On page 26, check out the amazing pictorial of some of the world’s tallest cranes. There are

a group of individuals around the world that love to climb these giants. Not for the faint-hearted, the pictures are amazing, to say the least. And so we head to Las Vegas (someone has to do it) for the extravaganza that is CONEXPOCON/AGG 2017. The usual what stays in Vegas won’t apply this time as we’ll be reporting from the event and covering all the latest news, launches, demonstrations and everything else in between. On page 32, we bring you a snippet of what’s going to be launched at the event. We hope you enjoy this issue. The Cranes and Lifting Team contact@mayfam.net

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March 2017

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NEWS

News updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

Konecranes launches technician training centre SYDNEY is now home to Konecranes’ newest technician training centre, set up to provide qualified technicians with industry-specific training on crane use, service, maintenance, and inspections. The Sydney centre, which has a strong focus on efficiency, safety and operations, and standards compliance, complements Konecranes’ existing centre in Perth, and covers technical, electrical, product-specific, maintenance, inverter, and inspector training. “A major advantage of our training centres is that not only does it refresh the knowledge the technicians have acquired at TAFE or college, but it provides them with training specific to industrial applications, and comprehensively prepares them for real-world tasks they’ll be performing,” Konecranes national technical training manager Martin Davies said. “The training programs involve a mixture of theoretical and practical components, and give our technicians all the required skills to be OEM and Standards compliant.”

Konecranes, which has more than 450,000 pieces of equipment worldwide under service contract, send a little more than 60 technicians through training annually. If these technicians are newly hired by Konecranes, they are paired with a qualified ‘buddy’ at the end of their training so that they always have someone they can seek guidance from and report back to, as they transition into their new role. “Having two training centres means we can increase the number of qualified and trained technicians at Konecranes, and provides a more convenient option for those based on the east coast of Australia,” Davies said. According to Konecranes, its training centres feature the most advanced simulators, delivered straight from Konecranes’ head office in Finland, so trainees can practice using cranes and associated equipment in a safe environment that mirrors real world conditions. “All trainers have received a licence to train from what we call ‘Konecranes University,’ and buddies have gone through ‘buddy training.’

The courses follow a global module that focuses on safety, productivity and quality,” Davies explained. “We don’t just cover Konecranes equipment either - we provide training for cranes and equipment from other manufacturers too. “We’ve found that technicians who have been through the training centres have a better knowledge of the product and are subsequently able to perform their job more productively and safely.”

Konecrane’s technician training centres are equipped with a range of real equipment.

ALL-TERRAIN

Liebherr introduces optimised Major Inspection of Mobile Cranes Liebherr is presenting new major inspection practices of mobile cranes with a strong focus on visual inspections. This new approach offers highest safety for Liebherr mobile cranes operating in Australia and advances its customers with a rewarding solution to meet safety regulations. INTRODUCED at the 2016 CICA Conference in Queensland, Liebherr offers its customers outstanding support in order to keep their cranes at the highest safety standards for operations in-field. Based on the Australian Standards, Liebherr designed an optimised scope of work for performing a Major Inspection on Liebherr mobile cranes. Steve Hogg, National Service Manager at Liebherr-Australia Mobile Cranes states: “It is 4

important to have the cranes inspected and repaired by expert technicians using original spare parts and specialised equipment for such a comprehensive inspection. That is why all of our technicians are factory trained and use advanced diagnostic tools specially designed and manufactured for Liebherr mobile cranes.” Liebherr also points out their strong focus on visual inspections is in accordance to

manufacturer’s recommendations. This ensures highest safety but also a shortened down time of the crane and consequently lower overall costs for their customers. “Crane owners are more than welcome to visit Liebherr’s website www.liebherr.com.au (or use the QR-Code) or to directly contact one of Liebherr’s service facilities for additional information about the Major Inspection with Liebherr”, Steve says. March 2017

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NEWS

News updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

Manitowoc reports US$33.4M loss MANITOWOC has posted its fourth quarter 2016 and full year results, reporting a net loss of US$33.4 million (AU$43.74 million) in Q4 on a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis versus a net income of $43.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2015. Net sales for Q4 of 2016 was $378.2 million compared to $543.1 million in the comparable period in 2015 while GAAP operating loss for the period was $23.8 million compared to $13.9 million in Q4 2015. The fourth-quarter 2016 GAAP operating loss includes $6.3 million of restructuring costs mainly related to plant relocation and severance expenses. Non-GAAP adjusted net loss from continuing operations was $32.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 versus non-GAAP adjusted net income from continuing operations of $7.1 million the fourth quarter of 2015. Meanwhile, full-year revenues were $1.61 billion - 14% lower than 2015 - and pre-tax losses have more than doubled to $268.1 million. Manitowoc pointed to continued weak demand in North America and the Middle East as the reason for the year-over-year decrease in net sales, but said this was partially offset by year-over-year growth in the European market. “During the fourth-quarter we experienced demand levels consistent with prior year trends with sequential improvement in revenue as well as incoming orders. Our mobile orders in the Americas and the Middle East were affected by continued low rental rates, weakness in used equipment prices and continued low oil prices. Our tower crane business continued to perform as expected, mainly attributable to positive market sentiment in Europe complemented by our new product introductions,” Manitowoc CEO Barry L. Pennypacker said. “While the global crane market continues to

leader in innovation and increasing the velocity in all our business processes. Executing on these strategic priorities will enable us to be the market leader in lifting technology as judged by our customers, shareholders and employees.”

Cash flow and full-year 2017 guidance

Manitowoc CEO Barry L.Pennypacker

be dynamic, we remain cautiously optimistic about the long-term market fundamentals.” Pennypacker added that the company’s management team has delivered substantial improvement in operational working capital in the quarter which allowed Manitowoc to completely pay down its outstanding revolver balance. “This would not have been possible without the structured approach that The Manitowoc Way provides for operational excellence. As a result, we saw a significant improvement in our net debt position during the quarter,” he said. “We remain committed to achieving our long-term goals of double-digit operating margins by 2020, investing appropriately for market growth, continuing to be a market

NET cash flow from continuing operating activities in the fourth quarter of 2016 was $57.8 million, compared to $51.3 million in Q4 2015. Fourth quarter capital expenditures totaled $11.1 million as compared to $23.0 million in the Q4 2015. The company’s cash totaled $69.9 million at December 31, 2016, an increase of $27 million from the end of the third quarter 2016. This increase was primarily driven by a reduction in operating working capital during the fourth quarter, mainly related to inventory. In the fourth quarter, the Company completely paid down its previously outstanding revolver balance of $20 million through improved working capital management. Full-year 2017 guidance: • Revenue down approximately 8-10% year-over-year; • Adjusted EBITDA approximately $41 to $59 million; • Adjusted operating income percentage - approximately zero to 1%; • Depreciation approximately $40 to $45 million; • Amortisation of intangibles approximately $2 to $2.5 million; and • Capital expenditures approximately $30 million.

GROVE CRANES SPARK INTEREST IN THAILAND THE Grove GMK2035E all-terrain crane’s mobility, among other factors, has driven Thailand’s Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) to grow its fleet of cranes. THIS month, the PEA ordered eight GMK2035E all-terrain cranes, adding to its fleet that already includes six GMK2035 cranes, the predecessor of the GMK2035E.

THE state-owned enterprise plans to use the new cranes to erect electrical poles and install transformers at sites around Thailand. IT selected the GMK2035E because of the crane’s superior mobility, as well as its option to lift with both mid-span and full-span outrigger deployments. THE GMK2035E is also Grove’s most compact all-terrain crane, and includes

a 29-metre main boom, which can be extended to 46m with jib extensions. Maximum capacity is 40 tonnes and power comes from a 205kW Mercedes engine. ALL the cranes were supplied by VDS Machinery, the official Grove dealer for Thailand and all deliveries will be complete by the end of Q1 2017.

March 2017

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NEWS

Be a good crane operator one day at a time STEPHEN Holmes, director of GTK Training has worked for CICA on safety issues for a number of years and has just published a book for crane operators and those that work in the sector titled “Be a good crane operator one day at a time.” Designed to be read at the start of the day, each page is a snippet of information about safety, loads, tag lines and many other elements associated with operating a crane. “I’ve been training for many years. I have written and read many training manuals over that time. Then someone once said to me, “you know, almost no one actually reads those things don’t you?” And I think I knew he was right. So I decided to try and write a useful document that hopefully they would read. Not too many words and a bit of humour through the use of cartoons,” said Holmes. “Cranes are classified as high risk plant because if they have an accident, it can be a

big one! Much is done to make sure cranes are in a safe condition to use, but the fact is, most crane accidents are caused through human error. We all want cranes to operate safely and for users and those around cranes to remain safe. And we must do all we can to ensure this happens. The trouble is, commercial pressures (real or perceived) often cause corners to be cut, so we must keep promoting and ensuring cranes are used correctly and as designed.” Holmes says he would like operators to use the book the way the title suggests, one page a day. “It’s designed so it can be read one page a day. If an operator has a spare moment, just pick it up and read a page. Hopefully they will get something out of it by being reminded of a basic principle or possibly learning something new – especially if they are new to cranes.”

March 2017

News updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

JCB enters US$8b powered access market. (Credit: JCB)

JCB enters elevated work platform market JCB is making its foray into the elevated work platform market and will soon launch a range of scissor lifts, articulated booms, and telescopic boom machines market. This is the first time the company is entering the US$8 billion (AU$10.43 billion) power access market and it has certainly signalled its intent to become a major player by designing its own line of machines. JCB said it has been developing and engineering a line-up of powered access machines “in secret” for the past two years and the company will first unveil nine scissor lifts, followed by an expansion of its JCB Access range to 27 machines, including articulated and telescopic booms, by the end of 2017. All machines will be contract manufactured in China. “The access market is a truly global market and offers immense opportunities for growth for JCB. It’s a market that is ripe for a new supplier with the ability to offer industry leading, roundthe clock-product support. JCB’s 770 dealers with 2200 depots can deliver the back-up that global customers expect,” JCB chairman Lord

Bamford said. The new JCB Access products - designed in-house to meet the needs of rental companies and contractors worldwide - will initially be offered in the UK, France, Germany and North America. The Access range has been certified by TUV ensuring the highest product quality standard. It will also comply with the latest ANSI & CSA legislation. “Customers in this industry now have a highly credible alternative with a range of products built and certified to a higher standard. We are very excited about the opportunities this offers the rental customers that we already know very well,” Lord Bamford said. JCB’s dealer network has been undergoing full sales and service training to be able to provide back-up for the access platform ranges. JCB’s LiveLink telematic system will be incorporated as standard on all booms, and available as an option on the scissors. By the end of 2017 JCB’s range of access platforms will include:

• Nine electric and three diesel scissor lifts from 15’ (4.6m) to 45’ (13.8m); • Five articulating booms - four diesel and one electric - from 49’ (14.9m) to 81’ (24.6m); and • 10 diesel telescopic booms from 67’ (20.6m) to 136’ (41.6m). JCB will introduce four articulated booms in 2017, with platform heights of 49’ (14.9m) through to 81’ (24.6m). All four models will be offered with four-wheel drive and two-wheel steer, delivering up to 40% gradeability and a maximum stowed driving speed of up to 7kmh. These will be joined by a 45’ (13.7m) platform height AJ45E electric powered articulating boom model in quarter three. The electric model has two-wheel drive and two-wheel steering, with up to 30% gradeability. A range of 10 diesel-powered telescopic booms will also be added throughout 2017. These will offer platform heights from 67’ (20.6m) to 135’ (45.6m). There will be a high degree of parts commonality between the three model ranges.

