When faced with limited space to construct a four-story apartment complex in downtown Allentown, PA, Quality Buildings got creative and offered an innovative approach to solve the problem.
The solution – a self-erecting Potain lgo T 130 tower crane.
The project involved building a 256-unit apartment complex consisting of two identical properties with multi-family units and retail space. Known as an urban infill project, the complex reduces urban sprawl by redeveloping vacant land within an existing neighborhood.
With limited space, Quality Buildings’ off-site construction model has been instrumental in keeping the project moving with minimal disruptions. As North Star Construction’s turnkey framing partner, our work started by reviewing and resolving conflicts between the architectural and structural drawings before getting to the job site. Using our shop drawings, we were able to create a phased delivery schedule for our pre-fabricated wall panels and floor & roof trusses, to minimalize job site congestion by having deliveries arrive as needed.
To avoid shutting down the streets, we positioned our Potain Self-Erecting Tower Crane in the courtyard in the center of the building. With a 165’ reach, we are able to distribute walls and trusses to any part of the building directly from our trucks parked beside the building. This included lifting frame wall bundles that were 3.6 m x 2.4 m x 2.7 m (12 ft x 8 ft x 9 ft) to a height of four stories. Each bundle weighed over 1,360 kg (3,000 lbs).
Quality Buildings took advantage of the crane’s easy transportability on a single trailer with a foldable jib. Working lockstep with project engineers, it purposely left one archway exit from the courtyard unfinished to enable the crane to slide through the archway once the construction to the upper floor was complete. This innovative approach saved time, money, and a lot of inconvenience to downtown motorists.
See the Potain self-erecting crane in action as Elmer Zook takes us to the construction site in the short video below, then read Quality Buildings’ profile in International Cranes Magazine (pg 19)