The rapid expansion of data centre infrastructure across Australia is reshaping demand in the cranes and lifting sector.
For General Cranes, this shift is already translating into a steady pipeline of work, particularly across Melbourne’s western corridor.
George Micevski, from General Cranes, said the company is seeing sustained momentum in the segment, with data centres and broader infrastructure projects now forming the backbone of its activity.
“At the moment, data centres and infrastructure are still driving the majority of our work,” he said.
This demand has remained resilient even as other construction segments fluctuate. While there are early signs of high-rise construction returning, George said the outlook remains uncertain.
“We are starting to see some high-rise come back, but with interest rates where they are, we are not too sure how that will play out,” he said.
In contrast, data centre construction has proven more insulated from these economic variables, continuing to generate consistent demand for lifting solutions.
A shift towards higher capacity
One of the defining characteristics of data centre construction is the requirement for heavier lifts, particularly driven by precast elements and structural components.
George said this has led to strong demand for higher-capacity tower cranes within General Cranes’ fleet.
“There is still strong demand for the larger capacity cranes like the Favelle Favco M1280D and the M860DX,” he said.
To keep pace, the company is actively expanding its fleet, bringing in additional units across these categories. “We have more units coming in both the 860 range and the 1280 range,” he said.
Rather than reflecting a shift in projects, George said this expansion is a response to volume.
The need for higher capacity is also closely tied to the type of materials being handled on site.
“There is nothing new compared to what we were doing a few years back, it is just that the demand has increased,” George said. “These projects involve heavy precast elements, and those elements need to be placed within specific radiuses, which is what drives the larger capacity.”
General Cranes is currently seeing a concentration of data centre activity across Melbourne’s western suburbs, with multiple large-scale developments underway or in planning.
George said the scale of activity is unprecedented. Projects are spread across locations including Laverton, Melton and Tullamarine, reinforcing the region’s growing importance as a data infrastructure hub.
“We are probably going to have somewhere in the vicinity of about 25 large cranes in the western suburbs of Melbourne, which is unprecedented,” he said.
Fleet upgrades supporting efficiency
Alongside larger tower cranes, General Cranes is also investing in supporting equipment to improve operational efficiency on site.
The company has recently taken delivery of a new Franna AT40, aimed at handling increasingly heavy tower crane components and speeding up site operations.
“We decided to go that way because some of the larger tower crane components are getting heavier, and the earlier 25-tonne Frannas were struggling,” George said.
Fast-moving projects, limited lead times
Despite the strong pipeline, one of the key challenges in the data centre segment is the speed at which projects move from planning to execution.
This fast-paced timeline highlights the strong momentum in the sector, and emphasises on the need for agile planning and fleet readiness.
“Ideally, we would prefer to have more time to procure equipment and make sure we are prepared, but the current pace of projects is not allowing this,” George said.
The broader outlook for data centre construction remains positive.
George said there are already indications of further growth in the pipeline, supported by ongoing efforts to attract investment into Victoria.
For General Cranes, the focus is clear. As demand for digital infrastructure accelerates, the company is aligning its fleet and operations to support a sector that shows no signs of slowing down.
