Yee Hop’s rooftop Grove in Hong Kong

Contractor Yee Hop Engineering came up with an unusual solution for placing construction materials on the roof of a building in Hong Kong.

Yuen Long MTR (commuter rail) station in Hong Kong is undergoing improvements. One is construction of a parapet wall around the edge of the roof of the building. To hoist materials for this a 45 tonne capacity Grove RT550E rough terrain crane was set up on the roof. It lifted rebar and cement in loads weighing up to 14 tonnes.

“The RT550E is ideal for delicate lifting operations on the station roof because of its relatively low gross vehicle weight of 28,500 kg and excellent stability,” said a Yee Hop Engineering spokesperson.

Lifting operations have to be carefully managed as the West Rail Line station remains open and operational throughout the rebuilding work, crane manufacturer Manitowoc said.

The RT550E has a 39 metre boom and reach can be increased to 47 m with the addition of a jib attachment. Yee Hop Engineering, established in 1989, was employed as a subcontractor on the project to handle foundations, site formation and road-building work, Manitowoc said.