Italian Cliffside Construction Project Enlists Potain MDT 189 Tower Crane & Grove GMK4100L-1 All-Terrain Crane
Italy’s Amalfi Coast, breathtaking in its beauty, nevertheless poses a challenge to construction and its associated logistics. The village of Positano is built on terraces cut into the rocky cliffs of the coastline, replete with steep slopes and winding roads with restrictions on heavy vehicles.
It is in this difficult terrain that two very different cranes made by Manitowoc—an 8-tonne (8.8-U.S.-ton) Potain MDT 189 tower crane and a 100-t (115-U.S.-t) Grove GMK4100L-1 all-terrain model—are helping to construct an unusual parking garage project.
Compact Footprints, Soaring Heights
Real estate developer Gemar of Piano di Sorrento is building a 160-space, multi-story parking lot into the side of a Positano cliff between nearby houses. The limited-access site has a 60-metre (197-foot) height difference between its upper and lower sections. The cliff face had to be dynamited and a tunnel excavated to a new elevator shaft, which will replace stairs that previously provided rather difficult access to the town’s cemetery on the road above.
Gemar selected the Potain MDT 189 due to its technical and performance characteristics, as well as for its Top Site Zone Control System, which keeps the jib from slewing into no-go areas of the jobsite. The Potain tower crane will lift the structural elements of the parking garage into place and construct the elevator shaft.
“The Potain MDT 189 was the only crane with which we could serve both the lower and upper sites with just one solution,” says Gemar architect Fabrizio Gargiulo.
Gemar enlisted the help of its trusted crane dealer Edilcom Gru of Naples to take on the logistics and assembly. The crane company used a Grove GMK4100L-1 all-terrain crane to put together the parts of the Potain MDT 189 tower crane at ground level and then erect it to a height of 40 m (131 ft). A telescopic cage on the tower crane then took over to raise the remainder of the mast. The MDT 189 was configured with an 80-m (262.5-ft) height under hook and a 45-m (147.6-ft) jib length with two trolleys. Construction of the garage is scheduled for completion in 2023.
The Potain MDT 189
The Potain MDT 189 top-slewing crane offers up to 60 m (197 ft) of jib and can lift a maximum of 1.8 t (2 U.S. t) at full radius. Its maximum height under hook is 74.5 m (244 ft). For on-site flexibility, the tower crane’s bases, mast, and climbing equipment are interchangeable with certain other top-slewing tower crane models. It comes with a standard service platform and a counter-jib that folds for transport.
The MDT 189 is controlled by the user-friendly Manitowoc CCS crane control system, which is designed for speed, accuracy, and diagnostics. “The remote monitoring and diagnostics is a very useful feature for managing assistance, especially on small sites such as that in Positano,” says Edilcom Gru General Manager Luigi Russo. “It is essential to check any malfunctions remotely and to promptly send the technicians to the construction site with the spare parts needed to fix the problem. It is also essential for our customer Gemar, who can constantly monitor all crane movements and structural stresses in real time.”
“We decided to buy the MDT 189 because we plan to also use it on other jobs,” says Gemar’s Gargiulo. “The crane is excellent and technically flawless.”
The Grove GMK4100L-1
Manitowoc says that its compact Grove GMK4100L-1 all-terrain unit offers best-in-class load charts. The four-axle crane has a narrow 2.55-m (8.4-ft) width and all-wheel steering, both of which are important in towns along the scenic Amalfi Coast. The manufacturer says that the all-wheel steering helps both on- and off-road, as well as eliminating the tire wear and stress common to non-steered axles.
The GMK4100L-1 60-m has a seven-section Megaform main boom that contributes to a maximum 89-m (292-ft) hook height. The crane has a 48-t (105,820-pound) gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). In its taxi configuration, the model can carry up to 6.7 t (7.4 U.S. t) of counterweight and still remain within 12 t (13.2 U.S. t) on each axle.
Find The Right Potain & Grove Cranes
CraneTrader helps you find new and used Potain tower cranes for sale, as well as Grove all-terrain cranes such as the GMK4100L-1.
Source: Manitowoc