The tower crane being used for Glasshouse Skylofts is manufactured by the company founded by the inventor of tower crane technology, Frenchman Faustin Potain. While there are several crane manufacturers, it’s somewhat surprising that, in light of the intense skyscraper activity and focus of those great American cities, all tower crane companies base their core manufacturing operations in Europe. This is because of the stringent performance standards of the steel involved.
Our crane, a Potain MD 365, was most recently used in the construction of the ALT Hotel at Centrepoint, and after relocation to the Glasshouse site has been assembled to its finished height of 260 feet to the operator’s cab. The Glasshouse crane has 23,800 Kg (52,470 lbs) of concrete counterweights at the end of the boom, and the capability of lifting 6,600 Kg (14,550 lbs) at the end of the 50 meter (160 ft) boom. It has been specifically assembled to be able to stand independently of the Glasshouse tower, and eliminate the need for tiebacks to the building. Our crane operator, Clarence, operated the crane during the construction of the ALT Hotel at Centrepoint and was featured in several local media stories.
The greatest question is on how the tower crane gets assembled. That, my friends, is a mystery we’ll have to discuss someday after we uncover how they put the caramel in the Caramilk bar.