Tandem lift secures presidential suite in Dubai

The Viceroy hotel is being built by China State Construction Engineering Corporation at Palm Jumeirah Island in Dubai, on behalf of Skai Holdings. Due to be completed in 2016, the hotel will have 481 rooms, 221 residences, ten restaurants, and several leisure facilities.

The presidential suite is a bridge-like structure between the two main wings of the complex, supported by ten trusses each weighing between 50-130t and mounted across the span of the complex at a height of 60m.

As the jobsite was under construction and due to existing infrastructure, the cranes used to lift the trusses had to be positioned more than 100m away on the beach. Typically a 3,000t heavy lift crane would be used, said Mammoet, but due to space restrictions and the extensive ground improvement work that a heavy lift crane would require, two cranes were used to perform a tandem lift instead.

The two cranes, a 1,600t CC8800 and a 600t LR1600, performed a synchronized 8m-long crawl during the lift, while supporting the load at maximum radius and load capacity for the operating height.

Nabil Akiki, chief executive at Skai Holdings, said: "I am really impressed with Mammoet's professionalism and commitment, it was the right decision to contract this critical job to Mammoet."