Coastal flat tops

Nine Terex tower cranes have been working for contractor Rizzani de Eccher on the Portopiccolo residential and leisure resort in Sistiana Bay, near Triest, Italy

Working towards a December 2013 completion, the Terex flat top tower cranes include three CTT 181B-8s, three CTT 161A-8s, and three earlier GTS models.

The 35-hectacre Portopiccolo resort will include 490 apartments and sea-front villas, a five star hotel, plus other hotel accommodation, 25 shops, 11 restaurants and bars, five swimming pools, 9,600 square metres of beach and a 100-berth marina.

For the Rizzani de Eccher team, high wind speeds, a rocky Adriatic cliffside location, and the implications of using nine crane units in close quarters were all part of a challenging planning process.

The site itself is located on a steep escarpment, so the ground had to be cleared of trees, shrubs and rocks. The worksite was then leveled into terraces and stabilised before the cranes could be anchored onto their heavy reinforced concrete base.

The position of each crane was planned to account for wind speeds and to avoid collisions at working heights ranging from 25 to 45 meters. During the three-year project, the nine cranes will be lifting a substantial portion of the 120, 000 square metres of concrete and 10, 500 tonnes of iron needed to complete the project.

"Since the beginning of the year the cranes have been working virtually every day, at a reliable, steady pace," said Carlo Carlo Rugo, Rizzani de Eccher construction manager.

Designed for use in confined areas, near airports or in conjunction with other flat top cranes, Terex CTT flat top tower cranes are well-suited for heavy lifting and placement duties, said the manufacturer. The range includes 26 models offering maximum lifting capacities from 2 to 40 tonnes and maximum jib lengths from 40 to 84 m.