Two Raimondi flat

MILAN, ITALY — JESS Equipment Inc. has announced it has supplied two Raimondi flat-top tower cranes for use on a construction project in north Toronto.

The project, slated for North York in the city, involves construction of three new rental buildings across the street from the Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

JESS is a Canadian equipment management company operating under the Straw Construction Group. Raimondi Cranes SpA is based in Milan, Italy.

Flat-top cranes are often used in situations where multiple cranes may slew underneath or above one another. Sante Paglia, director of Jess Equipment, stated in a Feb. 27 release that due to the dimensions of the site and the project’s tight completion deadline, it was essential to choose machines with significant hoist speed.

“The decision to utilize these two Raimondis on this important project is based on the superior lifting capacity of the machines, as well as the fast lifting and loading speeds,” said Paglia.

The MRT234 presents a maximum lifting capacity of 12t. and is freestanding at a height of 35.6 metres. The machine has been configured with a jib length of 48.4 metres and a tip load of 5.6t. Equipped with a 55kW winch and a drum capacity of 700 metres, the flat-top maximum lifting speed is 22 metres per minute.

The MRT294, which freestands at a height of 36.2 metres, is at work with a jib length of 42.37 metres and a 7.6t tip load. The 16t maximum lifting capacity crane is fitted with a 75kW winch and 700-metre drum boosting a maximum lifting speed of 26 metres per minute.

The machines had a staggered installation schedule, in line with the jobsite progress. Both cranes, erected by Total Crane Hoisting and Rigging Inc., will remain onsite for a total of approximately 18 months.

“With the jobsite located in close proximity to Yorkdale Shopping Centre, one of the busiest centres in Toronto, as well as the Highway 401, one of the most trafficked highways in Canada, the biggest challenges of the project were to ensure smooth operations when accessing the site and to guarantee that the cranes do not swing outside the boundaries of the site,” Paglia explained.

Upon completion, the site will feature three towers with 760 residential rental units, commercial spaces and other amenities.