FASSI PROJECT: DESIGN FOR AN ARTICULATED TOWER-MOUNTED CRANE

May 31, 2012

Schuster Concrete owns and deploys a fleet of 9 Potain tower cranes in the Baltimore, Maryland area. Usually, for the construction of a 10-storey building, a normal tower crane that can cover the building’s footprint is used. In this case the building to be constructed was situated in the only undeveloped corner of the block, and to complicate matters further, in proximity to a rescue helicopter landing pad.

The solution: a Fassi F1500RA ccrane with jib and winch which guarantees high performance with a working configuration of 20° for the angle formed between the main and secondary booms in relation to the column. The crane can also extend the hydraulic extensions under full load from completely retracted to completely extended. The latter requirement proved to be essential, as during construction site activities it would be necessary to ensure that the nearby heliport could be fully operational. With a maximum of just 7 minutes’ warning, the crane – even when fully loaded – would need to return the configuration of the booms to 20° and with the extensions retracted to allow the helicopter to land correctly. On top of that, once the helicopter has landed, for safety reasons, the crane can continue site operations by maintaining the 20° configuration of the booms, but with free outreach for the extensions.