Novo Selo Range- Picture courtesy of US Army
Twelve Potain self-erecting cranes and Grove all-terrain cranes shared the majority of lift work on a
€50 million redevelopment of a remote military training base in Bulgaria.
The cranes had to travel over 400 km from the Sofia headquarters of Manitowoc dealer Euromarket Group, Bulgaria’s largest supplier of construction equipment. Once at the project, the cranes frequently moved to cover various jobs over the base’s 144 km2 area.
The Novo Selo Training Range supports on site military activities that include a shooting range for tanks as well as training areas for nuclear, biological and chemical warfare.
Bojan Spasov, sales manager at Euromarket Group, said the cranes were easy to move and assemble all around the job site.
“The Potain self-erecting cranes are quick and simple to set-up and dismantle, so we moved them from one spot to another without difficulty,” he said. “On this project we moved each Potain crane to five or six different locations. The Grove ATs were also easy to move because their unique Megatrak suspension allows them to travel virtually anywhere.”
The design of the Potain self-erecting cranes made for easy to transportation from Sofia to northeast Bulgaria, because the jib folds back to lie completely flat for a simple transport configuration. This allowed the cranes to travel on just one truck at speeds of up to 80 km/h.
At the job, Igo cranes can move easily with complete or partial counterweight, using a Potain transport system or semi-trailer. Any of the cranes’ flexible working configurations can be selected, using remote controls.
The Grove AT cranes, a GMK3055 and a GMK5130-1, were also easy to maneuver on site. The patented Megatrak suspension system offers more ground clearance than traditional systems, allowing easier negotiation of obstacles. The cranes also have all-wheel steer, which not only aids maneuvering, but also reduces tire wear and stresses on non-steering axles.
The self-erecting cranes on the Novo Selo job included eight Igo 32 and two Igo 18 cranes. The Igo 32 is one of the largest self-erecting cranes from Potain. It has a 4 t capacity and lifts 1 t at its 30 m jib end. The Igo 18 can lift 1.8 t and has a 24 m reach. The Grove GMK5130-1 is a 130 t capacity, five-axle all-terrain crane with a 60 m boom. And the GMK3055 is a 55 t capacity three-axle all-terrain crane with a 43 m boom.
The cranes provided general lift services to construct 75 buildings on the project between early 2010 and March this year. Included in the 75 buildings were 23 barracks, a chapel, post office and fitness center. Construction also included several administrative, maintenance and medical facilities.
Novo Selo is used by the Bulgarian military and occasionally U.S. troops. Redevelopment of the base is being overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The new buildings will cater for approximately 2,500 soldiers and should be in operation by 2012.