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NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2013
ALH
MAST AND HOIST SUPPLEMENT
MAST CLIMBING WORK PLATFORMS
Does size matter?
In Paris, Scanclimber used its largest MCWP to complete
work on the Eiffel tower while here in the States,
ReechCraft’s slim, compact units worked
on a number of jobs this year.
ScanClimber’s big unit works in Paris
S
canclimber has produced what it
describes as the biggest MCWP in the
world. It was being used to supply
materials and equipment to the first floor of
the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, which is
undergoing $27.2 million renovation work.
Rebuilding the pavilion on the first floor of
Paris’s iconic Eiffel Tower is no mean feat,
particularly as the available work area is small
and access for equipment, materials and
personnel is extremely limited.
Scanclimber’s custom-designed SC8000 Eiffel
Platform is being used as a work area at first
floor level, as well as a transport device.
Bateg, the main contractor for the project, is
renting the transport platform and a separate lift
for personnel from France-based mast climbing
specialist Sky Access. The hoist is a SC2032F
model used in the refurbishment of the Eiffel
Tower’s first floor restaurant in 2008 and 2009
The original idea was to use a smaller platform
to carry out the work on one side of the Eiffel
Tower, then transfer it the other side for the
second half of the project. “But we realize
it would be faster and easier to use the one
platform with a ramp on either side,” Jean-
Eudes Henry, Bateg’s construction engineer for
the development.
Following intense negotiations with the City of
Paris, it was decided that a larger platform could
carry out all the work while meeting emissions
and aesthetic requirements.
A majority of the platform is made from
standard components, which drove down the
potential cost and production time. It is based on
standard twin mast Scanclimber SC8000 mast
climbing work platform, which offers 17,636
pounds of capacity at 51.8 feet in length and
2,204 pounds at its maximum 151.5-foot length.
These dimensions were not enough to satisfy
the project, so Sky Access and Scanclimber
came up with a solution to use two twin mast
SC8000s with an additional middle platform
extension placed between them. This provided
a 72 by 21.3 foot floor area and 9.9 tons of
capacity.
■
restoring a building on the North Dakota
State University campus. The 4-story cove
feature had a 30 inch opening, with a 4 foot
by 4 foot footprint. After exhausting several
alternatives, a single mast PowerMast system
with 36-inch by 26-inch platform fit perfectly
and provided safe and fast access to a difficult
location. “We looked at trying fit a boom lift
and conventional scaffolding, but ended up
using the PowerMast to complete the job on
an otherwise inaccessible spot,” said Frank
Pierce, Pierce Roofing. Likewise, Western
Waterproofing was conducting a concrete
repair and painting job at Emory University
in Atlanta Georgia that required a
compact ground-based access option
to span the 100-foot high work
surface. Rigging for suspended
scaffold was not possible due to
the large overhang at the building
top and a large awning near the
ground would not allow space
for a lift, traditional mast climber
scaffolding. Mastclimbers LLC of
nearby Grayson, came to the rescue,
offering a 100-foot PowerMast system
with custom 2-man 2 meter platform from
ReechCraft. The low profile footprint fit well
between the wall and awning and workers
were able to get their work done quickly and
safely. The 110V electric PowerMast works
with all major brands of modular swing stage
platforms and walkboard staging for twin mast
configurations spanning up to 10 meters. Single
mast setups can support platforms up to 2
meters wide. ReechCraft is continuing to add
to their product line and will debut “significant
products” that make setup and transport even
easier for the PowerMast at World of Concrete
2014. Visit them at booth # N1621.
■
W
hile most aerial access manufacturers
are meeting demands for higher
performance and taller machines,
ReechCraft Inc has chosen to focus on needs for
the lighter duty restoration market. Earlier this
year, ReechCraft introduced its new PowerMast
system which offers a 1,500-pound load rating
and a maximum working height of 200 feet.
According to ReechCraft, what’s unique about
the system is just how light and compact it
is. “We’ve taken the best attributes of mast
climbers and right sized them for our market,”
said Jason Solhjem, ReechCraft Engineering
Director. “In a market dominated by boom lifts,
suspended scaffolds and traditional scaffolding,
workers now have an alternative system that
sets up fast anywhere, without destroying
valuable landscapes or requiring roof rigging.”
The PowerMast has been put to the test on
many jobs this year so far, remaining true
to its claims of ‘right’ size. Pierce Roofing of
Fargo, ND had a very tight spot to fit in while
