Rounding up the latest North American tower crane projects
By D.Ann Shiffler10 April 2023
In the realm of tower crane performance, a picture really does paint a thousand words. Generally, job shots of tower cranes working provide stunning pieces of artwork. In our roundup of tower crane jobsites, we chose to present a photo essay of tower crane projects. Nine crane brands and 23 cranes are represented in the 13 jobs featured.
Lomma Crane & Rigging
Two of Lomma Crane & Rigging’s Favelle Favco M760D hydraulic tower cranes perform steel picks at the stunning new Hudson Yards project in New York City. The cranes worked in tandem and separately lifting steel for the famous project. The M760D has a maximum load rating of 64 tons at 10 meters and a maximum boom length of 70 meters. Hudson Yards is New York’s newest neighborhood and home to more than 100 diverse shops and culinary experiences, commercial office space, significant public art and dynamic cultural institutions including The Shed, modern residential spaces and 14 acres of meticulously designed public plazas, gardens and groves. It is also home to the world’s first Equinox Hotel.
Bigge Crane & Rigging
Bigge has provided four tower cranes to assist in constructing a new $700-million water reclamation facility in northern Salt Lake City, UT.
Two Terex Peiner SK 415s, one Terex Comedil CTT 472 and one Terex Comedil CTT 721B are providing lifting support to the project. According to the city’s Department of Public Utilities, the public works project is one of the largest in its history and was designed with sustainability as a key factor. The project aims to use at least 25 percent of recycled construction materials to help limit the environmental impact. The project has a targeted completion date of 2024.
Stephenson Equipment
Stephenson Equipment’s Potain T130 self-erecting tower crane is working on the Quality Buildings job in Allentown, PA. The crane is assisting in the construction of the HIVE Residences, a four-story apartment complex. With limited laydown space, the crane was erected in the middle of the building, allowing it to service the entire construction site from a single location.
Morrow Equipment
Morrow Equipment has three Liebherr cranes on Bellevue 600, which is being constructed by Sellen Construction Company. The cranes being used are two Liebherr 357 HC-L 12/24 units and one Liebherr 710 HC-L 32/64. The final height of the cranes will be 700 feet. They are hoisting concrete, steel and other construction materials. Bellevue 600 is a high-rise office building developed by Amazon in Bellevue, WA. Construction started in 2021 and is scheduled to be completed in 2024. The 43-story, 600-foot-tall building joins 555 Tower as Bellevue’s tallest building.
Wolffkran
On the Mission Rock project in San Francisco, Wolfkrann deployed two luffing tower cranes, a model 700B and a model 1250B, with 50 and 60 tons capacity respectively. The 1250B is the flagship Wolffkran model and was one of six units in operation in the world at the time. Mission Rock is a waterfront neighborhood that is an eclectic array of shops, cafes and festivals and a launchpad for producers and creators. It features innovative workplaces, affordable and market-rate homes and social amenities.
Uperio
Uperio has dispatched a Zoomlion T8030-25 to work at a Mill Creek Residential project in Charlotte, NC. The luxury multifamily community will be known as Modera SouthPark. The Zoomlion T8030-25 stands 145 feet and four inches tall and is rigged with a jib reach of 213 feet 3 inches. It was erected in June 2022 and is expected to stay through July 2023 to lift heavy concrete, timber and mechanical equipment installed in the structure. The development consists of twin buildings along a planned three-mile walking and biking trail called The Loop. A fitness center, clubrooms, a resort-style pool and a golf simulator are listed as amenities. The developer expects the first move-ins in the spring of 2024.
Select Crane Sales
Select Crane Sales had a Wolffkran 1250B working on the Parcel 12 project in Boston MA. The Parcel 12 project is still in progress, but the tower crane finished its work and was taken down in February 2023. This was a unique job as the Parcel 12 project required air rights. The project is a mixed-use development with two towers set atop a platform that goes over the MA turnpike and includes 21-story office building and 14-story hotel as well as retail space. The 1250B worked on the 21-story office building and platform over the turnpike setting steel.
Stafford Crane Group
The first Stafford Soima SGT 8041TL to be put into service in the fleet of Phoenix, AZ-based Stafford Crane Group is working on the WRAP project at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. The crane was manufactured at the Stafford Soima factory in Canas de Senhorim, Portugal.
The project is a typical post-tensioned concrete slab structure that will serve as retail and university facilities. The ASU WRAP project is a 128,000 square-foot, five-story retail and classroom building that will include instruction spaces for architecture, music, photography and art programs. This structure wraps the west side of the ASU Mill Ave Parking garage with only a 4-inch gap between the two buildings.
Rocky Mountain Crane Rental and Sales
Rocky Mountain Cranes’ Potain MRH 175 hydraulic luffing jib tower crane is working on a low income residential project in Kirkland, WA. The crane is performing jobsite logistics and will be used throughout the building cycle for all material handling. A lack of air rights over neighboring buildings and a nearby steep hillside facilitated a need for this crane.
RMS Cranes
In July 2021, Hensel Phelps Construction contracted with RMS Cranes to provide three operated tower cranes for the Chamonix Casino Hotel project in Cripple Creek, CO. The scope of work required one Potain MD 509 tower crane and two Potain MDT 219 tower cranes to provide coverage and capacity for the planned lifts. The Chamonix Casino Hotel brings a new level of elegance to Cripple Creek, featuring 300 four-star guest rooms and VIP suites as well as a casino and gambling area. Chamonix will also feature meeting and convention space for concerts and other entertainment, a rooftop pool, a luxurious spa and a new self-parking garage that will accommodate more than 300 vehicles. RMS Cranes completed the crane support portion of the project and demobilized all equipment in March of 2023. The Chamonix Casino Hotel is expected to open in the summer of 2023.
LV Collective
Developed by LV Collective, Paseo is a 48-story multifamily development planned for the heart of Rainey Street, home to one of the most popular nightlife and entertainment districts in Austin, TX. Designed to integrate into the eclectic and colorful Rainey Street District, Paseo is scheduled to deliver in 2025. The general contractor is J.E. Dunn. As of late March 2023, the Comansa 310 luffing crane onsite is lifting pier reinforcing cages and heavy dirt work equipment down into the below grade excavation for the basement and foundation of the building.
Select Crane Sales
Orange, CA-based Mr. Crane erected, operated and dismantled a Liebherr 420 EC-H 20 Litronic tower crane that worked on the Landmark II, a 412,950 square-foot Class-A office building located in the heart of the Brentwood/Wilshire corridor in Los Angeles. After the 18-story building topped out, the crane was used to lift stone sections used on the facade as well as granite and marble materials used on the interior of the building.
Sims Crane & Rigging
Sims Crane & Rigging provided two Potain MD-559 tower cranes for a job at the University of Tampa. The cranes are assisting in the construction of the Graduate & Health Studies Building, the largest academic building on campus.
Lomma Crane & RiggingBigge Crane & Rigging Stephenson Equipment Morrow Equipment Wolffkran Uperio Select Crane SalesStafford Crane Group Rocky Mountain Crane Rental and SalesRMS CranesLV Collective Select Crane SalesSims Crane & Rigging