Two Potain MCT tower cranes have been put to work on the NEOM infrastructure project in northwest Saudi Arabia by NFT Group.
The MCT 1105 and MCT 1005 are the two largest topless tower cranes produced by Potain and will work on Sindalah, a luxury island resort under construction within the NEOM infrastructure project.
Long-time Potain partner NFT Group possesses one of the world’s most extensive tower crane fleets, including several of the MD 1100 series — a forerunner to the MCT 1105. It was because of its previous positive experiences with the MD 1100 that prompted the company’s interest in the MCT 1105 and MCT 1005. The NFT Group was an integral part of the ‘Voice of the Customer’ process involving Manitowoc’s new cranes, with the end results being extremely impressive, said Nawar Al Zahlawi, Business Development Manager at NFT Group.
“We had a lot of success with the MD 1100 which has such strong lifting capacities across the entire working radius,” he said. “When we first had discussions with Manitowoc about potential evolutions for the model, we were glad to support the projects.
“I’m pleased to say the MCT 1105 and MCT 1005 have surpassed our expectations; the load charts are even better than expected and the topless design means they can work seamlessly alongside other cranes,” he continued. “They also have monobloc mast sections which make them quicker to erect.”
The cranes are scheduled to work onsite for nine months on the Sindalah project. Using large capacity tower cranes was the only option for the jobsite, owing to limited space and the fact there are no accessible routes for mobile or crawler cranes on the 840,000-square-metre island. Because of the tight timeframe, the cranes have to place precast concrete modules of up to 20-30 tonnes.
Both have been configured with 50m jibs for the project, although they can accommodate up to 80m. The MCT 1005 is working with a 43.1m height under hook, while the MCT 1105 has a 63.1m height under its hook. Maximum possible freestanding height for both is 69.7m. Both cranes can also lift a maximum of 50 tonnes; for the job, the MCT 1005 will lift 8 tonnes at its 80m jib radius, while the MCT 1105 can lift 11 tonnes at the same radius. When working with a 50m jib, as on the Sindalah project, the MCT 1005 will lift 21.5 tonnes at the jib end, and the MCT 1105 will lift 22.8 tonnes.
“Not only are the MCT 1105 and MCT 1005 very powerful cranes that meet most lifting demands, but they were also a joy for our erectors to install,” said Al Zahlawi. “Witnessing their enthusiasm for the job and Potain’s new design developments brings us great satisfaction.”
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