Manitowoc Potain: The Cranes Of Choice For MK Builders

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The long reach of MK Builders’ Potain HDT80 and Igo T85A has allowed the contractor to spend more time constructing the housing complex and less time relocating the cranes. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

When MK Builders landed a job building a multi-family residential complex in Malvern, Pennsylvania, the framing contractor knew from experience that its Potain self-erecting tower cranes were the right tools for the job. It erected a Potain HDT80 and an Igo T85A on the site to construct the two 4-story buildings and 1-story clubhouse on a planned five-month timetable.

“The fact that you can use the remote control to operate this crane from anywhere on the job site—in the building or on the ground—is the best thing that could have happened for us,” says MK Builders’ superintendent, Jacob King. “It’s all about speed and efficiency. We complete jobs quicker with the tower cranes and with less people.”

MK Builders also appreciated how easy it was to transport the cranes to the site, and the fact that their footprint—smaller than a mobile crane’s—allowed them to work around a nearby retention cell.

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The Potain tower cranes helped MK Builders speed up the process of building the two 4-story residential units and the 1-story clubhouse. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

“With the retention pond being on site, these cranes enable us to reach the other side of the building without having to move the crane,” King says. That, in turn, has increased the contractor’s return on its investment. “We wouldn’t be able to complete the job as effectively with a mobile crane.”

A Look At The Cranes

Both the HDT80 and the Igo T85A have a 147.6-foot (45-meter) jib length and a maximum lift capacity of 13,228 pounds (6,000 kilograms). However, the HDT80’s maximum hook height is 176 feet (53.7 meters), while the Igo T85A tops out at 167 feet (51 meters). Both tower cranes run on electricity.

MK Builders also owns a pair of Potain Igo T130s. These giants boast a 164-foot (50-meter) jib and 200-foot (61-meter) maximum hook height.

CraneTrader.com offers a variety of new and used Potain cranes for sale, including tower cranes such as the HDT80, Igo T85A, and Igo T130.

Source: Manitowoc

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