NFT, one of the world’s top suppliers of tower cranes, has supplied nine units of Potain MCT 205 for a major new tech-focused development in Dubai, UAE.

Potain is a major brand from Manitowoc Company, a leading global manufacturer of cranes and lift solutions. 

A long-time business partner of Potain, NFT said eight of its advanced MCT 205 topless cranes along with an MC 205 B top-slewing model was delivered to China State Construction Engineering Corporation for the upcoming Silicon Park development.

Spanning 150,000 sq m, Silicon Park will be a mixed-use development and also a free-trade zone with a focus on tech businesses. It is the brainchild of developer Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, with China State Construction acting as main contractor on the job.

The new facility will have some of the strongest green credentials in the region, in line with Dubai Municipality’s Green Building Regulations and international LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.

Buildings will include apartments, offices, leisure facilities, a museum and a mall.

According to NFT, the nine cranes will help construct some 23 low-rise buildings, and their duties include the handling of building materials and structural elements.

Abdul Zidan, construction manager on the Silicon Park project for China State Construction, said the tight timescale for the project had dictated the cranes’ selection.

"We are using the nine Potain cranes to cover 97,300 sq m of the project," remarked Zidan.

The Potain MCT 205 topless cranes have a maximum capacity of 10 t and can lift 1.75 t at their maximum jib end of 65 m. Fittingly for the Silicon Park job, the cranes have a strong focus on fast erection. The complete upper works can be assembled in four lifts, while the full 65 m jib can be placed in a single lift.

The MC 205 B is a regular-design, top-slewing crane and a proven performer on job sites across the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Latin America. It also has a 10 t maximum capacity, 60 m jib and 2.4 t jib end capacity.

"All are good-quality, reliable machines, and NFT has provided us with good service and maintenance support. Having NFT with us has helped keep this project moving swiftly despite its congested schedule, and delays have been kept to a minimum," stated Zidan.
 
Potain’s advanced topless designs, he stated, makes them ideal for busy job sites where multiple cranes need to work together. Because the cranes can overlap within shorter vertical spaces, working heights can be optimized, he said.

Nabil Al Zahlawi, managing partner at NFT, said the MCT 205 units were a perfect choice for the Silicon Park project.

“We selected the MCT 205 for China State Construction because it is a crane that’s strong, compact and fast to erect,” he observed.

“We were also able to use our position as the world’s largest owner of Potain cranes to ensure that we met the tight delivery timescale. Our engineering team worked closely with the customer to get this project off the ground as quickly as possible, and we have been providing ongoing support to ensure work proceeds smoothly,” remarked Al Zahlawi.

With over 1,500 tower cranes in its fleet, The Abu Dhabi-based NFT operates offices in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar and Kuwait.
 
This ongoing support includes managing all telescoping operations to allow the cranes to increase their working heights as needed. The working heights vary from 40 m to 55 m, and all nine cranes have been configured with jib lengths between 50 m and 60 m.

Because there are so many cranes on the project, NFT has also specified Potain’s Top Tracing anti-collision technology. And further control is ensured thanks to Potain’s variable frequency technology for all hoisting, slewing and trolleying mechanisms. This optimizes the speed of the cranes’ movements and also regulates their power consumption for better efficiency.

Christophe Simoncelli, the vice president, tower crane sales, Asia and the Middle East, at Manitowoc, said NFT played a crucial role in ensuring Potain cranes were selected for this landmark development.

“It is very pleasing to see another high-profile development in the Middle East selecting Potain cranes, and it’s no surprise to see NFT is at the heart of it,” remarked Simoncelli.

"Our designs aim to provide the lifting strength and speed that contractors need, but equally important is having strong local support. With NFT we have not only one of the best partners in the region, but one of the very best in the world," he added.-TradeArabia News Service