DEMAG AC 220-5 MAKES ITS ASIAN DEBUT FOLLOWING a brand relaunch early last year, the Demag AC 220-5 all-terrain crane has made its debut in Asia. Long-time distributor of Terex Cranes, Mobile Cranes Asia (MCA), ordered three Demag AC 220-5s and took delivery of its first unit at a special handover ceremony held in conjunction with bauma China in Shanghai in November. The model features a 78-metre main boom length, which Terex says is the longest main boom length of any five-axle crane. It also comes with IC-1 plus, allowing operators to calculate lifting capacities in real time, which then assists them in working in a higher capacity range with less counterweight, increasing versatility and reducing transport costs. Terex added that the AC 220-5 is the most compact crane in its capacity class with a total length of 14.5m and a carrier width of 3m. It also stays under the 12-tonne axle load limit but is able to carry 600kg of payload.

March 2017

CICA INDUSTRY REPORT

From the president It’s true to say, 2017 has started as a history defining year. On the world’s stage, we have seen the US presidential inauguration of Donald Trump and the aftermath like never before.

ow this will ultimately affect Australia and our industry is yet to be seen. For those in the market for a new crane from Germany, certainly it has had a favourable effect on the strength of our Aussie dollar, approaching a three-year high against the Euro. For CICA, I’m pleased to announce we have already achieved a historic milestone in 2017. Our CraneSafe inspection program has been accredited by independent body, NATA, to meet the requirements of ISO/IEC 17020 (2012). We are the only Type A inspection body for cranes in Australia. Our mission is to be “The Authority for the Crane Industry” and this great achievement only helps reinforce our position. Also thanks to our CICA members AML, Lifting Skills, Universal Cranes, and WATM who volunteered their equipment to do the site audits with CraneSafe Assessors. And to Multiplex, who allowed us access to a working site to review three tower cranes. As part of the CraneSafe accreditation

review, we also took the opportunity to extend the inspection window to allow inspections to be completed within three months prior to the previous assessment expiry date. As long as the inspection date is within three months prior, the expiry date will remain the same for the next year. We have also added a CraneSafe assessment expiry lookup tool. Improving Road Access continues to be a key initiative for CICA and in January, we met again with the federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester. We focused on three areas where we need his help to influence change: (i) Jurisdictional inconsistencies in bridge assessments • Standardised Bridge Assessment – 12tonne/axle. • NHVR should be empowered to keep jurisdictions accountable for bridge assessment methods and record keeping. (ii) Local government Involvement • Local government is not equipped to process permits as required under

CICA president Danny Black

the NHVL – change legislation to only require advising local government. (iii) Permit Processing Times • NVHR should see all permit processing times by state and local government for intrastate and interstate travel. • No permits, but monitored by IAP. Of particular disappointment to the minister were the inconsistencies around the bridge dynamic and load factors used by the various states, which ultimately limits our ability to obtain 12t per axle. See Tables 1 and 2.

TABLE 1: Bridge Capacity = Static Load X Dynamic Factor X Load Factor State ACT NSW QLD SA TAS VIC - metro VIC - regional

Dynamic Factor 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.4-1.3 Unknown 1.3 1.3 1.0 w/permit Unknown

Local Government

Load Factor 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.6 Unknown 1.4 1.6

Standard 5100.7 DRAFT 5100.7 DRAFT Unknown 5100.7 DRAFT Unknown Unknown 5100.7 DRAFT

Unknown

TABLE 2 non-NHVL

NHVL

Axles

VIC

TAS

ACT

NSW

YES

QLD NO

YES

Total

543

135

303

421

412

% at 12 tonne

100%

98%

50%

75%

100%

40%

60%

March 2017

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Industry-led independent inspection program

Introducing the CraneSafe Assessment App. After 13 years the national industry–led Inspection Program is now electronic Features include ■ P hoto and video capture of specific crane information to assist in record keeping and repair schedules ■ G eneration of a maintenance list that can be used by the workshop to complete repairs ■ C aptive information is used to monitor items that are deemed satisfactory at the time of assessment, but should be monitored during the upcoming 12 months ■ N o more sending in white copies to the CraneSafe office ■ A ll existing information that has been used for industry lobbying with road regulators will now be more accurately captured digitally ■ C rane information and photos can assist with the assessment of a crane’s design life, and whether a major inspection is required ■ A ssessments can automatically be added to your company’s unique CICA Member profile, to consolidate records and ease paperwork requirements of clients.

CICA075RMC

www.cranesafe.com.au 12

CraneSafe is a division of CICAMarch 2017 Australia’s not-for-profit Crane Organization

CICA INDUSTRY REPORT

CICA president Danny Black

When it comes to local government approvals, we shared with the minister the challenges our industry have in getting councils to approve the gazetted SPV1 vehicles on local roads for the first and last mile. See diagram above, of how we are unfairly being treated when compared to other similar size/weight vehicles that can operate without restriction. CICA has developed modelling calculations which demonstrate a typical pick and carry crane generating less shear force and bending moment than a garbage truck, travels ~20 times less road kilometres per annum and has a better swept path. The above challenges were further discussed with the NHVR when we recently met in February. Last year the NHVR, with the help of the state road regulators conducted a national roadworthiness baseline survey. Whilst the full report is not due for release until late March, preliminary findings showed that our industry fared well with very low major nonconformances on the cranes inspected. Last August, the NHVR opened up its AccessConnect customer portal to all access permit customers to streamline heavy vehicle permit process. CICA also presented future projects to further benefit our industry: • 445 vs 525 tyre approval; and • SPV2 notice for 12t/axle on four, five and six-axle cranes. The CICA Queensland branch has taken a proactive approach to getting SPV1 council approval, by hiring the services of David White to act in the role of CICA/NHVR liaison officer. White has taken a personal approach with the councils, which has led to in-depth talks using information. In addition, he has focused on the 20% of the councils which cover ~80% of our members. The results speak for themselves. March 2017

We have gone from 12 to 39 green councils, with more expected over the coming weeks. This is a great example of CICA investing in real benefits for our members. Well done to White and the CICA Queensland branch. I know other states are also engaging with councils through various forums with varying results, given the success of the Queensland approach and I would encourage we consider taking on a similar approach with other problem councils. Lastly, on the subject of road access, in Queensland it seems we will need to reforge new connections with the state Minister for Transport after Stirling Hinchliffe’s recent resignation following the release of the damming Queensland Rail Report. Deputy Premier Jackie Trad will serve as acting Minister for Transport and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning. CrewSafe was launched at last year’s annual conference. It was developed with the aim to combat the cost and quality of verification of competencies (VOCs). Whilst we are far from having a legislative path forward, there was general agreement that our proposal was a good industry-led initiative. Further to this meeting, CICA has been invited to present at an upcoming Australian Constructors Association. CICA is preparing for the first National Reference Group (NRG) and Board meeting to “kick off” the year. Given the volume of updates in this report, I am confident we have the right focus and team in place to accomplish even more throughout 2017. Many thanks, Danny Black – GM Terex Cranes Australia CICA President 0419 384 962

CICA Board

Danny Black – President, Terex Cranes Tom Smith – Vice President, Williamstown Crane Hire Andrew Esquilant, Liebherr Australia Cheryl Woodhart, RMB Service Group John Gillespie, Gillespies Crane Services Bart Sutherland, Complete Crane Hire Geoff Bevan, Hydralift Ben Pieyre, Freo Group

CICA Office

Brandon Hitch, Chief Executive Officer Tracey Watson, Business Operations Manager (VIC Secretary) Simone Hill, CICA Administration Officer (Membership/Conference/Communications) Kelly Allen, CICA Administration Officer (Finance) Heidi Hervay, CICA Administration Officer (NSW, QLD & NT Secretary) Alice Edwards, Project Engineer/Project Manager Patrick Cran, Plant & Operator Assessment Officer Sherry Kirby, CICA Administration Officer (P/T) Unit 10, 18-22 Lexia Place, Mulgrave Vic 3170 (PO Box 136 Mount Waverley Vic 3149) Phone: 03 9501 0078 Fax: 03 9501 0083 Email: admin@cica.com.au Website: www.cica.com.au For information regarding CICA membership, please visit our website or call the CICA office.

Membership Benefits

Enjoy the benefits of CICA membership…….

Lobbying & Representation:

 Representation on a National level  Links with like associations

 Industry representation on

Networking & Information:

 CICA State Branch meetings  Information about important

 Member discount to attend the

Industry Exposure &

 Promotional opportunities available

 Industry promotion and exposure

Products & Services:

 CICA’s Australian Standards Online

 CICA Traineeship  Discounts on CraneSafe program

Awards & Competitions:

Standards and EN13000. Annual CICA Conference

industry issues

at industry events including the CICA Conference.

Access  CICAAssist  CICA Benchmarking Study

and the range of products

 Access to ongoing development of

new safety initiatives and products.

 Access to and celebration of the Con  CICA Lift of the Year Awards Popov Memorial Award for  Participation in the annual Photo of outstanding service to the national crane industry.

the Year Competition.

THE CRANE INDUSTRY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

PO Box 136, Mount Waverley Vic 3149 Phone: 03 9501 0078 Fax: 03 9501 0083 E-mail: admin@cica.com.au Website: www.cica.com.au

Lifting Industry Standards

2017 CICA Conference, Exhibition & Crane Display

Program At A Glance

Host State:

CICA Board Meeting CICA National Reference Group CICA AGM First Timers Briefing Welcome Reception Networking Dinner

Sponsorship & Exhibitor Opportuni�es available – Contact Simone Hill at the CICA Oﬃce for informa�on admin@cica.com.au 03 8320 0420

Thursday 15th September

Friday 16th September Keynote Speaker Speaker Sessions Lift of the Year Award Presentations

Saturday 17th September

For further information visit the conference website:

http://conference.cica.com.au

Speaker Sessions Manufacturers’ Panel Gala Awards Dinner

March 2017

EQUIPMENT

Picking the right machine Sydney-based crane and rigging company Melrose Cranes & Rigging, has recently taken delivery of three new TIDD PC25s. General manager Ryan Melrose tells Kylie Field getting the right machine for the company is crucial to the large infrastructure projects they work on in Sydney, many above and below the ground.

Melrose Cranes & Rigging recently purchased three TIDD PC25s.

CAL: Melrose Cranes & Rigging (MCR) has recently taken delivery of three TIDD PC25s. Why are they good machines for MCR? Melrose: Our major clientele are tier one building companies on major infrastructure/ development sites in the Sydney Metro area. To increase safety on sites and reduce potential risk, these tier one building companies have developed their own parameters regarding the allowable lifting capacity of cranes. This means that the Australian Standard lifting capacity chart is further reduced to a lower percentage i.e. 75%. So basically, a 25-tonne crane can be used where a 20t crane was previously. The fact that the TIDD has a fully dynamic LMI system means the operator can select the allowable working percentage on site in real time, thus automatically reducing the LMI system to the client’s allowable lifting capacities. Adding to this, a machine width under 2.5 metres and a very tight turning circle make the TIDD PC25, extremely versatile and manoeuvrable. After discussions regarding the need for machinery to build underground tunnels with various senior project directors, the TIDD PC25 met all the requirements. CAL: How important is it to have the right fit with regards to purchasing machinery? Melrose: Very important! The Baden Davis Crane Connection (TIDD’s Australian agent) is a highly reputable company that MCR has March 2017

had a longstanding successful relationship. Gregg Melrose (MCR managing director) has a relationship with Gerhard Baden (GM Baden) that began in 1987. My relationship continues to grow both with Ben Baden and Anthony Davis (BDCC).

