38
SITE REPORT
LIFTING
ACT
JANUARY 2015
theMR415was able toquickly lift loads to
the topof the construction.
“Line speed iswhereyou reallyneed
performancewhenworkingat thisheight,”
saidRodrigues. “The line speedof the
MR415 reduceda lot of time thatwould
havebeen spent liftingon thisproject. It
was important that the crane replicate the
speedatwhichwehad seen itworkon
otherprojects in the cityand forus, it did
deliver.”
The215LBR120winch that is fittedon
thePotainMR415 iswhat gives the crane
impressive line speeds.Whenworking
in single fall, thishoistingunit can lift
loadsof 2.6 tons at speedsof 840 feet per
minute.Anotheruseful featureof the215
LBR120, especiallyonhigh-riseprojects
suchas 432ParkAvenue, is its ability to
accommodateup to1,903 feet of ropeon
thedrum.
Tricky lifts
The lifts for 432ParkAvenuewere
particularly tricky. The closeproximityof
adjacent buildings (aswithall projects in
NewYorkCity)was a constant challenge.
Andwhen theoperator rose to1,500 feet
in the air–above the clouds–he could
not see the loadshewaspicking from the
street below. Roger&SonsConcrete relied
onboth careful communicationand the
crane’sprecision control to complete the
lifts.
The215horsepower-rated electricwinch
on thePotainMR415 ensures acceleration
anddeceleration run smoothly. This gave
theoperator fromRoger&SonsConcrete
much closer control and
moreprecisepositioning for
theproject.
“Every loadwas a ‘critical
pick’ foruson thisproject,”
saidRodrigues. “Sometimes
therewereobstacles
only20- to30-feet from
wherewehad to lift. But
our certified signalmen,
alongwith licensed crane
operators, kept in constant
communication, and in the
end, the accuracyof the
MR415 ensured smooth,
efficient operationwithno
errors.”
Workingat suchgreat
heights, the choice touse
an electric tower craneover
diesel-fueled tower crane
provided several benefits,
Rodrigues explained.
“The electricMR415was
great in the cold–weneverhad toworry
about the enginenot startingdue to
temperature andaltitude,”he said. “Also,
wedidn’t have to lift 500gallonaerial
fueling tanks for fueling the craneor 55
gallondrumsof oil formaintenance tasks,
which really saved time, andultimately,
moneyon theproject.”
Usingan electric cranewas alsoamore
environmental choice, keepingwith the
company’s green efforts, Rodrigues added.
Roger&SonsConcretepurchased the
crane fromTransportEquipment Sales, a
JFLommaCompany. Rodrigues said the
company felt confident purchasing from
Lommabecauseof its successwithPotain
tower cranes.Also, he said, the company
was encouragedby theManitowocCrane
Care serviceoffered fromManitowoc and
Lomma.
“Manitowoc’sCraneCare service is
on call 24/7, and thatwaspart of our
decision topurchase thePotainMR415,”
he explained. “Down time ismoneyand
whenwepickup thephone, someonehas
toanswer and resolve theproblem forus.
Thiswasour first timeworkingwithan
electric tower crane and in thebeginning
wehad somequestions andother issues to
resolve–ManitowocCraneCare service
walkedus throughand even sent someone
out tomake sure thingswentwell.”
Liftingworkwas completedon the tower
inOctober 2014.A toppingout party
included theunveilingof a
30- by50-footAmerican flag
on the topof thebuilding.
The finished structure
towersover itsManhattan
neighbors, helping tousher
in the eraof “supertalls,”
buildings taller than the
typical skyscrapers that have
been constructedduring the
last 100years.
The cost of the epicproject
totals some$1.2billion, and
thebuilding’spenthouse–a
six-bedroom, seven-bath
apartmentwitha library
–has already sold for $95
million.Among the89-story
building’s lavishamenities
will be12-foot-tall ceilings,
golf training facilities, privatedining
rooms andprivate screening rooms. It’s
due toopen this Spring.
Thebuildinghas a90- by90-foot
footprint frombase to roof. Itwas
constructed “ChicagoStyle,”meaning
without a façadeor solidwalls. The
framewasbuilt in concreted columns,
towhichwindowswerepopped in. It
was constructedon the former siteof the
famedDrakeHotel,whichwasdemolished
tomakeway fornewdevelopment.
ThebuildingwasdesignedbyRafael
Viñoly, anUraguayanarchitect, for SLCE
Architects.Hedescribed the inspiration
for itsdesignas “thepurest geometric
form: the square.” Includedare104
condominiumapartments. Themain
contractoron theproject is Sydney,
Australia-basedLendLease.
“432ParkAvenue isby far the tallest
buildingwe’ve everdone liftingwork for,”
saidRodrigues. “Thereweredayswewere
above the clouds.We could see formiles.
The sunrises and sunsetswerepriceless.”
Roger&SonsConcretewas founded in
1976byAcacioRodrigues andhis three
sons, Joseph, TonyandMannyRodrigues.
It hasbeenbased inLaGrange since
1998and is still runby the family. The
companybeganwith constructinghouse
foundations and shopping centers, and
in just 38years,made itsway toworking
onhigh-profile job sites likeWorldTrade
CenterTower 4and432ParkAvenue.
Currently, the companyhas another tower
crane, aPotainMR418,workingonWorld
TradeCenterTower 3.
■
The electricMR 415 performedwell in the
cold temperature and high altitude. No fuel
tanks had to be lifted, saving time andmoney.
The structure is considered a
“supertall,” a building taller
than typical skyscrapers.
