The top ten

French construction, energy and property development company GCC is using ten Liebherr flat top slewing tower cranes on a high profile eco development in Nanterre, in the western suburbs of Paris, France.

The jobsite is called the ‘Arboretum’ development and is one of the largest timber new build sites in Europe. Once finished it will comprise 125,000 square metres of office and service space and will be primarily built of solid wood.

The cranes being used on site include: two 220 EC-B 10s; two 250 EC-B 10s; one 250 EC-B 12; two 285 EC B 12s; two 340 EC-B 12s; and one 370 EC-B 12. The cranes have different hook heights, jib lengths, and load capacities and will remain on site until mid-2023.

A 280 EC-H 12 high-top will additionally be used for the construction of the service centre.

Due to the number of cranes they have to be coordinated to avoid interference. To ensure this the cranes are fitted with anti-collision systems from the French manufacturer AMCS Technologies.

The machines also include Liebherr’s LiUP operator lift. LiUP is designed to transport two people or a load of 200kg.

The cranes are lifting 20,000 cubic metres of wood, which has been sourced from sustainably managed forests, as well as 55,000 cubic metres of concrete, with loads weighing up to several tonnes.

The cranes position timber and concrete elements such as posts, beams, columns, staircases and lifts. This, Liebherr says, is supported by the cranes’ Micromove fine positioning mode assistance system designed for greater load positioning accuracy. This also helps protect precast filigree concrete parts and existing constructions on site, Liebherr adds.

Most of the cranes are new machines that GCC has secured under a leasing agreement. “Leasing means that customers always benefit from the latest cranes,” explains Sébastien Chalvet, Liebherr key account manager for the Île-de-France region. Liebherr’s French service agent, Liebherr-Grues à Tour, is responsible for overall fleet management. “Working this way ensures that cranes are perfectly maintained for maximum availability and that we can guarantee our customers the highest possible safety standards,” Chalvet adds.