The fact that the TIDD has a fully dynamic LMI system means the operator can select the allowable working percentage on site in real time, thus automatically reducing the LMI system to the client’s allowable lifting capacities. Based on these relationships and the fact that BDCC were willing to put their name on the line for the TIDD, combined with the versatile chart capabilities, convinced us to trial their demonstrator model in our fleet, which resulted in the initial purchase in late 2016, followed

by two further machines in January 2017. Combining this with the service availability, quality of finish and overall pricing structure made the TIDD PC25 the perfect fit. CAL: What types of projects will the TIDDs be working on? Melrose: MCR supplies machines to companies big and small. The machines will spend the major period of their working life servicing major infrastructure/development sites in the Sydney Metro area, both above and below the ground. CAL: What are the biggest challenges facing the sector? Melrose: Experience! With the amount of current and future scheduled work in the Sydney Metro area, the requirement for additional crew members across the industry is at an all-time high. An influx of people who hold a HRW licence to operate cranes but have no practical experience is the unfortunate result. This stems from extremely short courses (five days) conducted by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to obtain the licence. Unfortunately, with the amount of work on offer and desire for companies to keep up, these underqualified individuals are finding their way into the workforce “sight unseen”, which creates inherent risk. This is not a reflection on the individual but on the system. CL 15

Q&A

In conversation with JLG’s Bob Mules Spanning across every continent, JLG is a global brand specialising in the manufacture and design of access equipment. They pride themselves on their innovative new designs and follow that old school ethos of the customer being number one. In an exclusive interview with Cranes and Lifting magazine, JLG general manager Australia and New Zealand, Bob Mules speaks to Kylie Field about why it is important to remain innovative in a competitive market and how the sector in Australia is facing legal challenges with the proposed Commonwealth Personal Properties Security Act (PPSA). CAL: What is your background and how did you get started in the lifting sector? Mules: I was in the hire industry for over 20 years after leaving school during the mid 1980s. I understand the requirements and demands of the hire and rental industry. I have worked for an access OEM for the past 16 years and have been with JLG for 12 years. I’ve been general manager of Australia and New Zealand for the past seven years and have been on the Board of the National Elevating Work Platform Association of Australia (EWPA) for the past nine years and involved at state level for the past 20 years. JLG is a global company. How do you remain competitive not only in the Australian and New Zealand market but as a company? Mules: We need to continually provide innovative and safe solutions for working at heights. We need to provide quality products that give our customers good return on investment while supporting them with an industry leading after sales support and service. Our aim is to deliver exceptional customer service to ensure the customer experience is the best it possibly can be every time. CAL: What are the biggest challenges in your role? Mules: A key focus in my role is to ensure we strive for continuous improvements throughout our business with the quality of our systems, processes, products and services. However, more importantly is the continuous development and opportunities for our people. As we improve these areas of our business, our ability to deliver the best customer experience will continue to improve. A challenge for our industry as a whole over the past few years has been the issue with the 16

PPSA, the Personal Property Securities Act. The PPSA is a comprehensive new Commonwealth law regulating ‘security interests’ in personal property. It significantly changes the law about equipment hire and has posed many challenges for our industry. PPSA requires us to take certain legal steps to ensure that our rights are, as they were before PPSA commenced. Unless we take these steps, we could end up losing our rights to equipment under this new law. The most critical step we must take is to register our interest on the new PPS register. This issue is complex, expensive to administer and one the Hire and Rental Association has taken to battle with the politicians and law maker’s in an attempt to have it revoked or at least changed for the benefit of its members. CAL: How have technology advancements impacted the sector? Mules: I’ve discussed technology advancements within JLG, and further to this, yes technology has improved not only in our industry as a whole, but also what we can offer our customers in products, services, safety and overall experience. An example of this is the LCD screen display in our 1500 and 1850 series ultra-Booms. This screen shows the operator where they are within the working envelope, actually slows movement as it reaches the extremities of the work envelop, even shows the operator which functions can be used in certain configuration within the envelope. This gives the operators even greater comfort when working at such heights. Software technology has improved our internal operations and efficiencies immensely over the past seven years. We implemented the Baseplan operating system for our entire business back in April 2009, which gives us real-time information on all aspects of

our business, from new machine enquiries and quotes, service scheduling and total job management to monitoring our spare parts availability. Baseplan also has the capability of B2B connectivity with other businesses using Baseplan. All of this allows JLG to set the benchmark with ‘customer experience.’ OLE is our Online Express. It’s a convenient online ordering system offering a range of features to benefit customers and make ordering parts much faster and easier. By registering with Online Express, customers can quickly order parts by downloading the Online Express app to smart phones and tablets or by logging in on their computer browser. They are then able to view interactive parts manuals for parts identification, plus their machine specifications, and order the products they need at any time, from anywhere, for delivery to any location in Australia. CAL: How does JLG remain innovative? Mules: The introduction of bigger self-propelled booms is expanding and the number of jobsites where self-propelled booms are being used. In recent years, JLG has launched a 150-foot telescopic 1500SJ Ultra Boom and more recently a1850SJ telescopic Ultra Boom, which reaches 185 feet. It’s the world’s tallest self-propelled telescopic Boomlift. We will be releasing our 150-foot articulating 1500AJP at this year’s Hire and Rental show in Sydney in May, which will be the world’s largest articulating Boomlift. These machines are changing the way we work at heights. Operator safety is always a priority and JLG continues to be innovative in training, having won numerous awards for its e-learning modules. We are continually expanding our online training offerings so that they are available to more people, regardless of where they’re located. March 2017

As JLG’s general manager Australia and New Zealand, Bob Mules strives for continuous improvements throughout the business.

We need to continually provide innovative and safe solutions for working at heights. We need to provide quality products that give our customers good return on investment while supporting them with an industry-leading after sales support and service. Our aim is to deliver exceptional customer service to ensure the customer experience is the best it possibly can be every time.

JLG aims to deliver exceptional customer service. (Credit: JLG)

JLG’s innovative Skyguard provides operators with enhanced control panel protection for boom lifts. If the operator makes contact with an obstruction, the control system automatically accesses the functions in use by the operator at the time of Skyguard activation, and for a short period of time, it’s able to reverse that sequence for most functions. CAL: How have customer’s expectations changed throughout the years? Mules: Customers are looking for equipment that provides excellent return on investment over the life of the machine. Uptime is critically important and machines that deliver great ROI can help rental companies better manage their fleet utilisation and the age of the fleet over time. The result of that hard work is an array of March 2017

customer focused Ground Support solutions that must inspire confidence in any JLG equipment owner or operator. To start with, JLG has field service coverage that meets repair, parts, refurbishment and inspection needs from capital cities to the most remote regional work sites. Every service technician is factory trained to deliver the right solution not only on JLG machines but also most other major equipment brands. Having an increasing number of fullyfledged branches is helping to maximise customer reach and JLG’s service and parts supply capabilities, while the number of technicians is constantly increasing in order to better serve the needs of JLG customers across the country. JLG technicians are also well equipped in the

field, travelling in a growing fleet of specialised JLG Service Vehicles featuring advanced wireless In-Van-Technology. This gives them real-time access to equipment service records and job status, parts ordering, and up-to-date service histories that help optimise service efficiencies. CAL: What do you enjoy doing when not the general manager of JLG in Australia and New Zealand? Mules: I enjoy spending time with my wife and six children. I love fishing, surfing, barbeques with friends and family, and a nice red wine. I’m a sports nut. I love to watch and play most sports, and like to keep fit by running, playing soccer and try to fit in a couple of gym sessions CL each week. 17

RIGGING

Rigging ain’t rigging Trying to convince some clients that “oils ain’t oils” or that the cheap rigging products available at hardware stores are often not built to the same quality levels as the reputable industrial brands that cost a little more, is always a challenge, writes Kylie Field.

r Lift It, a Sydney-based lifting, rigging and hydraulic manufacturer says the cheaper units may be suitable for one or two lifts but they generally do not stand up to the rigours of industrial use. This was recently put to the test when a challenging lift proved a success after the company was approached to work with property developers Lendlease to improve the integrity of lifting points on concrete road barriers. Mr Lift It director Colin Chapman says the barriers were prone to wear and tear and premature rusting due to water ponding, so the team set out to design a more robust inspection regime. “To do this, we engaged lifting equipment experts to develop a prototype lifting pin test rig. This rig operates via an electric hydraulic pump, which through two hydraulic rams does a proof test on the lifting insert,” said Chapman. “Importantly, the rig is completely portable, lightweight and easy to use, requiring only minimal training for its use. In addition, we were able to provide a robust weather-proof barcode tag which allowed easy identification of tested road barriers, including date of testing which ensures a crane dogman can easily see if the barrier is within its required test date before it is lifted by a crane.”

So how important is it to have the right rigging equipment? Chapman says it’s crucial and as a supplier, it means they stand behind the product they sell and feel safe in the knowledge that their clients are safe. “Many of our clients need to work in close proximity to the loads they lift, so it is imperative that they use a quality brand of rigging equipment or hydraulic tooling. Many of the inferior brands may look like their quality branded cousins, but are not built to the same standards within. We have seen many inferior brands brought to us by new clients and have been shocked by the poor condition of these units after only a short period of time. Offering the services of annual inspection, load testing and repair, we also find equipment that has been given a “drive by service” to gain compliance with mandatory annual inspections only to be left in a dangerous condition. We have a very strong focus on carrying out a service the right way,” he said. Major developments in equipment says Chapman, have been in the area of cordless hydraulic pumps like the Enerpac XC series. “These are for use with smaller hydraulic cylinders and tools allowing for greater portability around the job site. On a larger scale, we offer PLC-controlled synchronous jacking

Cheaper and inferior equipment may work some of the time, but the times that it fails can be incredibly costly in downtime, damaged equipment or worst of all, injury. - Jason Agotsiotis Enerpac territory manager (NSW) Jason Agotsiotis.

systems for the micro control of loads to within a fraction of a millimetre. This technology is traditionally deployed on large structures such as bridges, buildings and mining equipment where a large number of cylinders need to be used as well as being able to be monitored and controlled from one central point,” said Chapman. Enerpac recently designed a custom engineered load testing device for Mr Lift It, using the XC series cordless hydraulic pump, V-66 load holding valve and V-152 relief valve and combining that with Mr Lift It’s own control panel. Enerpac’s territory manager (NSW) Jason Agotsiotis says the new design came about due to the increased need for portability. “Rather than customers having to ship large parts to Mr Lift It for load testing, they can bring a portable testing unit on-site and access those tricky areas (such as those on or around scissor lifts, boom lifts, tunnels or scaffolding). It was essential that we used all the components because it gave us the ability to ‘dial in’ pressure relief and make variable adjustments to the load.” Like Mr Lift It, Enerpac says it’s crucial for the safety of any rigging operation or project to have the right equipment. “Cheaper and inferior equipment may work some of the time, but the times that it fails can be incredibly costly in downtime, damaged equipment or worst of all, injury,” said Agotsiotis. “That’s why it’s not only important to have the right rigging equipment, but to have it load tested for safety and reliability.” Safety and the right equipment are crucial for any rigging job but what’s involved when a company needs to know about using the right equipment? Chapman says when they are approached by a client, its important to ensure his team gains an understanding of the application that the equipment will be used in, so they are able to provide the best product fit to the client’s application and budget. “We are skilled experts in this type of tooling, having had an exposure to a large number of varied sites and applications over many years. March 2017

The Enerpac XC series.

Mr Lift It director Colin Chapman.

