Merlo at the Metz Pompidou Centre

The new Pompidou Centre in Metz, France contains the works of Matisse, Picasso, Brancusi, Tinguely as well as many others. It also showcases the latest in design and building technologies being constructed in steel, concrete and wood with a dramatically sweeping cantilevered 'tent' roof.

The basis for the interwoven, prefabricated structure is a steel scaffold pipe system, which permits access throughout the building process for boom-type lifts and platforms.

Rental company Amann GmbH was chosen to supply the machines for site use and had up to five Merlo Roto telehandlers, of various sizes, in use at one time. Each of the 25 m, 21 m and 16 m Rotos was fitted with a Merlo SPACE system, which allows reach through and around the pipework structure.

The fixing of all of the various components and the mounting of the central tower crane was possible because of the great versatility of the Roto and SPACE combination.

Each of the Rotos has a telescopic boom: ranging from simple, three-section booms, to the five-section assembly used on the biggest - the Roto 40.25 MCSS that gives over 25 m of lifting height.

The SPACE platform adds the flexibility of its own telescopic extension (up to 11m), and a working basket, which can be slewed 300 deg around its vertical axis.

On the Rotos with SPACE two workers can safely work at up to 36 m, but they can also go up through apertures in the structure and even around corners. .

The Roto MCSS (Merlin Computerised Safety System) machines, were particularly suitable for the confined spaces on this job. MCSS was developed in-house by Merlo engineers: the system automatically compensates when the outrigger configuration is changed it means the machines work safely with the stabilisers asymmetrically deployed - even, for example, with the outriggers on one side completely retracted.