Potain MR 295 Luffing Jib Cranes Help Build Marseille’s Mirabeau Tower

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French contractor Léon Grosse is using two Potain MR 295 luffing jib cranes to help construct the Mirabeau Tower in the coastal city of Marseille in the south of France. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

Léon Grosse, a giant in the French construction industry founded in 1881 in Savoie, recently chose Potain’s MR 295 luffing jib tower crane for its Mirabeau Tower project on the Marseille waterfront. The contractor opted for the MR 295 cranes for their reliability, efficiency, and compact format. The two Potain cranes are the first in France to use the newest AK801 anchoring frames, which increase free-standing heights and reduce the number of anchoring points.

Mirabeau Tower

Work on the 21-storey tower, which will be 85 metres (279 feet) high when completed in 2023, began in July 2020. The office block will have 21,800 square metres (234,650 square feet) of space and will be one of Marseille’s tallest skyscrapers. The tower features glass and aluminium panel facades that alter their position in accordance with the trajectory of the sun along with opaque awnings to control light and noise levels. The building will also use a marine geothermal energy cooling system that offers a 70% reduction in emissions compared to conventional cooling technology.

Potain’s MR 295

The mid-size luffing jib crane has a fixed counterweight to reduce moving parts and add a compact counterjib. The crane offers seven jib lengths in 4.9-metre increments and two options for capacity. The MR 295 has a maximum lift capacity of 20 tonnes and a maximum reach of 60 metres.

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Once complete, the Mirabeau Tower will be 85 metres high, making it one of the tallest skyscrapers in Marseilles. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

Léon Grosse deployed two MR 295 cranes for the project, one of which was erected on a Y800 chassis at a free-standing height of 55.8 m (183 ft). The height will increase each month up to its final working height of 85.8 m (281.5 ft) with three anchor points to secure it to the building. The other crane was erected on a ZY854 chassis mounted on a 15-m (49-ft) concrete portal for an initial free-standing height of 31.12 m (102 ft). Throughout the project, the crane will reach 79.45 m (261 ft) with four anchor points.

“This model has already proven itself on many construction sites,” says Léon Grosse Lifting Advisor Damien Le Huec. “It has a strong load curve and is adapted to the team’s needs on this specific site.”

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Source: Manitowoc