Having as many as ten cranes on a construction site requires precise planning for efficient site operation.
The largest timber campus in Europe, currently being developed, sees 10 Liebherr EC-B series tower cranes involved in the 650 million Euro project in Nanterre near Paris, France. The campus is designed to create a new connection between nature and the workplace and is sustainable thanks to its solid wood construction.
Liebherr customer GCC, behind the campus development, has 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 in operation. The jibs in use are between 47.5 and 60 metres in length. Hook heights range from 41 to 59 metres. As a result of these configurations and their flat-top design, the cranes can rotate above each other without encountering any problems. The transport and assembly-optimised cranes can, depending on the model, lift a maximum of ten or twelve tonnes. A 280 EC-H 12 high-top crane is additionally in use for the construction of the service centre.
All cranes are equipped with an anti-collision system from the French manufacturer AMCS technologies to ensure optimal safety. The machines also include LiUP operator lifts, which particularly benefit crane operators and service engineers working at high hook heights, as is the case here. LiUP is designed to transport two people or a load of 200 kilograms. It gives crane operators quick access to their workplace and spares service engineers a strenuous climb during maintenance work.
The project on the banks of the Seine will provide 125,000 square metres of office and service space and will be mostly built of solid wood. The offices are set to be spread over five buildings and each of them will be named after a tree: Almond, Pine, Cedar, Fir and Spruce. A park, a fruit and vegetable garden for the use of campus restaurants, and two renovated industrial buildings will complete the area. The campus will offer ongoing contact with nature so that employees working there can relax and concentrate better. Measures designed to reduce the site’s carbon footprint include the reuse of materials, bioclimatic architecture and a geothermal system that will cover up to 80 percent of heating and cooling requirements.