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| Grove all-terrain cranes help place pre-cast concrete units  Two 100 t capacity Grove all-terrain cranes are installing large components for a contractor specialized in installing pre-fabricated concrete structures. The GMK5110-1 and GMK4100L are working around the city of Cologne in Germany and are used at a range of commercial and residential projects to deliver smooth and precise lifts, often under tight deadline. B.F.M, based in Bruggen, is operating the cranes and is a specialist in pre-fabricated buildings. Klaus Pahnke, the company's owner, said he invested in the two Groves because of their excellent agility and precise load movement."The Grove cranes tick every box — from the way they travel to how they pick loads," he says. "They are excellent off-road and quick to set up once on site. They give us very smooth control and movement, even with heavier loads. We are very pleased with the cranes and look forward to using them on various projects." B.F.M. added the GMK5110-1 to its fleet in March 2012 while the GMK4100L arrived in December that year. Grove's GMK 5110-1 has a 110 t capacity with a 51 m main boom, which can be extended an additional 34 m with a jib. The GMK 4100L is a four-axle 100 t capacity crane with a 60 m boom, which can be extended to 77 m with a jib. One of the latest jobs for the GMK5110-1 was at Deutsche Telekom's headquarters to place a series of pillars. Each pillar measured 16 m long and weighed over 14 t, a load the GMK5110-1 can handle out to 20 m radius. The pillars were lifted from a trailer and brought into a vertical position by the crane, before being installed. The crane's speed and smooth movements allowed B.F.M. to place 15 pillars a day. "I have operated many cranes over the years, and I have to say the GMK5110-1 made the job with Deutsche Telekom so much easier than I anticipated," says Willi Esser, the crane operator. "It was a pleasure to use and I couldn't believe how smooth it was when I was placing the pillars." The GMK4100L has also been performing well and one of its latest jobs was installing a decorative concrete façade at a residential project. The four-axle crane was parked on the street and lifted materials to the front and rear of the home. Precise load control was crucial at the job site as each 3 m tall section which made up the façade, weighed up to 5.5 t and had to be placed within a tolerance of just 1 mm. Another major challenge at the job site was lifting to the rear of the house, where there was no visibility from the cab. However, this proved no problem for the GMK4100L as it is fitted with a remote control, which allowed the operator to position himself in the optimum location for placing the sections, and eliminating the need for any unsighted lifting. "You can imagine just how precise and careful we had to be," says Volker Bode, the crane operator on the GMK4100L. "But the remote control removed all of the worry – we were building someone's home and they trusted us to get it right. With the GMK4100L, we were easily able to do that." write your comments about the article :: © 2013 Construction News :: home page |