Potain Cranes Pitch in to Complete Hindu Temple

Enlarge Image Two Potain self-erectors assisted in building a temple in Ontario.

September 12, 2007 • Two Potain self-erecting cranes worked together to complete an elaborate new Hindu temple in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Two Potain cranes, the HDT 80 self-erecting crane and S282 truck-mounted self-erecting crane, were supplied on bare rental from Potain dealer Cropac Equipment of Oakville, Ontario.

According to Joel Hunt, a Cropac sales manager, the cranes had an arduous work schedule. “During their time on site the cranes were on call from 9 a.m. to midnight and they clocked up an average of 250 working hours per month,” he said. “The highest quality marble and limestone were shipped to the job from Italy and then hand-carved in place. The cranes were placing these pieces which weighed from 1 ton to 3 tons.”     

 

The temple owner, Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS), managed the construction of the temple and the operation of the cranes. The HDT 80 self-erecting crane was on site for three months during the job, and the S282 truck-mounted self-erecting crane, was on site during the final month of construction.

   

The Potain HDT 80 has a maximum capacity of 6.6 tons and maximum jib of more than 147 feet. The S282 has a maximum capacity of 2.2 tons and a maximum jib of 82 m. Although the lifting schedule was demanding, the two Potains performed flawlessly.

 

“The precise control of the Potain cranes in setting these delicate blocks just millimeters apart made them the perfect choice for this job,” said Joel Hunt. “Both were maneuvered via remote control so the operator was able to position himself perfectly for monitoring the lifts. The cranes were also very easy to set up and then remove from site which was an added bonus.”

 

Hunt said the radio remotes and smoothness of the units made these cranes ideal for this type of delicate work, where there was no room for error. The units were able to be set up in one place to reach the entire job and were more cost effective compared to a mobile or a regular tower crane.

 

The temple was built entirely by volunteers from India and other parts of the world. BAPS is a religious organization with 640 temples in 45 countries. The temple is the only one of its kind in Canada and officially opened in July with His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, spiritual head of BAPS, in attendance.