First Grove GMK7450 in Australia; first Potain MD 1100 in Hunan province
18 March 2008
AUSTRALIA: Sydney-based Melrose Cranes & Rigging is the first to receive a Grove GMK7450 all terrain crane in Australia. According to manufacturer Manitowoc Crane Group, it will be the largest all terrain crane in the state of New South Wales.
Melrose will use the crane for a range of construction tasks, including tower crane erection, handling pre-cast concrete sections, placing air conditioning units and tilt-up work with concrete panels.
Melrose will also put the crane to work in power plants and mines. The seven axle all terrain crane has a maximum capacity of 496 tons (450 tonnes), a 196 foot (60 meter) main boom and a gross vehicle weight of 186,509 pounds (84,600 kg) on seven axles.
“We studied the market hard and were really attracted by the versatility and capacity of the Grove 7450,” said Gregg Melrose, co-owner of the company. “It is road legal in our state of New South Wales when traveling with the boom and that was a massive factor. Other large all terrain cranes – even some with lower capacities than the Grove – must remove the boom to legally travel. We can road the Grove's 7450 with the boom dolly and that is going to make it a very cost efficient heavy lift solution.”
CHINA: The first Potain MD 1100 tower crane is at work on construction of the Qingshuitang Hydropower Station close to the city of Huaihua in Hunan province, China.
On the job, client and main contractor Gezhouba Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Group has designed the new dam around the MD 1100 and will use it to pour more than 200,000 m3 of concrete – almost half the total required in the project. The crane is using a 6 m3 concrete bucket for the pouring that weighs 22 tons (20 tonnes) when full.
The Qingshuitang hydropower station will sit on the middle reaches of the Yuan River. The project has four sections: main dam, powerhouse, ship's lock and bank protection. The capacity of the power station will be 128 MW while the highest point of the dam will be 506 feet (154.5 meters).
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