We can draw from this experience and offer our clients solutions that they may not have considered. Our experience is equipment-based from not only Australian projects but from a global portfolio as well.” For example, says Chapman many new lifting chain assemblies have to cut many meters of high grade lifting chain, which can’t be cut with bolt cutters. “The alternative employed by many lifting houses is to use angle grinders to cut through the link, but this is not a safe solution, so we designed and fabricated our own hydraulic chain cutter that connects to the Enerpac battery hydraulic pump meaning that it is completely portable throughout our facility,” he said. “Another upside to the design is the speed and accuracy of the operation and the subsequent time saving which translates to cost reductions… an in-house project but equally important as it ensures the safety of our staff.” Currently involved in many projects from traffic light pole straighteners to cordless tooling used to repair the aging high tension powerline support towers to custom solutions to aid in the refurbishment of wharves is North Western Australia, Chapman believes that in the rigging sector, its important to provide a solution not just the product. Agotsiotis believes companies need total compliance for any of the lifting applications and load testing is one way to optimise the safety and reliability of a rigging set-up. “All of our clients, and those of Mr Lift It, have a strong ethos of safety and they need total compliance for any of their lifting applications,” CL Agotsiotis said. March 2017

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CRANES IN ACTION: TASMANIA

Building bridges in Tasmania Road access is a problem that constantly plagues the crane sector. It’s an issue that affects every crane owner across Australia because it’s complicated and more often than not it doesn’t make sense why certain rules apply in certain jurisdictions. Kylie Field reports. Cranes Combined on site in Hobart, Tasmania.

asmanian company Cranes Combined managing director Chris Kolodziej says road issues on the island state are still problematic and at the moment crane owners are facing conjecture about what size road tyres can be used. “Some cranes are already close to their 12-tonne limit, so once you put a larger tyre on, it can take the weight limit over, which reduces our access which reduces the benefit to industry. We have been pushed into a corner regarding this issue,” said Kolodziej. “CICA are very helpful and certainly bat on our behalf. I have meetings with state roads here in Tasmania to articulate what problems we face. The NHVR have criteria that we have to fall into but for example in New Zealand, the UK and even Western Australia, a crane is allowed 13t per axle.” So why is road access such an issue for Tasmania? According to Kolodziej, it’s mainly about the age and design of the bridges in the state that causes the access issues. “Some of the bridges are older but having said that crane operators travel such few kilometres. March 2017

When a comparison is done between all heavy vehicles that travel on the nation’s roads, the percentage of cranes travelling on these state roads is around .01%. It’s just ridiculous. A blip on the radar.” “We have had a number of people and politicians who have driven in our cranes and they can’t believe how soft the suspension is. Other people are not realising that but they are the ones making the decisions.” The Tasmanian government is spending money on infrastructure and committed $1.8 billion in the 2016 state budget. “We are very lucky we have stable government now. There has been a good deal of money spent on road works, and we have seen some new bridges built to a stronger specification.” But the issue of road access permits comes at a cost and Kolodziej suggests that it’s not what it costs the crane industry per se but what it costs industry overall waiting for crane permits to be granted. “They are compromised because work can’t commence in an expedient manner. If thorough tests were carried out on bridges, comparing the affects of hydro pneumatic suspension of

Kolodziej believes the ideal situation for Tasmania is independent testing on a range of bridges, in the presence of government officials. He believes this would enable a more balanced view of how road friendly the hydro pneumatic suspension is in the newer cranes versus the bouncing of other types of outdated suspensions. cranes versus suspension of other heavy vehicles then the cranes would compare much more favourably, and the crane industry would not be as penalised from its access problems as it is now. Independent tests have been carried out in Europe, so why can’t we do the same in Australia?” “Sometimes we are waiting for weeks for permits and have had to put extra staff on to ensure these can be processed in a more reasonable time,” said Kolodziej. “It’s rare to know of jobs in advance. We contact council road managers and ask for permission with usually no issues. Once we have permission, if its something that is urgent then the permit application goes in and we can have it hurried through so we can make it happen. In emergency situations, we can contact the NHVR or the Department of State Growth for quick results. We have managed, through just talking, to get to this stage.” “The overall result that we need is maximum pre-approved access, resulting in fewer permit delays, greater efficiency for operators and to industry as a whole. Australia needs to be more competitive on the world stage, not less,” said Kolodziej. CL 21

CRANES IN ACTION: VICTORIA

Victoria… the place to be Rider Levett Bucknall | Oceania Report – First Quarter 2017

But in a new research paper released by The removals, the M80 ring road upgrade, the n the latest report from Infrastructure Institute of Public Affairs, it found the Victorian demolition of the Rod Laver Arena, not to Australia, there are some very significant government could spend considerable amounts projects underway in Victoria, the most tender Price index trendsmention the construction of Australia 108 and of money on public infrastructure, if it stopped Crown’s Queensbridge Hotel Tower, both at notable being the Melbourne Metro OCEANIA wasting money on excessively generous Southbank. The Eureka Tower continues to Rail, which will be the largest infrastructure construction union wage deals. feature on the Melbourne skyline, leading the project for 2017. Alongside this are The report from the Institute of Public Affairs, city to have the highest skyline of any capital numerous other projects where government The tender price index graph shows the changing costs of works over time, relative to Sydney’s base 100 at January 2000, isisbased RLB’s models for CBD/CBDcommencements fringein commercial and a residential multireleased in February this year, looked at the cost city Australia.office building investment highupon including the level As and 2016 comes to a costing close, the crossing year since 2012, fy 2016 BUILDINg wORK DONE % CHANgE storey project. Rider Levettconstruction Bucknall | Oceania Report – First Quarter 2017 0 will be best remembered as the year highlighting the changing residential of building in Victoria, and found that as a result of AUSTRALIAN RLB TENDER PRICE INDEX of international geopolitical surprises. market within most capital cities.(Credit: RLB) EBAs in-10the construction 10 sector, labour costs per AUSTRALIAN RLB TENDER PRICE INDEX JAN 2000 = 100 The decision of UK voters to BrexitactiVitY square metre in Melbourne are among the highest cOnstructiOn MarKet cYcLe of high rise The concentration in June together with America FORECAST in the world, second only to places like New York, OCEANIA apartment building in the Sydney confounding almost all experts in 20 and-20union EBAs in the construction industry can and Melbourne markets mean these appointing Donald Trump as the 45th add up to 30% to construction costs. two cities are currently important US President will have an impact into Activity within the construction industry traditionally has been engines subject to volatile cyclical fluctuations. The RLB of residential building activity The -30 report found 30 that this has become 2017 and later years. Construction Market Activity Cycle (cycle) is a representation of the development activity cycle for the construction nationally. particularly problematic for government projects industry within the general economy. fy 2016 BUILDINg APPROVALs % CHANgE Fortunately, 2016 has been a year of because governments are less price sensitive 0 The value of building work good news for building in Australia. than private enterprise and are able to pay for Rider Levett Bucknall | Oceania Report – First Quarter 2017 commenced PEAK during gROwTH the year ending -5 5 The latest Australian Bureau of these higher wage bills out of consolidated 30 June 2016 grew by 11.2% over PEAK DECLINE Statistics (ABS) reported over revenue - typically by raising taxes or incurring 2015 results, highlighting the cOnstructiOn MarKet $107B of building work done for the actiVitY cYcLe larger $10.9 billion strength ofmID the building sector across -10 deficits. Of the estimated 10 gROwTH year ending 30 June 2016, up $9B OCEANIA Australia. Total commencements in construction costs on the Melbourne Metro mID DECLINE (9%) from 2015 results and $18B for 2016 were more than $100B up rail project, an estimated $3.27 billion can be from 2014 (20%). AsADELAIDE highlighted in BRISBANE CANBERRA MELBOURNE 15 -15 from $97BDARWIN for the year ended 30 attributed to the cost premium of the relevant EBA. the table tothethe right, significant Activity within construction industry traditionally has been subject to volatile cyclical fluctuations. The RLB TROUgH gROwTH PERTH SYDNEY TOWNSVILLE GOLD COAST June 2015. Work currently under mARKET sECTOR ACTIVITy CyCLE Construction Market Activity Cycle (cycle) is a representation of the development activity cycle for the construction The report also compares the “unsustainably residential construction is fuelling TROUgH across DECLINE Australia was up industry within the general economy. construction (Credit: RLB) CONSTRUCTION MARKEY ACTIVITY (CREDIT: RLB) high” salaries of construction workers under union the industry’s growth. NewCYCLE dwelling 4.6% at 30 June to $122B. EBAs with: $151,79425 for an entry-level labourer, commencements are predicted to NEW RLB TENDER INDEX Within the general construction industry, RLBZEALAND considers seven sectors toPRICE be representative of the industry as a whole PEAK gROwTH = 100 Building Approvals remain strong reach almost in 230,000 during 2016, anJAN 2000 $163,825 for a carpenter, $157,739 for a traffic which are represented the table below. 14$171,611 for a concrete paver, $149,313 PEAK DECLINE FORECAST an overall of current 11.3%status increase of 5% ason controller, Each sector is assessed to 2015 which ofnumbers. the three phases (peak, with mid and trough) best growth represents the of the sector within the cycle, then further refined by identifying whether the status Financial is in a growthYear stage or a realised in current the 2016 for a bricklayer, $138,741 for a jack hammerman, Thestage. growth in residential work done decline gROwTH over 2015 andmID39% over 2012 results. $167,603 for a crane being fuelled rising population. Theis ‘up’ and ‘down’ arrowsby within the table represent whether the sector is in a growth or decline stage with the color 23 operator, $177,618 for a line mIDsector DECLINE represents the The Apartment of the arrow determining the phase withinpositive the cycle. The three colours identified in the cycle diagram (red, grey and worker, and $241,256 for a senior foreman. Current indicators remain blue) represent the peak, mid and trough phases of the cycle. biggest growth area for approvals Released in the Rider Levett with Australia’s population growing PEAK PHAsE mID mid-February, PHAsE TROUgH PHAsE with 2016 TROUgH results 13% 2015 The doughnut graphs contained within this publication showcase the number of responses for over each sector that are gROwTH byin338,000 people inphases the twelve Bucknall Oceania Report Construction Market Refer Page 8 for more details either the peak, mid or trough of the cycle (as per page 9 graphs) and the number of sector responses and 133% over 2012 approval levels. which have been be in the growth or decline a stages of the cycle, irrespective of the current phase TROUgH DECLINE months todeemed Juneto2016. This provides Intelligence, First Quarter 2017 indicates that Both New South Wales and Victorian (as per page 5 graphs). BUILDINg wORK DONE ($m) strong underpinning for GDP growth. the outlook for Melbourne was favourable in residential approvals represent 62% of yEAR ENDINg Within the general construction industry, RLB considers seven sectors to be representative of the industry as a whole According to the latest forecasts (Credit: RLB) 30 the JUNEresidential and 2014 2015 2016 sectors with SECTOR STATUSwITHIN WITH RLB OCEANIAOffICEs OFFICES DECEMBER 2016 Australian value. sECTOR sTATUs RLB OCEANIA – DECEmBER non-residential the2016 total which are represented in the table below. NEw HOUsEs 28,203 32,408 34,278 from the Department of Immigration OCEANIA HOUsEs APARTmENTs OffICEs INDUsTRIAL RETAIL HOTEL CIVIL around $2 billion in the non-residential sector sEmI-DETACHED 18,075 21,574 27,928 Each sector is assessed as to which of the three phases (peak, and trough) bestthis represents the current status ADELAIDE Formid the first time century, 2016 and Border Protection, Australia’s APARTmENTs 8,024 8,624 over the last three7,472 quarters. of the sector within the cycle, then further refined by identifying whether the current status is in a growth stage or a AUCKLAND TOTAL REsIDENTIAL 53,750 62,005 70,830 saw residential dwelling numbers for population decline stage. is set to grow by 400,000 The RLB found5,884 that 6,558 construction activity is BRIsBANE OffICEs 6,342 each of dwellings under construction, people a year by 2020. This should AUCKLAND CHRISTCHURCH WELLINGTON SYDNEY The ‘up’ and ‘down’ arrows within the table represent whether the sector is in a growth or decline stage with the color COmmERCIAL 1,438 1,668 1,195 CANBERRA still good in Melbourne with a constant supply of the arrow the determining within the cycle. The three colours identified in the cycle diagram dwelling commencements and(red, grey and continue needthe forphase continued INDUsTRIAL 5,077 5,032 4,704 CHRIsTCHURCH blue) represent the peak, mid and trough phases of the cycle. of new work coming into the market. Both RETAIL 6,207 6,236 6,971 dwellings that were completed, rise dwelling construction in the years DARwIN EDUCATION 4,862 and 4,604 4,318 The doughnut graphs contained within this publication showcase the number of responses for each sector that are large-scale projects suburban residential gOLD COAsT to levels above 200,000. This reflects ahead. HEALTH 6,387 6,366 6,083 either in the peak, mid or trough phases of the cycle (as per page 9 graphs) and the number of sector responses mELBOURNE work is still strong. 7 the of current the residential which have been deemed to be in the growth or decline stages the cycle,strength irrespective of of the current phase HOTELs 1,053 1,771 2,080 Apartments are still accounting PERTH (as per page 5 graphs). OTHER NON-REs. 4,821 growth 4,383 5,068 The continued in residential market across Australia. syDNEy for a historically disproportionate TOTAL NON-REs. 35,729 36,618 36,761 apartments is putting pressure on general TOTAL 89,479 98,624 107,591 TOwNsVILLE sECTOR sTATUs RLBin OCEANIA OffICEs – DECEmBER 2016 portion of thewITHIN upturn new dwelling +10.2% +9.1% pricing, with large spreads in pricing being wELLINgTON OCEANIA HOUsEs APARTmENTs OffICEs INDUsTRIAL RETAIL HOTEL CIVIL ADELAIDE BUILDINg seen. CurrentAPPROVALs tenders have($m) spreads of +/- 10% AUCKLAND ENDINg (Credit: RLB) yEAR BUILDINg ACTIVITy sUmmARy – AUsTRALIA BUILDING ACTIVITY SUMMARY – AUSTRALIA which is continuing. 30 JUNE 2014 2015 2016 BRIsBANE 2014 2015 2016 2015 2016 NEw As HOUsEs 30,057 33,356 34,989 the Melbourne construction market CANBERRA v. 2014 v. 2015 TOTAL sEmI-DETACH 5,371 6,262 7,824 remains positively stable, rates are CHRIsTCHURCH BUILDINg ACTIVITy (REsIDENTIAL & NON-REsIDENTIAL) APARTmENTs 15,689 20,995escalation 23,749 DARwIN 8 VALUE TOTAL REsIDENTIAL 51,117 60,614 Of wORK DONE DURINg yEAR ($m) 89,478 98,624 107,591 10.2% 9.1% forecast to be 2% overall for 66,562 2016 and 3% for OffICEs 7,314 4,585 4,466 gOLD COAsT VALUE Of wORK yET TO BE DONE ($m) 52,308 53,960 56,987 3.2% 5.6% 2017. The strong civil sector is1,094 a strong factor COmmERCIAL 1,485 1,367 mELBOURNE VALUE Of wORK IN THE PIPELINE ($m) 67,030 70,759 75,846 5.6% 7.2% INDUsTRIAL 5,102 forecasted 4,538 5,099 holding up the overall escalation rate, PERTH Of wORK COmmENCED fOR yEAR ($m) VALUE 90,482 97,401 108,356 7.6% 11.2% RETAIL 6,018 6,396 6,298 syDNEyOf wORK UNDER CONsTRUCTION ($m) with the commercial and residential sectors VALUE 109,390 116,992 122,332 6.9% 4.6% EDUCATION 4,707 4,080 5,314 TOwNsVILLE DwELLINg NUmBERs REsIDENTIAL HEALTH 4,262 to the 4,914overall result. contributing small4,585 increases wELLINgTON HOTELs 2,606 1,651 DwELLINg UNITs COmPLETED (NO.) 160,186 190,994 201,027 19.2% 5.3% Tendering is described as 2,863 aggressive while OTHER NON-REs. 4,771 4,763 6,067 DwELLINg UNITs UNDER CONsTRUCTION (NO.) 164,193 189,376 215,058 15.3% 13.6% TOTAL NON-REs. are 36,587 36,115 work with contractors trying31,640 to secure DwELLINg UNITs COmmENCED (NO.) 182,929 218,485 229,560 19.4% 5.1% TOTAL 87,704 92,254 102,678 DwELLINg UNITs NOT yET COmmENCED (NO.) 29,852 34,592 39,359 15.9% 13.8% building costs remaining relatively 5.2% 11.3%stable. Rider Levett Bucknall | Oceania Report – First Quarter 2017

