US contractors say Potain HDT 80 self-erectors ideal for tight sites

12 September 2011

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Manitowoc’s Potain HDT 80 self-erecting tower crane has been proving its worth and providing cost savings on job sites across North America, according to the manufacturer.

With a maximum lifting capacity of 6.6t and maximum working radius of 45m, despite a footprint measuring just under 21m2, the HDT 80 has recently been showcasing its abilities on two tight construction sites in Indiana and Pennsylvania.

At Chambersburg hospital in Pennsylvania, contractor Waggoner Construction chose the HDT 80 for lifting structural elements during construction of a new four-storey extension to the hospital’s premises.

Along with its compact design being ideal for the hospital site, the HDT 80 operates on electric power, which ensured that noise emissions were kept to minimal levels during working hours.

Waggoner Construction’s owner, Byron Waggoner was pleased with the crane’s performance on the constrained site, commenting: “We use the crane to lift materials for our concrete work; we lift items including gang forms, lumber, rebar and even some structural steel. The crane works six days a week from the time we get to the job at 6am until we go home at 5pm. The crane has performed well the entire time.”

Mentioning another feature of the crane, Waggoner adds: “The operator can see the load the entire time while he’s in the cab. We do not need to rely on a dedicated signal man to direct lifting operations.”

The cab on a Potain HDT 80 is capable of traveling up and down the tower, and so affords the operator visibility of the load for the entire lift. Remote control of the crane from the ground is also an option.

Both at Chambersburg Hospital and at an apartment complex being built by Larry R Wagler Construction in Indianapolis, Indiana, this feature has been used.

The firm’s owner, Larry Wagler has been using two HDT 80s to set walls and trusses on a crowded downtown site near the campus of Indiana University.

Again this is a constricted site, so the cranes have to use the HDT 80s under hook height of nearly 54m to work with overlapping zones of operation.

Wagler says the cranes still managed to work efficiently, commenting: “The Potain self-erecting cranes are great for compact job sites. The cranes take very little room to set up, they’re also quick to erect.”


Potain's MDT 80 at work on the Chambersburg Hospital extension project Potain's MDT 80 at work on the Chambersburg Hospital extension project