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 News Release
September 11, 2006
Potain HDT 80 stars at Harvard’s historic theater
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| A Potain HDT 80 self-erecting crane constructing an addition to Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theater, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. |
High Resolution Photograph
A Potain HDT 80 self-erecting crane is playing an important role in
constructing a six-story addition to Harvard University’s historic Hasty
Pudding Theater, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. Built in 1887, the theater
is an important part of the campus and is the home of Harvard’s Hasty Pudding
Theatricals, a prestigious fraternity started in 1795.
Harvard
University officials required that the existing façade of the building remain
and that the addition take place at the back of the building. This posed
serious construction challenges, since there is no street access to the new
construction area. However, the Potain HDT 80 proved to be a perfect fit for
this urban jobsite.
Steel erector on the job, Warwick, Rhode
Island-based Daniel Koury Construction, leased the HDT 80 from Marr Equipment,
a Boston rental equipment firm. Potain distributor, Shawmut Equipment,
provided the crane to Marr Equipment. Kevin O’Connell, Shawmut’s self-erecting
crane product manager, said modifying the crane’s jib increased its capacity.
“With
full jib the HDT 80 has 45 m (148 ft) of reach and can pick just under 1.4 t
(1.5 USt),” he said. “But in this application, we removed the last section of
the jib reducing its length to 31 m (102 ft) which increased the capacity to
2.7 t (3 USt).”
This better enabled the team to lift steel
beams into place for the above-ground portion of the project. The original
intention was to place a larger crane in the street, and then lift, and swing
steel beams over the existing building to the construction site in the back.
However, this was not acceptable to the city of Cambridge because it would
require shutting down the narrow one-way street in front of the theater.
Eventually, contractors maneuvered the Potain HDT 80 through a narrow alley so
it could be set up in the courtyard behind the existing building. And the HDT
80 proved to be the best solution because of its size, capacity, and reach
said O’Connell.
“Steel erection is not a typical application
for these self-erectors,” he said. “But with some minor reconfiguration the
HDT 80 performed the job tremendously well. The only lifting solution that had
a small enough footprint and the height and reach required for the job was the
HDT 80. The crane was able to set the steel for the addition and swing over
the existing theater to unload trucks in the street from a single location.”
Work
on the theater is expected to be complete in the summer of 2007.
About The Manitowoc Company
The Manitowoc Company, Inc. is one of the world's largest providers of lifting equipment for the global construction
industry, including lattice-boom cranes, tower cranes, mobile telescopic cranes, and boom trucks. As a leading manufacturer
of ice-cube machines, ice/beverage dispensers, and commercial refrigeration equipment, the company offers the broadest line
of cold-focused equipment for the foodservice industry. In addition, the company is a leading provider of shipbuilding,
ship repair, and conversion services for government, military, and commercial customers throughout the U.S. maritime
industry.
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