The very first Potain MR229 luffing jib tower crane to be installed has joined the Radius group fleet and has been erected on a project in the UK.
Th crane is working for housing association L&Q Group on a project to build 476 new homes on the Greenwich Peninsula in London. The MR 229 has a maximum capacity of 14 tonnes, with jib lengths to 55 metres at which it can handle 2.7 tonnes. For this job it was installed with the full 50 metres jib and an under hook height of 37.5 metres. The out of service radius with the full jib is 12 metres, or 10 metres with a 30 metres jib.
A choice of two new high performance winches are available - the 75HPL35 fitted to this unit, or the 110HPL35. The MR 229 is also the first Potain luffing jib crane to include Manitowoc’s CCS operating system and Potain Connect telematics system.
The world’s first Potain MR 229
The new crane is working alongside three Potain MR 225 A cranes on the project. Radius originally selected four MR 225 A cranes for the job, based on a maximum capacity requirement of 2.15 tonnes at full reach, but increasing pressures to step up the pace led the company to swap one of them out for the MR 229 as soon as it became available. The cranes are due to come off site by the end of 2025, although the project itself will not be fully completed until 2027.
The cranes will remain on site until late 2025
Operations director Teddy Holt said: “Innovation has always been critical to Radius Group, and this is an exciting milestone for us. Being the first lifting provider in the world to erect an MR 229 on a live construction site is another great example of having a strong focus on continuous improvement, making Radius a lifting industry leader.”
Radius will manage the cranes throughout the project, including logistics, erection, operation and dismantling. One benefit of the crane choice is that they will be able to dismantle each other, saving money on mobile cranes.
The company works with and has access to the fleet of international tower crane supplier NFT which now runs more than 3,000 tower cranes.
Tower403
Its too bad the suits didn't bother to consult an operator before they choose to free stand those cranes at such ridiculous heights.