Potain extends Tasmanian museum
29 January 2020Australian contractor Fairbrother used a Potain Igo T 85 A to extend the Mona museum in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. The self-erector was chosen for its flexibility and lifting capacity, as well as the close control of its movements.
“The Potain Igo T 85 A balances the best of a mobile crane with the lifting abilities of a tower crane — it was compact enough to fit between existing buildings while providing up to 6t in lifting capacity. Plus, from a cost perspective the Igo T 85A stacked up as the best option,” said Phil De Jong, project manager at Fairbrother.
Working around 10 hours daily, the Potain Igo T 85 A was erected behind the museum to lift construction material like steel beams, scaffolding, steel and concrete panels, as well as to remove soil for the underground tunnels. The crane lifted loads ranging from 300kg to 6t, for up to 80 loads on busy days.
“A traditional tower crane doesn’t provide the flexibility for quick relocation or setup, but the Igo T 85 A was easy to erect and dismantle so we could move it to the centre of the project when needed,” De Jong said.
Fairbrother set up the Igo T 85 A in two locations. In its second location, the crane was configured with a 30m working height and the maximum 45m jib length. The Igo T 85 A has a maximum working height of up to 51m available in raised jib position.
Established in 2011, Mona, or the Museum of New and Old Art, is the largest privately-funded museum in the Southern Hemisphere. It houses ancient, modern and contemporary art from founder David Walsh’s collection. The new Siloam extension opened to the public in June.
The new AUD27m Siloam extension at Mona is a complex of chambers, gallery spaces and connecting tunnels featuring artworks by Alfredo Jaar, Ai Weiwei, Oliver Beer and Christopher Townend. Siloam is a vast new subterranean extension that provides an alternate connection between Mona and the museum’s other existing gallery Pharos.