cOnstructiOn MarKet inteLLiGence AUSTRALIA

200

190

RLB TENDER PRICE INDEX

180 170 160 150 140 130 120

110 DEC 11

DEC 12

DEC 13

DEC 14

DEC 15

DEC 16

DEC 17

DEC 18

DEC 19

DEC 12

DEC 13

DEC 14

DEC 15

DEC 16

DEC 17

DEC 18

DEC 19

200 190

RLB TENDER PRICE INDEX

180 170 160 150 140 130 120

110 DEC 11

8 22 10

March 2017

The ancient indigenous site of Budj Bim.

LOCATION INTELLIGENCE AUSTRALIA RLB EsCALATION fORECAsT (%) 4 2

6 17 20 6 1 20

fy 2016 BUILDINg wORK DONE % CHANgE 0 -5

ng by na re

2% he r

al g .

ve ure

-10

-15

OUTLOOK 2017/18

• Seymour Whyte Constructions was awarded the contract for the Swan Street Bridge project by the state government in January, with construction to begin after the Moomba Festival in March. The Ai Group Construction Outlook Survey was released in November 2016 in conjunction with the Australian Constructors Association (ACA). The Ai Group survey covers 100 companies employing 62,000 people with a turnaround of $23 billion. The survey found the following:

OUTLOOK 2017-18

et he

The February release of The Construction Monthly, previously known as the Cordell State Market Report, identified the major construction projects that are in progress or planned across Australia. In Victoria they identified the following: • As part of the $600 million Mernda Rail extension project, the Victorian government has announced a third station on the new rail line to Mernda. • The ancient indigenous site Budj Bim, located in south-west Victoria, has been nominated for the World Heritage Tentative List.

• Turnover from all major construction work is forecast to grow by 4.5% in 2017-18 as public sector capital works programs continue to support higher levels of activity.   • Engineering construction is expected to grow by a further 3.7% in 2017-18. This reflects the positive to infrastructure-related engineering activity from increases in revenue from road (+21.9%) SUPPLYcontribution CONSTRAINTS  Labour shortages are re-emerging in 2016 asand major more infrastructure worksconditions come on SUPPLY CONSTRAINTS: LABOUR AND CAPITAL and rail projects (+13.9%) robust in the telecommunications sector (+15.0%) stream. A relatively high 40.0% of respondents reported either ‘major’ or ‘moderate’ asinmore NBN-related projects move into the phase. The outlook is positive for other civil difficulty recruiting skilled labour in the six months to September 2016,construction down only slightly from a relatively 44.4% in the previousin sixthe months. Sourcing subprojects also,elevated with strong growth sewerage and drainage sector (+10.5%) due to rising demand contractors also remained a key concern in the six months to September 2016, with for services from a bigger population more housing and commercial properties.   44.4% citing ‘major’ or ‘moderate’ difficulty, unchanged from and the proportion citing this level of concern in the previous six months. • Resources-related engineering construction is expected to continue to decline in 2017/18. Weakness is  Looking ahead, over the six months to March 2017, more businesses expect difficulty expected tolabour be mainly concentrated in the oil and gas processing sector (-47.8%.) while mining-related with recruiting skilled (48.0% expect major or moderate difficulty) and sourcing sub-contractors (48% expect major moderate difficulty). rate of -5.9%.   construction is set toorfall at a slower  Sourcing building materials was of less concern for the industry in the six months to • Commercial construction projected showdifficulty, a stronger upturn in 2017/18 (+5.2%). Growth is September 2016, with 24.0% of respondentsis reporting ‘major’ orto ‘moderate’ downexpected from 38.9% six tomonths be ledearlier. by private sector building activity (+6.7%). Public sector building work is expected to  However, a higher proportion of businesses (12.0%) reported ‘major’ or ‘moderate’ bewith slower (+3.8%) thinner project pipeline, and the completion of a number of large public difficulty hiring and purchasingreflecting equipment (upafrom 5.3% six months earlier).  For capital supplies, moreprojects. businesses expect major or moderate difficulties with hiring health sector and purchasing equipment (16.0%) over the six months to March 2017. The same

proportion expect difficulties with sourcing building materials (24.0%). mARKET sECTOR ACTIVITy CyCLE 2017/18 FORECASTS (No Turnover from all major construction work is forecast to grow by 4.5% in 2017/18 as of Market Sectors within each phase). INPUT COSTS public sector capital works programs continue to support higher levels of activity.  Labour costs remain a source of pressure for the construction of infrastructure and building projects. Upward pressures on direct labour costs are expected to be sustained  Engineering construction is expected to grow by a further 3.7% in 2017/18. This INPUT COSTS as large infrastructure projects move from the planning pipeline into the construction reflects the positive contribution to infrastructure-related activity compete from for the same pool of skilled labour. phaseengineering and contractors increasingly  Over the six months toand September 40.0% of respondents reported ‘major’ or ‘moderate’ increases in revenue from road (+21.9%) and rail projects (+13.9%) more2016, robust 4 in sub-contractor labourprojects rates while 40.0% also reported ‘major’ or ‘moderate’ conditions in the telecommunications sector (+15.0%) increases as more NBN-related increases for direct labour rates. These proportions were down slightly from 41.2% reporting move into the construction phase. The outlook is positive for other civil also, ‘major’ or ‘moderate’ risesprojects for both direct labourwith and sub-contractor rates six months earlier. 2017/18 FORECASTS Looking ahead, into therising six months to Marchfor 2017, a higher proportion of businesses strong growth in the sewerage and drainage sector (+10.5%) due demand expect ‘major’ or’ moderate’ increases in direct labour costs (44.0% major or moderate services from a bigger population and more housing(Credit: and commercial properties. Ai Group) increase). About the same proportion of businesses (40.0%) expect ‘major’ or ‘moderate’ 3 pressure to on sub-contractor in the six  Resources-related engineering construction is expected continue torates decline inmonths to March 2017 as they did in the six months to September 2016. 2017/18. Weakness is expected to be mainly concentrated oil and gas processing  Reportsinof the increases in construction material costs remain relatively widespread in sector (-47.8%.) while mining-related construction is set to but fallthese at arises slower rate off ofto-5.9%. 2016, have eased some extent, with 32.0% of businesses reporting ‘major’ or ‘moderate’ increases in the cost of materials in the six months to September PHAsE mID PHAsE PHAsE  PEAK Commercial construction is TROUgH projected to show a stronger upturn in 2017/18 (+5.2%). 2016. This compares with 50.0% citing ‘major’ or ‘moderate’ increases six months earlier. continuing decline in mining investment activity compared with a year ago appears to have Growth expected tomore be leddetails by private sector buildingThe activity (+6.7%). Public sector ReferisPage 8 for taken some of the heat out of demand for and therefore the cost of construction materials. building work is expected to be slower (+3.8%) reflecting a thinner project pipeline, and  Looking ahead, the same proportion of businesses (32.0%) expect ‘major’ or ‘moderate’ theBUILDINg completion ofwORK a numberDONE of large($m) public health sector projects. rises in the cost of construction materials in the six months to March 2017 as they did in VIC the six months to September 2016.

