Dutch prefabricated specialist construction company, VDL De Meeuw (VDL), has deployed its Grove GMK5120L to help construct seven residential buildings in Nijmegen, Netherlands.
After purchasing the crane in March 2023, the crane was immediately put out to work to lift prefabricated modules into the new residential precinct that is being constructed to help alleviate the Dutch housing crisis, where house prices rose the most out of all European companies and an estimated 390,000 house seekers needing a home. Due to the heightened need to complete the project in adherence to the specified timeline, VDL needed a fast-performing crane with strong taxiing capabilities and versatile load charts – something the “one-man machine” GMK5120L provides, according to VDL’s lead of transport, Oscar Van Sambeek.
“We don’t need to send any additional counterweight or equipment by truck,” he said. “It’s a unique package and is helping us complete the work in the most effective way possible.”
The 120-tonne Grove possesses a long reach for its capacity and size, featuring 66m of main boom as well as jib extensions that take the maximum hook height up to 90m. Furthermore, the crane is capable of carrying up to 14.6 tonnes of counterweight in a 12-tonne per axle configuration, or 3.1 tonnes of counterweight in a 10-tonne per axle configuration, evidence of the machine’s effectiveness as a taxi crane.
For the job in Nijmegen, VDL needs to install 1500 modules, measuring 7.5m in length and 3.3m in width, weighing between seven tonnes and 12 tonnes, that had been produced at the prefabricated specialist construction company’s facility in Oirschot. To achieve this, the Dutch company configured the crane with a main boom of 39.1m and a total of 30.7 tonnes of counterweight, at which the crane can lift 12 tonnes at a 22m radius. From there, the crane has gotten to work placing the modules as well as staircases and other items inside the developments, with Manitowoc Netherlands’ Grove Sales Manager, Niek Brabers, saying the manufacturer was “looking forward” to seeing the performance of the crane on site.
“We’re very excited to have a new Grove customer on board,” he said. “The GMK5120L is perfect for this fast schedule housing project.”
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