Close encounter

A Potain MCi 85 top-slewing tower crane is leading the construction on the US$67 million Wave 1^st Silver Tower retail and office development in Noida, India.

Main contractor and development company on the project is Wave Silver Tower Pvt Ltd, which took delivery of the crane in December 2009.

Vineet Jayee, deputy purchasing manager at Wave Silver Tower Pvt Ltd, said lifting capacity and precision were key elements of the project. "This is an important project, and we needed a crane that not only has the necessary lift capacity, but also can transport loads carefully and precisely within a confined area. We also like that the cranes are manufactured in India. When we purchased the crane, we wanted quick after-sales service."

The MCi 85 crane, built at Manitowoc's factory in Pune, India, is lifting loads at heights of 60 m and working in close proximity to other buildings. There is also a Metro line construction taking place some 20 m away.

The contractor rigged the crane with 45 m of jib and limited its slewing to 180 degrees. It is lifting sand, steel bars, shuttering plates and concrete weighing between 2 and 3 tonnes. The crane will remain on site until the project finishes in February 2011.

When complete, the Wave 1^st Silver Tower will have four floors dedicated to retail and 11 dedicated to offices, each floor covering 1,850 m². The design includes an elevated atrium, green landscaped pedestrian area and energy efficient external façade. Internally, column-free spaces allow for personalized office designs.