yEAR ENDINg

VALUE OF TURNOVER IN CONSTRUCTION WORK (Credit: Ai Group) 2015 2016 OVERSEAS BUSINESS NEw HOUsEs 7,890 8,957 10,200 Share of turnover, 2015/16 2015/16 2016/17(e) 2017/18(e) The overseas business of the major construction sector accounted for approximately sEmI-DETACHED 5,905 6,807 8,425 % of total % change p.a. % change p.a. % change p.a. 2.0% of all major construction revenue in 2015/16, well below the peakin ofconstruction 13.2% twelve Value of turnover work APARTmENTs 2,516 2,524 2,656 years ago in 2003-04. Engineering Construction* 60.9 -15.0 3.6 3.7 TOTAL REsIDENTIAL 16,311 18,288 21,281 37.2 -5.4 13.5 14.0 Revenue from overseas business increased by 7.9%(A)inInfrastructure 2015/16 (in nominal Australian OffICEs 1,836 1,717 1,744 Utilities 4.7 -1.3 7.4 5.6 dollars). The lower Australian dollar a Infrastructure positive influence on this, by COmmERCIAL 454 450 is likely 303 to have had - Electricity generation and gas supply 1.9 -11.2 1.7 -2.3 raising the local currency of overseas revenue. This growth follows an INDUsTRIAL 839value 1,480 1,528 generated - Sewerage, drainage and water storage 2.8 6.7 11.3 10.5 increase in overseas1,438 revenue1,354 of 3.6%1,634 p.a. in 2014/15. RETAIL Transport infrastructure 21.5 -8.5 16.9 17.4 The outlook indicates1,185 further 1,205 growth over the next two years, revenue from overseas 9.2 -9.5 17.9 21.9 - Roads andwith freeways EDUCATION 1,289 business expected to1,369 rise by 1,869 6.3% in 1,577 2016/17 followed byprojects a further increase of 6.8% in 12.3 -7.7 16.1 13.9 - Rail HEALTH Telecommunications infrastructure 3.5 14.6 5.3 15.0 2017/18. HOTELs 163 186 219 Other civil projects 7.2 -7.1 11.6 8.9 OTHER NON-REs. 1,612 1,338 1,091 Pipelines 0.3 17.8 0.0 1.0 TOTAL NON-REs. 8,897 9,598 9,384 (B) Mining & mineral processing construction 13.6 -31.0 -7.3 -5.9 TOTAL 25,208 27,886 30,665 (C) Heavy Industrial construction 10.1 -11.1 -25.5 -10.1 +10.6% +10.0%

30 JUNE 2014 OVERSEAS BUSINESS

  

Oil refineries and gas processing facilities Industrial plants

VIC BUILDINg APPROVALs ($m)

Commercial construction

7.9

-22.4

-23.3

2.2

-11.1

1.1

1.4

30.6

-3.4

3.5

-47.8 5.2

yEAR ENDINg Private sector 14.9 3.4 1.7 6.7 30 JUNE 2014 2015 2016 Public sector 15.7 -9.0 5.2 3.8 Share of employment, July 2016 July 15 – July 16 Exp. July 16 – Dec 16 Exp. Dec 16 – Jun 17 Exp. July 16 – Jun 17 NEw HOUsEs 8,452 9,629 10,938 Multi-Apartment Complexes 6.0 18.6 ACTIVITY 14.0 3.1 LEVELS OF ACTIVITY LEVELS OF % of total % change % change % change % change Employment APARTmENTs 1,804 2,178 2,640 Overseas Business 1.9 7.9 6.3 6.8 Consistent with the continued contraction in mining investment, less than one-half 48.2 On-site employees -2.9 3.5 6.2 9.9 Other 0.6 -7.0 59.6 33.9 ALT. & RENO. 4,456 6,355 employees 12.0 -1.4 -6.4 2.7 -3.9 (46.1%) of respondents reported ‘very6,163 busy’ or ‘busy’ Off-site activity levels during the six months Total value of labour turnover in construction work 100.0 -9.8 4.5 TOTAL REsIDENTIAL 14,713 18,162 19,740 Sub-contract 39.8 -2.7 2.3 3.3 4.6 5.7 to June 2016. This was up from 40.9% in the previousTotal six-month period but it was still * Infrastructure, Mining and Industrial Construction employment 100.0 -2.7 1.8 4.7 6.6 OffICEs 1,717 1,569 1,368 relatively low, compared to results in 2011 and 2012 or further back in 2006 and 2007. COmmERCIAL 545 344 216 Over the second half of 2016, activity is expected to recover somewhat, with IN 57.7% of VALUE OF TURNOVER CONSTRUCTION WORK (Credit: Ai Group) INDUsTRIAL 1,349 1,271 1,625 businesses anticipating ‘very busy’ or ‘busy’ conditions. This reflects stronger RETAIL 1,691 1,401 1,295 Busy Moderate Slow Very slow infrastructure-related construction activity that will partly offset waning resources-related Very busy EDUCATION 884 1,143 1,532 construction activity. % of companies % of companies % of companies % of companies % of companies Level of activity HEALTH 1,416 1,098 1,178 Activity levels are expected to hold steady at this higher level through the first half of HOTELs 217 271 574 Six months to Dec 2015, actual 13.6 27.3 45.5 9.1 4.5 2017 and to lift further during 1,528 2017/18,1,286 with 65.4% of respondents expect ‘very busy’ or OTHER NON-REs. 1,128 Six months to Jun 2016, actual 19.2 26.9 30.8 15.4 7.7 ‘busy’ levels of activity in 2017/18. TOTAL NON-REs. 8,948 8,625 9,075 Six months to Dec 2016, expected 26.9 30.8 30.8 7.7 3.8 The average level of industrial and construction capacity in use was 86.0% in August/ TOTAL 23,661 26,787 28,815 Six84.2% months a to year Jun 2017, expected 34.6 38.5 0.0 3.8 7.6%points from September 2016, a rise of 1.813.2% percentage earlier. Despite this 23.1

   

Expected 2017/18the (financial improvement, the current capacity utilisation rate is still well below peakyear) of 93% recorded during the mining investment boom in early 2008. (Credit: approximately RLB)

March 2017 EMPLOYMENT



19.2

46.2

30.8

Reflecting the drop in major project activity in 2015/16,

0.0

3.8

23 EM PLOYMENT

WHAT IS THE CONSTRUCTION OUTLOOK REPORT? The Australian Industry Groupconstruction Construction Outlook survey was conducted in August/September in conjunction with the Australian Constructors employment in major Association (ACA), the peak industry body representing the nation’s major construction contractors. The survey covered the responses of 100 companies

CICA CEO Brandon Hitch.

PILING AND FOUNDATION

The CraneSafe green sticker. (Credit: CICA)

Credit: Sean MacEntee, Flickr CC

Industry partnership sets new standards in safety As we all know, safety is the number one issue on the agenda when it comes to cranes. Major inspections occur on a weekly basis, and are generally carried out with due diligence, writes Kylie Field.

arly last year, the Piling and Foundation Specialists Federation (PFSF) and CICA joined forces to form an industry partnership to administer the newly created PileSafe green sticker for piling and foundation equipment. The aim of the inspection program is to raise the standard of piling equipment maintenance, making it more transparent and improving safety. The PileSafe green sticker program works in the same way for piling equipment as the CraneSafe green sticker currently works for crane owners across Australia. More on CraneSafe in the fact box below. CICA chief executive officer Brandon Hitch says CICA got involved with PileSafe because the Piling Federation as well as the Elevated Work Platform Association and the Concrete Pump Association are all like-minded associations and CICA saw an advantage to do some common good. “From our perspective in the same way CraneSafe tidied up the maintenance programs associated with cranes, the piling federation has taken initiative in their own industry to raise the bar” Hitch said. “The PileSafe green sticker is identical in meaning or intent to CraneSafe, but it’s directly related to the drilling and piling rigs. “Piling rigs are less regulated than cranes. CraneSafe and PileSafe relate to the annual inspection. For cranes, it was important and CICA saw it as a strategic initiative but it’s not for us to say that all industries need to do it like us. I think it’s up to their own board or committee to decide what matters most to the industry. “With cranes, we made that decision 15 years ago because there were already systems

similar so introducing CraneSafe wasn’t a foreign idea. For the Piling Federation, they’re operating largely on the initiatives of the federation and individual companies.” “I wouldn’t be advocating more regulations on anyone unless the association or industry body saw the need for regulation either by the government or self-regulation,” Hitch added. “CraneSafe is the administrator for the PileSafe program, so they are the content owner and we are the facilitators using all of our lessons learnt in the structure for the system. This system with CraneSafe that we are rolling out is incorporated with PileSafe and we welcome that.”

With cranes, we made that decision 15 years ago because there were already systems similar so introducing CraneSafe wasn’t a foreign idea. For the Piling Federation, they’re operating largely on the initiatives of the federation and individual companies.

Understanding CraneSafe CICA says that when the CraneSafe green sticker for cranes was introduced in 2002, there was recognition from members of the crane industry, even those that opposed the idea, that the green sticker had lifted the maintenance standards of equipment and in the 15 years since its introduction, it’s now accepted as the standard across the construction industry. According to the CraneSafe, the mobile crane industry initiated a voluntary crane assessment program throughout Australia. Developed in consultation with the mobile crane industry as a whole, the program “aims to augment existing safety standards with annual assessments of mobile cranes now being made by CraneSafe (a division of The Crane Industry Council of Australia).” The CraneSafe assessment program provides crane owners and operators with a: • Process for third party assessment of safety aspects of their cranes; • Common, industry-wide system for assessment of their cranes; and • Single method by which crane operators, owners, manufacturers, suppliers, designers and importers may fulfil their relevant duty of care obligations under the State Occupational Health and Safety Acts (OH&S). As it stands the CraneSafe assessment program is voluntary says CraneSafe, however crane owners and users have a duty of care obligation under individual State OH&S (Plant) Regulations to ensure that their cranes are in a safe condition CL

March 2017

TOWER CRANES

Work and play on the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tallest cranes Tower cranes are hard to miss, dotting the skyline and performing feats of sheer power lifting extremely heavy components such as steel and concrete up 30m and beyond. But they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just great for construction - they make excellent pictures, and daredevils love them too. Jan Arreza explores the sights from up above. The Terex CTL 630B in Cambridge, UK is just like any other office, no? (Credit: Terex) A long way up in Oslo, Norway. (Credit: Terex)

Enjoying the view from way up high. (Credit: James Kingston) Spot the daredevil. (Credit: James Kingston)

Checking out the hood from the Terex CTT 191 in Tel Aviv, Israel (Credit: Terex)

March 2017

All in a day’s work. They make it look easy. (Credit: Terex)

James Kingston, just you know, casually hanging out 100m above ground. (Credit: James Kingston)

NMT being a good sport, lending its 700t Terex AC700 to the daredevils of the world. (Credit: World AirgameZ Champion 2016)

Urban climber James Kingston who travels the world climbing some of the world’s tallest structures has found another use for tower cranes. (Credit: James Kingston)

When the sun goes down in Hollywood. (Credit: James Kingston) And of course, we shouldn’t forget the sheer power of tower cranes. (Credit: Terex)

March 2017

Urban climber James Kingston takes his job seriously. (Credit: James Kingston)

A Terex prototype on a test field in Fontanafredda, Italy (Credit: Terex)

ASIA: EMERGING MARKETS

On the up and up Cranes and Lifting has, over the last few months, cast its eye on Asia’s emerging markets. And now that we’ve uncovered some of the challenges and differences in business operations and culture in the region, we turn our attention some of the key projects that have been undertaken to date. Jacqueline Ong reports.

n the November issue of Cranes and Lifting, we spoke to Sharon Foong, general manager of Southeast Asia Terex’s aerial work platform division, who said there has been a shift in the way business is conducted in Asia, pointing to more interest in the rental market. Then, before 2016 came to a close, Cranes and Lifting caught up with James Barr, vice president and general manager, Asia Pacific Terex AWP about the region’s outlook and countries that are at the tipping point, i.e. the point where “mega projects” drive the need for productivity and efficiency together with an increased awareness and requirement for onsite safety, being supported by,

in Terex’s case, an available aerial fleet. He said Vietnam and Thailand are currently in that space, adding that the Philippines, Indonesia, and Myanmar were countries to look out for (more on www.insideconstruction.com.au).

