02.05.2012

Cranes and access to assist Niagara stunt

One or two mobile cranes and boom lifts are expected to be used to support the planned tightrope crossing of the Niagara Falls on June 15th by Nik Wallenda of the flying Wallendas.
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The Horseshoe Falls

The date, which was announced earlier today, follows prolonged lobbying to win permission to carry out the stunt and required local laws to be changed on both sides of the international border between the USA and Canada. Canada has barred tightrope crossings for 100 years, following a number of deaths while attempting the feat, a popular form of spectacle between 1850 and 1910.

Wallenda, 33, often uses cranes to support one or both sides of the tight rope cable, and usually teams up with Lomma cranes of New York. He then uses large self-propelled boom lifts to lift him and his pole and sometimes bicycle up to the rope.
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Cranes and access helping with an earlier walk

When permission was granted back in February, he confirmed that, subject to being able to position them and, depending on the approvals, he planned to use cranes for this attempt which will go over the Niagara's Horseshoe Falls.

The cable he will use is a degreased 50mm/2 inch galvanised wire rope. When making a similar walk over the three rivers junction in Pittsburgh, Wallenda used 300 and 500 tonne Terex-Demag All Terrains, supplied by New York based Lomma.
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A cycle crossing

This crossing may require a slightly larger crane, and he may chose to anchor one end of the rope rather than used two cranes. The cranes need to be capable of maintaining a tension on the cable in the region of 29 to 30 tonnes. The crane booms are usually elevated and face away from the rope – in other words the rope goes over the back of the boom.

Niagara Parks has said that the approval is a “unique one-time situation” and that Wallenda was able to prove that he had proper controls and safety measures in place. It also said the commission would only consider requests for such events from skilled professionals once every 20 years.
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Two cranes, two boomlifts plenty of wire rope and one crazy daredevil

Wallenda is the seventh generation of tightrope walkers, his grandfather fell to his death during a stunt in the 1970s. So definitely a Death Wish.
Other famous tightrope walkers that have crossed the falls, include Charles Blondin making his first crossing in 1859, the Great Farini – Willie Hunt and the first woman Maria Spelterini. Stephen Peer fell to his death during an attempt in 1887. Many of these attempts, involved a crossing over the narrower gorge, rather than directly over the famous Horseshoe falls.

Vertikal Comment

So much for FEM rules about using cranes for entertainment.