Italian company Santoni Autogrù has deployed two Grove GMK4100L cranes to help the San Lorenzo church refurbishment after it was struck by lightning.
The crane rental and transport company was contracted to complete the repairs on the church that was built in Pinzolo, Italy. During a storm last year, the San Lorenzo church’s 100kg cross was detached from the 72m-tall bell tower. Built between 1865 and 1867, the bell tower is the tallest bell tower in the Trentino-Alto Adige region, and required the two Grove cranes to work in tandem to repair and replace the fallen cross. According to Santoni Autogrù’s manager, Giacomo Santoni, the job was challenging due to tight operating room, but was still completed within 24 hours.
“We had to position our cranes very close to the bell tower and extend their reach to 75m to replace the cross,” he said. “There was minimal room for the cranes to operate in the square, so they were forced into a tight space.”
Purchasing its Grove GMK4100;-2 in February this year and operating its GMK4100L-1 since 2018, Santoni Autogrù plans to add a third Grove to its fleet later this year: a GMK5150XL, an indicator of the high regard the Italian hire company holds the Grove brand in. According to Santoni, the operators are very satisfied with the performance of the Grove cranes, exemplified by their performance on the San Lorenzo church refurbishment.
“We’ve reached the peaks of ski slopes and ski lifts several times with our beloved GMK4100L-1, always without any problems,” he said. “Our crane operators also praise our Grove cranes because they have cabs that can be tilted to 20 degrees for peak visibility and their comfort levels are unmatched; that is especially important for operators when they have to spend six or more hours a day with the crane.”
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An upgraded version of the GMK4100L-1, Grove’s GMK4100L-2 all-terrain crane possesses a 100-tonne lifting capacity and a width of just 2.55m, combining a compact design with high lifting power. With a main boom of 60m, the all-terrain crane possesses Megatrak suspension, giving it an extra element of manoeuvrability on tight jobsites.
Santoni Autogrù is a family-run, crane rental and transport company based in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy, and currently possesses two Grove GMK4100L series cranes. It was founded in 1952 and offers mobile crane rental as well as transportation services. 