Why the interest in emerging markets? In January, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected that the global economy, particularly emerging and developing markets, will pick up pace this and next year. The IMF projected global growth to be 3.4% in 2017 and 3.7% in 2018, up from the estimated growth of 3.1% in 2016. Growth in emerging

and developing economies was much higher however, projected at 4.5% in 2017. “The good news is Asia overall managed well the market surprises in 2016 and Asian financial markets were resilient for most of the year,” IMF deputy managing director Zhang Tao said in January. “Following the results of the US election, there have been some capital outflows from Asia with exchange rates depreciating vis-à-vis the US dollar. Nevertheless, in general, Asian emerging market economies were less affected than those in other regions. And, Asian markets affected during the May 2013 taper tantrum have

Thailand is one emerging market that is expected to grow in 2017 and 2018. (Pictured: Bangkok from the Baiyoke Sky Hotel. Credit, David McKelvey, Flickr CC) CL

March 2017

generally been more resilient this time around. “Looking forward, Asia continues to lead global growth. We expect the economies in the region to grow above 5% both in 2017 and 2018, compared with around 3.5% for the world in the next two years.” Now these emerging markets have, over recent years, suffered due to collapsing commodity prices, falling currencies, as well as capital outflows. But BMI Research says things are looking up and it expect these markets to begin their economic recovery, albeit a slow and painful one. So which are Asia’s emerging markets? The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Emerging Markets has been capturing these markets since 1988. In September last year, it pointed to China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand as Asia’s emerging markets. Cranes and Lifting will be covering many of these countries throughout the year - in May, Malaysia will be part of our Asia Pacific report and to kick off the year, here’s a snapshot of some CL notable events in a few of these countries.

THAILAND

Over in Land of Smiles, Spanish flat top and luffing jib cranes manufacturer Linden Comansa wrapped up a project at the end of 2015 that led to the erection of Thailand’s tallest skyscraper. Two tower cranes worked on the MahaNakhon tower in the bustling city of Bangkok, building the 314-metre tall skyscraper. A luffing jib LCL310 24t crane was located at the base of the tower since 2012. With a maximum load of 24 tonnes and a freestanding height of 40.4 metres, its first duty was the construction of the MahaNakhon CUBE, a seven-story luxury retail centre in the same area of the MahaNakhon tower which opened in 2014. Following that, its work consisted of unloading all construction materials that arrived at the jobsite, arranging and distributing them on the ground, as well as lifting them up to the first floors of the tower. Thanks to its 60m-long luffing jib, its short counter jib, and its high load capacity, the LCL310 24t worked quickly and efficiently preparing all the materials that had to be lifted to the top of the building. Meanwhile, the flat top 18t 21LC290 crane with its 40m jib and maximum load of 18t sat atop the tower. Initially, the crane was erected on fixing angles with a freestanding height of 60.7m. As the tower gained height, the 21LC290 18t followed suit using Linden Comansa’s internal climbing system, which was tied to the structure of the building. This internal climbing system climbed the crane quickly and safely while maintaining two ties to the structure. It also offered cost savings by only requiring 11 mast sections, compared to an external crane that would have needed more than 60 mast sections to reach the height of 340m.

PHILIPPINES

In the Philippines, contractor EEI has started work on a residential development within the new Bayside City Resort in Manila and turned to Manitowoc for its Potain cranes. EEI selected four Potain cranes to help with construction - three top-slewing MC 205 B units and one MCR 225 A luffing jib crane. The cranes arrived in February last year and will be on site for about two years constructing eight new buildings and a six-story parking garage. Potain’s MC 205 B is a 10t capacity tower crane that can work with up to 60m of jib and has been fitted with this full complement for the Bayshore job. Its jib end capacity is 2.4t and it can achieve line speeds approaching 88m per minute, and can be used in either two-fall or four-fall reeving with up to 500m of rope capacity available on the 55 RCS 25 winches that EEI Corporation has selected on its MC 205 B units. The MCR 225 A has a maximum capacity of 14t, while its maximum available jib is 55m. It is also working with this maximum for the Bayshore project. Capacity at the 55m tip length is 2.15t and it can be equipped with either a 75 LVF 35 Optima winch or a 100 LVF 35 Optima winch, and the hoist can reach speeds of up to 140m per minute.

INDIA

It is not all about constructing big fancy resorts and buildings. Over in India, one crane rental company is capturing opportunities in growing sectors such as renewable energy. In February, JNK Lifters purchased Liebherr’s LTM1250-5.1 250t mobile crane, which has a 36m folding jib and a 46m fixed lattice jib. JNK said the machine will be used for tower crane assembly, maintenance work in the petrochemicals sector, construction of underground railways, and support work for wind turbine installations. The company pointed to the LTM 1250.51’s versatility and “enormous lifting capacity” as the reason why it was selected, saying typically, jobs in the steel fabrication and petrochemicals sectors used cranes in the 300t class. However, Liebherr innovations such as VarioBase, VarioBallast and ECOmode made this mobile crane a suitable choice, which JNK said provided the company with a competitive edge.

March 2017

TELEHANDLERS AWD Group’s Agri Plus telehandler. (Credit: AWD Group)

trends and challenges According to the Global Telehandler Market report, the global telehandler market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.88% between 2016-20. Jan Arreza speaks to Genie and AWD Group to find out more.

he Global Telehandler Market report provides an overview of the industry based on in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts, as well as a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market including Liebherr, JCB, JLG, Manitou Group, Merlo, Genie, Mustang, Pettibone Traverse, Haulotte, Sennebogen, Skyjack, AWD Group (formerly Dieci), Wacker Neuson, and GEHL. The report splits the market into seven different segments – construction, agriculture, industry, mines and quarries, environment, logistics, and other markets. Growth may have been forecasted but Genie national operation manager Mitch Ely told Cranes and Lifting the conditions for the company had been flat in 2016 though he is expecting the market to pick up again this year. “We’re foreseeing that there will be potential growth in the market over the next couple of years within the industry,” Ely said. “As for the growth, it’s all coming out of the non-residential construction space, where there are currently a lot of projects out there like the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast for example. There is also a lot of construction work being done in the cities, especially up in the eastern seaboard. “The mining side of things aren’t as heavy as what it was, which really drove the telehandler market for many years prior, but that’s now come back up in recent times.” Meanwhile AWD Group CEO Paul Jenkins 30

said the previous year had been “quite good”, pointing to infrastructure projects on the east coast. “Those are projects like NorthConnex and WestConnex, as well as many of the road widening projects around the country, which I believe were probably some of the key drivers of the year,” Jenkins said, adding that “The agriculture sector is coming back as well, given the amount of rain that’s been around the place.” “The other real trend we’re seeing in 2017 is that the mining industry is slowly starting to sow some green shoots of growth again, which is really pleasing. “So that’s 2016. It was a pretty good year, it was certainly a growth year for us, and driven by those two sectors ostensibly, and this year we see continued infrastructure work, despite many of the projects having slowed a little and some of them are a little behind.” The report also highlights the expansion of rental equipment businesses as one of the key market drivers for 2017, as well as increased collaboration among rental fleet owners and telehandler manufacturers. “We saw a change two or three years ago in regards to rental versus purchasing and I think that change is pretty consistent with where we are at the moment,” Jenkins said. “There is strong demand for both rental and for sales and there is quite a drive towards the rent-to-buy type of program, where you can rent the machine for a year or two, then at the end of that, there is some opportunity to take

that product at a lesser price, and that gives people the best of both worlds. “They can rent it to do the project, then if the economy changes a little and they have more projects around the corner, then they have a really good option to buy that product for themselves at the end of it.” As for the some of the challenges that telehandler manufacturers and distributors might face in the years to come, the report points to the need for continuous support and maintenance, as well as the paucity of properly trained operators. According to Jenkins though, another challenge that the market needs to try to resolve is the lack on investment in the sector due to dropping levels of trust from the consumers. “I guess there continues to be a general cautiousness amongst consumers, as people are not investing unless they are very confident of an outcome,” Jenkins said. “This is a continued trend over the last number of years that the general confidence is not necessarily there, even though we do see these projects moving. “The other thing is greater support from banks for smaller businesses - that would help as generally across Australia, most of the banking sector is not massively supportive of small businesses, such as we are. “That brings its own set of challenges to both employing more people, bringing on more stock, growing your business, etc. because the banks are being quite difficult to deal with,” Jenkins added. March 2017

The growth of customer segments and rising demand for fuel-efficient vehicles are also bringing a radical change to the global telehandler market, according to the report. Many organisations, including Genie are now looking to add to their telehandler model mix to better facilitate the needs of their clients. “With the non-residential construction market starting to climb again we’re seriously looking at our model mix,” Ely said. “We’re looking at some new models to be brought in to combat the change from the shift from the mining sector to the non-residential sector. “We’ve got a couple of new models coming out this year and we’re introducing another new model later on this year hopefully - so we’re making those changes to deal with the changing climate.” Some of these new machines include Genie’s four-tonne 14-metre unit, as well as a three-tonne 7m unit that will be released later in the year. “From a Genie standpoint, we have an advanced load management system in our units, which is developed by us locally, as well as a 12-inch colour monitor screen and advanced electronics within that,” Ely said. “So that makes the unit very useable. It has a

March 2017

Genie’s GTH-2506 telehandler loading bricks (Credit: Genie)

smart key like a magnetic key operation so we can help our customers control their customers with their different skill levels and licensing and that sort of thing. “We’ve also got advanced hydraulics and a drive system so machines are very easy

to function, are reliable, and are a good return on investment. “The key now is getting the right model mix for us and now it’s just a case of us bringing in those other two models to balance out the model CL mix across our whole range,” Ely said.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG

What happens in Vegas… CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017 kicks off in Las Vegas in March and will run from the 7th to the 11th. It is the largest construction exhibition in the northern hemisphere with more than 2500 exhibitors. There are more than 150 educational sessions ranging from concreting, earthmoving, construction, aggregates and of course, cranes and lifting.

ranes and Lifting magazine will bring you all the latest news, product launches and events as they happen from the show, so keep an eye out for our full coverage of the event on www. insideconstruction.com.au. We will also bring you the sights, insights, news, and more in the May edition of Cranes and Lifting. As a start, here’s a snapshot of the equipment that will be launched at this year’s show. As you can see, home-grown Australian Crane & Machinery (ACM) is set to have a big one this year.

Manitowoc GMK5150L and GMK5250L (GOLD LOT BOOTH G3348) For the first time in North America, Manitowoc will feature the GMK5150L and GMK5250L at a tradeshow. The two new all-terrain cranes possess groundbreaking technologies that aim to generate a higher return on investment for Manitowoc customers. Notably, a single Tier 4 Final engine powers each crane, a concept pioneered by Grove on its highly successful Grove GMK6400. The engine drives both the carrier and superstructure, reducing overall weight and lowering fuel consumption, which leads to lower operating and maintenance costs.

ACM280E (GREEN PRODUCT, GOLD LOT G4200) The ACM 280E marks the culmination of ACM’s innovative engineering and control systems. It features a 28-metre working height, and a basket capacity of 350 kilograms. The 132KV insulated platform sits on the back of a single axle 4x4 Mercedes. Maximum working height is 28m while its maximum working reach is 14m. The machine’s platform capacity is 350kg at 14m radius and maximum outrigger width is 4.75m. The ACM280E also comes equipped with a fiber optic control system.

ACM300 (GOLD LOT G4200) The ACM 300 is a 30m travel tower that offers the same safety and stability of all ACM’s travel towers, but features additional versatility and functionality with a telescoping fly boom as well as a telescoping main boom. Key specifications include a maximum working height of 30m; maximum working reach of 16m; platform capacity of 300kg at 16m radius; and maximum outrigger width of 4.8m.

