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| Manitowoc cranes work on winter Olympic contracts in Russia  Close to 50 Potain tower cranes and several Grove mobile cranes are involved in the preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The cranes are working for a number of different contractors and were supplied by rental companies from across the country. Sergey Neznamov, sales manager for Manitowoc cranes in the Russia/CIS region, said Manitowoc cranes were chosen for their strength and reliability. "The contractors are working in tough environments, so they want cranes that are strong and reliable," he said."Sochi is benefiting from the investment of the Winter Olympics, but this project is still quite remote. It's important that the cranes need only regular maintenance and repair, as major replacements cause more difficulties. To avoid this, the contractors are turning to trusted brands, such as Manitowoc, for equipment. And they know that in Manitowoc's case, it has Manitowoc Crane Care to provide industry-leading aftermarket product support." The largest single collection of Manitowoc models are the 16 cranes working on the Cross-Country Skiing and Biathlon complex, Psekhako Ridge, which is funded by Russian energy giant Gazprom. There are two 1.8 t Igo 18 cranes, a 4 t Igo 50 and an 8 t GTMR360B, from Potain's range of self-erecting cranes, on the project. From the top-slewing range, there are six 10 t MC 235 cranes, a 5 t MCT 88, an 8 t MD 185 B, two 12 t MC 310 cranes and two topless MDT 178 cranes, with a capacity of 8 t. Another sporting venue using Potain cranes is the Rosa Khutor Alpine Center in the Caucasus Mountains, where the main contractor has used up to seven top-slewing cranes. At the peak of construction, there were six 5 t capacity Potain MC 85 B cranes plus an MDT 178, all on rental contracts. This project has an additional Potain tower crane, a 12 t MD 235, building the ski jump, assisted by a 25 t capacity Grove TMS250 truck crane. A series of hotels are also under construction — and many are using Potain cranes. The cranes have been supplied by several different companies and span the full range of Potain products. There are topless cranes, including an MCT 88, MDT 128 and MDT 178. There are two MC 235 B cranes, a 10 t MD 208 A and three 3 t MD 125 cranes from the regular top-slewing range. From the self-erecting range, there is an Igo 50 and a 4 t Igo 36. One contractor has also sent two MD 125 cranes and an MDT 178 to work on the main office building for the International Olympic Committee. There is also another hotel being built for IOC members, and the construction company is using an older 10 t Potain H 25/14C. The security center is also being built by a Potain crane, an Igo 50 supplied by a local contractor. In addition to the Potain cranes at work across the Winter Olympics development, there are also Grove cranes in the region. On the main roadrail project from Adler to Krasnaya Polyana, which will transport athletes, visitors and workers to the Olympic site, there are three Grove all-terrain cranes: a 50 t GMK3050, a 100 t GMK4100 and a 180 t GMK5180. These cranes were recently joined by two 60 t RT765E-2 rough-terrain cranes, which are working on an infrastructure job. Sergey Neznamov said there is still much to do in preparation for the prestigious sporting event, but with Manitowoc cranes, construction is staying on schedule. "Sochi has the perfect setting for the Winter Olympics, but there is a challenging program of construction to make sure the infrastructure is ready in time," he said. "The fact that so many Manitowoc cranes are working on so many different projects gives a true idea of the scale of this development. It is probably one of the largest construction sites in Russia at present." write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Construction News :: home page |