Bennetts Cranes has installed a hydraulic luffing jib crane to support construction company Volkerfitzpatrick with the heavy-lifting at a seven-storey development in Kings Cross, London.
The site will include space for offices, retail units, restaurants and residential space. This specific site is called ‘The Apex’ and will be one of six new builds forming the ‘Tribeca’ development in Kings Cross.
Cranes for tight spaces
Having worked with Bennetts Cranes on several sites, Volkerfitzpatrick knew exactly which crane make and model they wanted. They asked for the Raimondi LRH 174 due to its flexibility when working in tight spaces. The Apex site is small with limited space to work within due to nearby obstructions. In this case, the Apex is very close to a canal, which the crane mustn’t oversail. Fortunately, the Raimondi LRH 174 has a small out-of-service radius and includes anti-collision AMCS zoning technology which stops the crane from working when it gets to a specified area, like the canal. The site team worked closely with the Canal & River Trust to ensure the correct procedures were followed.
When installing the crane, it was important that a one metre stretch of the canal’s footpath was not interrupted, as the footpath was still in use by the general public. Bennetts overcame this by installing the crane using a nine-metre-wide mobile crane. By using a narrower mobile crane, it gave them more room to erect and position the crane into place. The site also required a short rig configuration and had to restrict the slewing area to 180° – instead of the usual 360°- which meant it had less room to rotate around due to the nearby obstacles.
The Raimondi LRH 174 crane also saved space because the jib can be specified at different lengths and lifted in short sections minimising the area needed on the ground when installing and dismantling. For this site the jib had to be split as there was only 28m of space in which to build it. Instead of the conventional method of rope lifting the luffer into place, the jib had to be lifted in two sections and then joined in the air. To ensure the safety of the construction team and the general public, the road was closed for the installation.
Raimondi LRH 174’s key features
Despite being relatively small and lightweight for a tower crane, the LRH 174 does not compromise on lifting capacity.
At the Apex site it was important that the crane could lift 5 tonnes around the building’s perimeter. The LRH 174 has a lift capacity of 5.1tonne at the end of its 35m, and a maximum lift capacity of 10tonnes.
Bennetts and Volkerfitzpatrick worked closely on this development to ensure the crane adapted to the specific site requirements. Ultimately, this helped run a smooth, uninterrupted project.
Finding the right crane
Bennetts Cranes has an extensive modern fleet of luffing jib, saddle jib, and remotely-controlled cranes. Its team of experts can help find the right combination of lifting solutions for the most complex of heavy lifting challenges. To discuss your project, call 01453 811754 today.
