Bennetts Cranes, the exclusive dealer of Raimondi cranes in the UK, has recently achieved a significant milestone by installing four Raimondi flat-top tower cranes at The Green Quarter site in West London. This development, located in the Borough of Ealing, is part of one of London’s most ambitious waterside regeneration projects, set to provide modern residential homes, commercial spaces, retail outlets, and essential community facilities.
Bennetts Cranes has a longstanding partnership with the industry-leading contractor responsible for The Green Quarter project. The installation of three MRT159s and one MRT152 flat-top tower crane reflects their commitment to providing cutting-edge equipment for complex construction endeavors.
Edward Seager, Managing Director of Bennetts Cranes, expressed his enthusiasm for the project, saying, “We were thrilled to continue our relationship with an industry-leading contractor by providing these four Raimondi flat-tops. It was also great to see that the contractor for this project has a 10-year-old crane policy, which means that all the machines deployed on-site cannot be any more than 10 years old by the end of construction.”
Between 2022 and 2023, the four flat-top cranes were erected, each designed to meet the unique demands of The Green Quarter development. Two of the three MRT159-8t tower cranes feature a jib length of 44 meters and tower heights of 47.2 meters and 67.8 meters. The remaining MRT159 and the MRT152 are both installed with a radius of 38 meters and heights of 64.9 meters and 47.3 meters, respectively.
Seager explained the benefits of using flat-top saddle jib cranes in this specific project, where multiple cranes operate in close proximity, saying, “The use of flat-top saddle jib cranes in this particular case, where each crane oversails or is oversailed by at least two other machines, has helped to minimize the height difference needed between them. This has boosted the cranes’ productivity in terms of load lifting time compared to an A-frame crane solution.”
Furthermore, the shorter tower height has environmental and cost advantages, as it reduces base loadings, thereby requiring less steel and concrete for the crane bases.
Another standout feature of Raimondi cranes is the 2.5-meter boom length sections, which Seager emphasized. “Other cranes typically feature sections of 5 meters. Smaller sections, such as those developed by Raimondi, allow for more accurate jib configurations – 2 x 44 meters and 2 x 38 meters – helping to optimize the use of space and maximize load handling time for greater productivity and efficiency.”
The Raimondi flat-top cranes will remain on-site for approximately another 12 months, playing a pivotal role in transforming a former gasworks and overflow airport car park into a nature-rich area for the local community. Their presence exemplifies the commitment to innovation and efficiency that characterizes the construction industry’s evolution
