PTC giants complete testing

Mammoet has completed testing of its three new PTC 140/200 DS super heavy lift ring cranes in Westdorpe, the Netherlands.

In one of the final tests a 140,000 tonne-metre rated PTC 140 DS was rigged with 140 metre main boom and 106 m luffing jib. The tip of the jib was more than 250 m (820 feet) high. In this configuration the crane's lifting capacity is 1,000 tonnes.

In other configurations the new cranes have capacities up to 3,200 tonnes and load moment ratings of 200,000 tonne-metres. The lifting and transport services company designed the cranes in-house for large construction projects, including oil refineries, power stations and offshore structures throughout the world.

Three extreme load tests were also carried out at minimum radius: a 1,000 tonne load was pulled 7 m sideways; a 1,100 tonne load was put through a dynamic load test, which involves slewing, lifting, lowering and luffing; and a 1,250 tonne load was lifted to meet 125% overload test requirements.

The tests were witnessed by Lloyd's Register. "The successful completion of the test programme means that the new super heavy lift cranes have now proven that they can withstand the worst-case loads presented by their thousands of load charts," said a Mammoet spokesman.