The first Potain MD 1100 tower crane is at work on construction of the Qingshuitang Hydropower Station close to the city of Huaihua in Hunan province, China. The crane is the newest in Potain’s range of special application cranes which are suited to large-scale construction projects such as dams and bridges.

On the Qingshuitang job, client and main contractor is Gezhouba Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Group. The company has designed the new dam around the MD 1100 and will use it to pour over 200,000 m3 of concrete – almost half the total required in the project. The crane is using a 6 m3 concrete bucket for the pouring which weighs 20 t when full.

Jianlin Liu, chief engineer for Gezhouba, said initial impressions of the MD 1100 were very positive.

“The Potain MD 1100 is crucial to the success of this project. It will determine whether we complete on schedule or even ahead of schedule,” he said. “It has only been at work for a few weeks so far but it has done a wonderful job. I would say it is the ideal crane for small and medium sized hydropower stations.”

The MD 1100 can lift up to 50 t while its maximum radius is 80 m. Maximum load at jib end is 10.6 t. The MD 1100 uses 4 m x 4 m mast sections that are 5.7 m tall. These dismantle into 2 m x 2 m sections for easier transport inside a 12.2 m container. A compact counter jib of 24 m also features.

The MD 1100 can reach free-standing heights of up to 104.7 m when mounted on its 10 m x 10 m chassis base. It works well with concrete buckets of either 3 m3 or 6 m3 volume, allowing it to pour loads of 10 t or 20 t respectively. The crane can lift the 20 t load out to 50 m, which gives it a 10 m reach advantage over competitors in the same class. Hoist speeds of up to 46 m/s are achievable with these loads. Hoisting power comes from Potain’s 180 kW 250LCC winch.

The Qingshuitang hydropower station will sit on the middle reaches of the Yuan River. The project has four sections: main dam, powerhouse, ship’s lock and bank protection. The capacity of the power station will be 128 MW while the highest point of the dam will be 154.5 m.

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.

The MD 1100 can reach free-standing heights of up to 104.7 m when mounted on its 10 m x 10 m chassis base.