Maeda CC1485-1 Crawler Crane

ACM400

(GOLD LOT G4017)

(GREEN PRODUCT, GOLD LOT G4200)

The CC1485-1 is a 6.6-ton capacity telescopic boom crawler on a heavy-duty steel undercarriage. The no-outrigger design offers a 72.2’ maximum hook height and near zero tail swing and pick and carry capability. The CC model is similar in size and design to the popular mini excavators, except equipped with a telescopic boom and hook. The CC 1485-1 comes with a Programmable Moment Limiter Safety Systems, Anti-Two Block, and multiple warning and shutdown safety systems.

Intended for use in a broad range of industries, ACM400 is an impressive 40m-travel tower with a 22m reach. Mounted on 4x4 Mercedes truck, the ACM400 offers great maneuverability and versatility that allows it to fit into tight workspaces. Key specifications include a gross weight of 16t GVM; maximum working height of 40m; maximum working reach of 22m; platform capacity of 500kg at 14m or 400kg at 18m, or 250kg at 22m; and maximum outrigger width of 6.8m.

Heavy-duty Fuchs MHL 370 F Material handler (GOLD LOT G3382) The new Fuchs MHL370 F material handler expands the Fuchs product line and marks an entry in the 120,000-lb (55mt) class of high capacity machines. Built for high production in large scrap operations and port applications, the new MHL370 handler boasts heavy counterweight and a massive undercarriage with 5440 by 6270-mm outrigger stance to offer excellent stability and high lift capacities at extended reach. The new Fuchs handler delivers higher lift capacities than competitive units in this class and a 14.5% increase in lift capacity over the Fuchs MHL360 F handler at full 18m boom extension.

Terex launches material handlers (GOLD LOT G3382) The new Terex Fuchs MHL360 F and MHL360 F HD material handlers are loaded with design advancements that increase operating efficiencies and performance in scrap, recycling, port, mill and other applications. The new handlers boast efficiency boosting hydraulics, fuel-saving emissions reductions and increased lifting power at extended reach. With different boom and stick configurations to customize machine reach to job site demands, the MHL360 F Series handlers can pick material from up to a 18m radius around the machine. Their elevated cabs offer a maximum 6.1m eye-level elevation and independent forward movement of up to 2.2m for excellent visibility while loading and unloading high-wall trailers and rail cars.

March 2017

Broderson IC-100 Industrial Carry Deck Crane (GOLD LOT G4324) The IC-100 is a self-propelled, 10 US ton rated Industrial Carry Deck Crane designed for in-plant lifting and material handling applications. It is designed to incorporate the field-proven features and demonstrated reliability of the Broderson IC-80 models with 10 US ton lift capacity and a longer boom.

OLIVEIRA rope range (GOLD HALL G73012)

The industry will descend on Sin City in a few weeks for CONEXPO-CON/AGG. (Credit: jericl cat, Flickr CC)

KAT 42 mounted on pick-up (GREEN PRODUCT, GOLD LOT G4322) With a working height of 13.8m and an offset of 6.4m, this articulated platform combined with the 4x4 pick-up capacities is the ideal model for working in extreme environments, which are difficult to access. This platform can be operated with the pick-up engine turned off using KLUBB’s Green Pack technology, which saves fuel and protects the environment.

Broderson IC-600 Industrial Carry Deck Crane (GOLD LOT G4324)

Broderson RT-400 Rough Terrain Crane (GOLD LOT G4324)

Broderson will be introducing its largest carry deck crane at the show. It features a compact footprint with 30t state-of-theart design, a redundant, dual pump, high volume load sensing hydraulic pump system, and hydraulic over electronic joystick controls. It also boasts strong pick and carry capability in a compact package.

The RT-400 provides the low-height “stair step” entry and exit of a cab down rough terrain crane. Its 20 US ton lifting capacity can accommodate lifts historically made by older 15 US ton capacity units while not exceeding 75% of the RT-400-A’s rated capacity. The RT-400-A’s pilot-controlled hydraulic design provides the “feel” and precision of direct mechanical to hydraulic level controls.

The OLIVEIRA DC 4 K 4-strand compacted hoisting rope is a new addition to its catalogue. The main applications for this rope are ship and deck cranes. The OLIVEIRA TC 12 K rope has been developed specifically for tower cranes; designed with specifications ideally suited for small to medium-sized cranes and with an attractive price point. OLIVEIRA has also upgraded the OLIVEIRA HD 8 K PPI product. The new and improved version features a higher breaking load.

Walvoil CAN bus Joystick (CENTRAL HALL C1-C2-C22621) The CJW Walvoil CAN bus joystick is ISOBUS 2015 certified in accordance with the ISO11783 international standard, rev. 2. It is compatible with the Auxiliary New AUX-N inputs, release 1.0, and with the Universal Terminal UT, release 2.0. Available on the AEF (Agric. Ind. Electronics Foundation) database, it provides for three proportional inputs and 10 on/off inputs. Other features include hall effect contactless sensors; rugged construction and reduced mounting dimensions; and ergonomic and versatile handles. CL

2017 event map (Source: CONEXPO-CON/AGG).

March 2017

ASSOCIATIONS

Crane associations unite There is no denying that Western Australia and the Northern Territory are the pin-up boys for road access. They are the most progressive when it comes to getting cranes on the roads and there are no restrictions on axle weight, and no axle dolly is required. Permits are granted quickly and efficiently, usually within 12 hours and can be lodged seven days a week, 24 hours a day, so it’s happy days in the west! Kylie Field reports.

n January this year, after many years of being a separate association, the Crane Association of Western Australia (CAWA) merged with The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA). So what does this mean for the industry as they move forward under one united banner? According to CICA chief executive officer Brandon Hitch, the merger has been incredibly smooth and largely uneventful.

“WA and NT have the best road access and we would not be trying to convince the regulator, from a national perspective, to impede on the road access they have in WA and NT already, but rather have the NHVR focus on having a national system. We have already used WA and the NT as the poster child to go back to the NHVR and argue that if it’s OK there why can’t it be OK in other states?” “It’s due to the fact that we ‘ve had a memorandum of understanding for years while CAWA contemplated joining CICA,” he said. “It was the leadership team of the last two years that facilitated it and made it an easy transition. From a policy stand point, I don’t see anything changing. We operate all the states uniquely and deal with state-by-state road regulation and work safe regulators. If the CICA WA branch has a problem with Main Roads Western Australia, we would deal directly with them the same way we deal with VicRoads or RMS.” 34

Like the black swan, road access will be protected in, and remain a defining part of WA. (Credit: Jak Sie Masz, Flick CC).

It is a well-known fact that WA and the NT did not enter the same agreement with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR). They remained autonomous and yet in other states, the system is still frustrating and complicated. The NHVR has said for the past few years that the first steps towards establishing a unified national access system has been the joining of states and territories in 2014. But a spokesperson for the NHVR told Cranes and Lifting magazine last May, when this issue about WA and NT road access was covered, that it was an ambitious first step getting the states united and they were in ongoing discussions with WA in regards to joining the national system. But again it raises the question - why would a state with progressive access laws join the states that are still in cahoots? Hitch suggests that if WA and the NT were to choose to join the NHVR, then CICA would lobby strongly for the NHVR not to pick the lowest common denominator in relation to road access. “WA and NT have the best road access and we would not be trying to convince the regulator, from a national perspective, to impede on the road access they have in WA and NT already, but rather have the NHVR focus on having a national system. We have

already used WA and the NT as the poster child to go back to the NHVR and argue that if it’s OK there why can’t it be OK in other states?,” Hitch said. “The NHVR is in a peculiar spot because they are a facilitator, and road access resides back to the state and local government jurisdictions to make the decisions for access. Our hope and belief is that stays constant in WA as well. It would still apply to the relationship CAWA has with MainRoads WA and access for cranes on to roads would remain the same.” The lobbying to the NHVR and the federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester for improving access and reducing permit processing times and reducing local governments involvement continues says Hitch. “Local government should not be involved in access authority or permit issuing when the cranes we are seeking permits for do less damage and are more manoeuvrable than city council garbage trucks,” he said. “Our hope and intent from a membership relationship is that it’s a name change only and we will provide the same service as before. From an external standpoint, its shows some of the people we are working with, that the crane industry is united. Certainly in WA, the hope is we will be able to have a more concerted effort.” CL March 2017

New better vision upper roof glass

CRANE

EQUIPMENT Konecranes’ WtE cranes are designed to increase the efficiency and reliability of biomass, refuse, ash, and slag handling. (Credit: Konecranes)

(Not) a rubbish solution Amidst the discussions about the end of the mining boom and transition to a new economy, one industry that could very well develop and grow in the next decade is waste to energy, writes Jacqueline Ong.

he increase in waste generation is certainly a global problem - the World Bank estimated in 2012 that 1.3 million tonnes of municipal solid waste (household waste) is being produced annually. Here in Australia, the Department of Environment in its most recent report highlighted that in 2010-11, the country generated 14 million tonnes of municipal solid waste of which 6.81 million tonnes were sent to landfill. And this is just household waste. Turning our attention to construction and demolition waste, the report noted that Australia generated 18.2 million tonnes in 2010-11, sending 6.25 million tonnes to landfill that year. These numbers are expected to rise, with the World Bank predicting that global production of municipal solid waste will hit 2.2 billion - yes, billion - tonnes by 2025. The role of waste to energy (WtE) in Australia has been a longstanding debate and after years of politicking, trials and errors, it appears that plans could soon come to fruition, particularly in WA and the eastern states. As these discussions ramp up, Konecranes has decided to capture growing opportunities by introducing a broad range of lifting and materials handling technologies specifically designed for WtE and biomass applications. In July last year, Konecranes launched its WtE cranes in Australasia and more than six months on, the company’s director of industrial cranes for the Pacific region, Peter Monagahan 36

says there is interest in the equipment and he is optimistic that the first order will come in shortly. Konecranes’ latest offering comes in three different sizes, all designed to increase the efficiency and reliability of biomass, refuse, ash, and slag handling. “We do a basic biomass crane, which uses our base product - the CXT product crane - so it becomes a basic crane with a grab,” Monaghan said. Essentially, the CXT biomass crane is a compact, fully automated and robust crane that promises to increase floor space compared to a loader conveyor-based operation, reduce noise, dust and fuel emissions, and increase fuel storage capacity. “And then we do a purpose-built crane, which is our GL crane and it’s capable of anywhere between manual to fully un-manual automation. Production capacity is between 20 and 50t/ hour,” Monaghan continued. “We also do the LV range, which has the same capabilities as the GL but it’s much heavier duty where you’re talking about a 1000t/day type of production facility.” Additionally, the cranes come with smart features designed to manage critical crane functions to reduce structural stress, increase efficiency and prolong the machine’s lifespan. For instance, sway control minimises load sway from bridge and trolley motions, reducing collisions between the bucket and

pit walls or hopper as well as preventing equipment damage. “Cranes play a crucial role in waste to energy as well as other modern incineration plants where tight environmental management guidelines are applied. A continuous material handling system with maximum safety and efficiency and minimum downtime is vital,” Monaghan said. “Our cranes are designed to maximise productivity and reduce operational expenditure. And one of the other smart features we offer is global technical connection which means that our teams in Finland and China, our crane experts, can have access to the crane at any time. So the crane has a live feed via a network and troubleshooting, checking production and all those sorts of stuff can be done remotely.” The cranes cost in excess of $1 million for a mid-range model and there is something for everyone, according to Monaghan. “You could have a very low usage crane that’s only operated by an operator who will be operating it by a remote control and that’s the CXT platform. You’ve also got the GL platform for when you start to get into a process crane that’s production critical. And it goes anywhere from the manual mode to semi-automated to completely un-manual automation,” he said. “We’re an original equipment manufacturer so everything on the cranes is Konecranes.” C L March 2017

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