Marble arch: Pelloby’s 47m crane installed

The Marble Mosaic Company specialises in designing, manufacturing and installing high-quality architectural precast concrete cladding units. The company required a crane that could handle heavy raw materials and also withstand operating in a coastal environment.

The finished solution was unusual in that in addition to the main crane span of 30.48m, the beam extended to 8.5m at either end, to provide cantilever lifting capacity—resulting in a 47m span, only slightly shorter than Pelloby’s longest ever crane beam, which measured in at 55m. The beam supplied to Marble Mosaics was so large that it was designed to be joined in two places upon arrival at the client’s facility, to make transportation possible.

As the crane was due to be installed outdoors, environmental protection was applied through the paint finish, to give long-term resistance to the elements.

A low-headroom Stahl ST6032-40 wire rope hoist was supplied by Pelloby with the crane, along with a push-button radio remote control system for controlling lowering and cross travel motions, and longitudinal dual speed movements.

Additional features included six LED floodlights along the beam for improved visibility, an audible warning system and flashing lights on the front of each end carriage to ensure awareness from operators when the crane moves along its floor-mounted railings, and an emergency stop system. Pelloby also oversaw the installation and final commissioning of the crane, including hiring mobile cranes, access platforms, test weights and other equipment to ensure the crane was in operation as soon as possible.

Glen Hickman, CEO at Pelloby said: “It was exciting to be part of such a unique project. We enjoyed working alongside the Marble Mosaics team to create a bespoke design which suited their environment and working needs. The huge crane has been carefully manufactured to stand the test of time. We’re seeing more and more large-scale projects like this and can’t wait to help more companies make their factory life more efficient.”