Gulf Construction Online - Raimondi’s 10 help build Lusail landmark

Cranes

Nine Raimondi units are currently on site.

Raimondi’s 10 help build Lusail landmark

01 October 2021

A total of 10 topless tower cranes from Italy’s Raimondi Cranes have been helping build the high-rise buildings at The Seef, one of Qatar’s major residential developments situated at the heart of Lusail City waterfront, 22 km north of Doha.

Given the variety of tower cranes deployed and the size and layout of the jobsite, a key requirement was to conduct a careful study of the positioning of each crane to avoid jib clashing, and to ensure the highest level of site safety and productivity, says the major manufacturer of topless and luffing cranes.

To accomplish these aims, Raimondi’s technical team, together with the project team of Urbacon Trading & Contracting Company (UCC), the contractor on the project, engineers, and plant department, conducted a workshop prior to commencing work, says a key official.

“Currently, we have nine Raimondi cranes operating onsite, as one MRT159 was dismantled in June,” remarks Wael Hasan, the Commercial Director, Raimondi Middle East.

These include five cranes – one MRT294, one MRT223, one MRT189, and two MRT144s – which were procured earlier by UCC.

“The additional four new MRT159s were sold and installed directly by Raimondi Middle East in January 2020,” states Hasan.

The MRT159s onsite have jibs ranging between 38 m and 60 m and heights under the hook (HUH) ranging from 74 m to 125 m, while the two MRT144s positioned in different jobsite areas have 61 m jib configurations and 43 m HUH.

“Another significant point we took into account was the fast-track nature of the project as the contractor was looking to install the cranes in a short timeframe to accelerate operations,” explains Hasan.

“The MRT159, MRT189, and MRT223 were chosen for the models’ characteristics of arriving onsite with all parts preassembled, and embedded elements to facilitate the erection stage,” he adds.

Hasan points out that Raimondi’s operations department had deployed four manpower groups to accelerate the process.

The Raimondi MRT294, with a jib length of 70 m and a HUH of 133 m, was chosen for its maximum lifting capacity of 16 tonnes, and its strong performance in different climate conditions.

The MRT294 is also the tallest crane currently at work on The Seef jobsite, according to Hasan who points out that Raimondi Cranes is supporting the jobsite with ongoing service and monthly maintenance to ensure smooth operations and successful project completion.

“The nine cranes will be dismantled in the upcoming months as the project’s completion is expected to be by the end of the year,” he says.

Commenting on its role on the project, UCC Holding’s Group CEO Mohd Sabri says: “UCC is delighted to be playing our role in the successful delivery of the iconic Seef development in Lusail City. UCC is well experienced in delivering high-profile and complex projects such as this, which require skilled project management, clear leadership and a relentless commitment to meeting construction deadlines.”