In April 2021, Bennetts Cranes extended the height of a Raimondi LR 213 tower crane at a site in Fulham to 105 metres, making it the tallest freestanding luffing jib tower crane known to be in operation in the UK at that point. Freestanding cranes have grown in popularity in recent years due to the flexibility and manoeuvrability they offer to construction sites.
The site, Chelsea Creek, in Fulham, already had a selection of one, two and three bedroom homes being built by St George, part of Berkeley Group. This was an ambitious deployment as it required exceeding the typical freestanding luffing jib crane heights used for residential developments which usually are 30 – 60 metres tall. The first phase of erecting the Raimondi LR 213 began in August 2020, initially with a 55 metre mast. The final height of the crane aimed to be 105 metres in order to reach the requirements of constructing 32 storey buildings. To support such a tall height, the base for the crane was 4.5 metres squared to ensure optimal stability.
