Potain on massive Chinese bridge project
Cranes contending with high winds and monsoon condtions
Potain tower cranes are currently at work building one of the world’s longest cable-stayed bridges in the mountains of southern China.
Thrashed by high winds and monsoon conditions, the cranes are working 1,500 metres above sea level to build the Duge Beipanjiang Bridge, which will span 720m on completion.
Six Potain tower cranes will work on the bridge during the course of the 570 million RMB project, and must contend with the monsoon climate, which fluctuates from freezing temperatures, high winds and snow through to drought and dust storms.
Two cranes have already been erected at the job site and are working on the bridge’s main pylons on either side of the huge Beipanjiang Canyon. The four other Potain cranes will arrive over the next few months and all of the cranes will work at the site for four years.
The cranes will climb to final working heights of up to 290 m to complete the ambitious project. Operations for the cranes run for 14 hours a day, every day, with both required to lift construction materials and equipment in loads of up to 20 tonnes.
Liupanshui Shengsheng Construction Equipment Leasing Co., Ltd., owns the Potain MCT 370 cranes and the company selected them for this project following favorable experiences on other job sites, said Shi Wenyang, general manager of Shengsheng.
“Potain tower cranes are a premium product that demonstrate their value when pushed to their limits. This bridge-building project is highly ambitious, and has a climate and location that will really test these cranes.
“But we know what they are capable of having used them on several previous projects. Potain cranes have always proven their value beyond our expectations.”
Zhao Chao, deputy chief engineer of the project, said the support offered by Manitowoc Crane Care is a major reassurance on such a complicated project. The cranes were transported more than 2,000 kilometres from Potain’s production facility in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province, to the job site – much of it along narrow and winding roads.
“The construction site is not conveniently located and working conditions on site can be very demanding,” said Zhao. “But Manitowoc’s team has come here many times to provide the best solution that meets our challenging needs.”
Main contractor in charge of the build is Second Harbour Engineering Company, a subsidiary of the Fortune 500 listed China Communications Construction Company Ltd.
Total length for the bridge will be 1,340m and having started in 2012, work is expected to complete in 2016. The bridge’s pylons will measure 269m and 247m in height, and so the cranes are fitted with powerful winches that enable them to lift 17t loads up to 270m high.
The maximum jib length of the MCT 370 is 75m while 2.7t can be lifted at the jib end. The MCT 370 has a maximum free-standing height of more than 64m.
