Fleet of Potain cranes in Denmark

A large fleet of 15 Potain tower cranes is hard at work, helping construct a new hospital complex for Aalborg University in Denmark. The job site is vast, stretching across 330,000 m²

A large fleet of 15 Potain tower cranes is hard at work, helping construct a new hospital complex for Aalborg University in Denmark. The job site is vast, stretching across 330,000 m² (81.5 acres) that also contain several other buildings, and vehicular and pedestrian paths.

MT Højgaard is the contractor at the project’s helm and the company chose a mix of three Potain models to work on the job site: eight Potain GTMR 386 B self-erecting cranes, six Potain MDT 178 tower cranes and one Potain MDT 218 A J10. The company chose the cranes for their job site flexibility and lifting capacities. Ajos, the Danish Potain dealer and construction equipment rental company, supplied the cranes. It chose a fleet that could adapt to the variety of conditions and obstacles found across the immense job site.

“A lot of planning is required prior to the rental of cranes for a large and complex job like this,” said Bjarne Frølund Nielsen, technical consultant for Ajos. “We needed to supply cranes that provide efficient, high-hoisting capacities and that can adapt to a variety of site conditions.”

The cranes are positioned throughout the site and are lifting steel, concrete and formwork materials, with the heaviest load weighing approximately 6 t (6.6 USt). The new hospital’s main campus will include 134,500 m² (33.2 acres) of hospital buildings, with 581 beds, 32 operating rooms and 117 outpatient clinics. It will also house the new Aalborg University Faculty of Health Science, which spans some 17,000 m² (4.2 acres). The variety of structures being constructed, along with the number of pre-existing buildings and transportation pathways, necessitated a fleet of cranes that could provide several capacities and reach options. The Potain MDT 178, for example, features a low profile, “city topless” design and a large lifting capacity that make it especially adaptable for the project. It has a 66.9 m (219 ft) hook height, an 8 t (8.8 USt) capacity and a maximum jib length of 60 m (197 ft).

The self-erecting GTMR 386 B cranes are on site to provide quick transport and installation options, and compact footprints that enable them to be erected in tight working quarters. They have a maximum hook height of up to 32 m (105 ft), a maximum load capacity of 8 t (8.8 USt) and a 50 m (164 ft) jib. The third model of crane on the project is the top-slewing MDT 218 A J10, which features an extra-long maximum jib radius of 65 m (213.3 ft) and a high 10 t (11 USt) capacity.

“This mix of Potain’s self-erecting and top-slewing cranes offered the ideal solution,” Nielsen said.

Contractors report that the project boasts the largest job site in Northern Denmark. When finished, 6,500 employees will work at the hospital complex. The entire project will cost an estimated DKK4.77 billion upon its expected completion in 2020.

MT Højgaard is one of Scandinavia’s leading construction and civil engineering companies. Its headquarters are in Søborg, which lies just outside of Copenhagen, Denmark. The company has several projects across the Nordic countries. Ajos offers rental services for construction equipment, including cranes, hoists and on-site cabins, as well as temporary installations for power, light, heating and dehumidification. Ajos also rents out high-end cabins and offers full construction site service. Ajos was established in 1983 and has been a Potain dealer since 1995.