Wolff luffers in East London

UK housing developer Wates Residential is using three hydraulic luffing jib cranes from Baar, Switzerland-headquartered crane manufacturer Wolffkran. The cranes comprise a Wolff 166 B and the first two Wolff 133 B luffers in Wolffkran UK’s rental fleet.

They are being used on Wates Residential’s Gascoigne Road project in Barking, East London. The £62 million (US$ 80 million) project is designed to renew Barking and Dagenham Council’s aging housing stock on the west side of the Gascoigne Estate with 201 new homes. Completion is scheduled for spring 2022.

Wolffkran said the cranes are well-suited to working on the narrow jobsite, surrounded by residential areas and a school. The three cranes were located in a row to serve each of the three new housing blocks and are due to be on-site for over a year. The luffers’ hydraulic luffing mechanisms allow the cranes to park their jibs at a much steeper radius which enabled them to be located closer to each other.

The 166 B and 133 B luffers can freestand to a height of 93 metres. Component weights can be split down to five tonnes for erection and dismantling.