News Release
Potain tower cranes build Italy’s rising skyline
3/29/2016
Two Potain MDT 308A tower cranes are building the Hadid Tower in the center of Milan, Italy.
There are two Potain MDT 308A cranes working on the high rise structure known as the Hadid Tower in Milan, Italy.
Two Potain tower cranes are building an ambitious commercial development in the center of Milan, Italy. The two MDT 308A cranes are building the Hadid Tower, known as Torre Hadid in Italy, a 170 m mixed-use development in the center of Milan. The Hadid tower will be one of the tallest buildings in the city and will form one of the iconic towers within CityLife Milano – a commercial and residential project made up of three towers on Milan’s historic former trade site, the Fiera Milano.
The two Potain cranes were erected in December 2014. They are climbing at a rate of 4 m per month and are set to reach their final working heights of 210 m in 2016. Alfio Musumeci, the building site supervisor from the Italian-based construction company Cooperativa Muratori E Braccianti Di Carpi (CMB), explained that the company chose the MDT 308A cranes for their proven reliability and performance which help to ensure projects run smoothly. “Potain cranes are the most-efficient tool to build a high-rise structure,” he says. “Their ability to carry heavy loads over great distances is a key benefit. They require minimal set-up time and feature variable frequency drives that provide optimum performance. We can rely on Potain cranes to carry out the job to the highest standard and ensure our completion dates are met.”
Potain’s MDT 308A is a top-slewing tower crane that offers a maximum jib length of 70 m with a tip load of 2.9 t. The crane is fitted with SmartCom, an electronic control system which provides the operator and service technician with information such as how long the crane was operated for, how long the hoisting, trolley winches and slewing mechanism were operated for as well as the number of brake applications for those three mechanisms. SmartCom is an extremely useful tool for preventative maintenance. The information is displayed on an on-board computer screen.
“Manitowoc cranes have a strong history of carrying out construction work on major developments in the most-efficient and effective way,” says Sabino Riefoli, export sales and key account manager for Manitowoc Crane Group Italy. “Working at heights like this at the Hadid Tower means the customer needs precise load control and smooth movement which the MDT 308A cranes provide.”
The ‘twisting’ 44-floor tower designed by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) will completely alter the skyline of Milan. The three towers in the CityLife Milano development, Isozaky, Hadid and Libeskind will hold approximately 10,000 people. The project includes an art museum, a shopping district and a pavilion. The Potain cranes have been working on the construction of the Hadid tower for two years.
Established in 1904, CMB has a fleet of 60 Potain cranes.
The Manitowoc Company, Inc. (“Manitowoc”) was founded in 1902 and has over a 117-year tradition of providing high-quality products and support services that are tailored to customers’ needs. Its 2019 net sales were approximately $1.83 billion. Manitowoc is one of the world's leading providers of engineered lifting solutions. Through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Manitowoc designs, manufactures, markets and supports comprehensive product lines of mobile telescopic cranes, tower cranes, lattice-boom crawler cranes, boom trucks and industrial cranes under the Grove, Potain, Manitowoc, National Crane, Shuttlelift and Manitowoc Crane Care brand names.