UNIC sprider crane helps build new eco-building

A UNIC URW-376 mini cranes teamed up with one of the most versatile vacuum lifters available on the UK market, an MRT4 Quattro, to work on the new £11.6 million Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia in the UK. The innovative and unique thatch cladding system being used on the new centre is a world first in construction.

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The cladding, which combines traditional craft with modern methods of construction, represents a completely new way of using thatch and is one of the key sustainable elements being incorporated into the building. The timber cassette modules are filled with straw from local thatchers’ barns across Norfolk. The building is now complete and has one of the lowest carbon footprints of any building of its size in the UK.

The UNIC URW-376 crane was used with a searcher hook to allow the vacuum lifter to install glass underneath the overhang of the thatched cladding. The MRT4 Quattro lifter was the perfect choice for the job, with 320kg of lifting power, full 360 degree continuous rotation and 90 degree tilt; it is one of our most popular vacuum lifters. The MRT4 Quattro is ahead in the versatility stakes, it has an adjustable frame, as well as four optional extension arms, giving the flexibility needed for installing different sized glass on one project.

The Enterprise Centre at UEA will include an innovation lab, 300-seat lecture theatre, flexible workspace, teaching and learning facilities and first class amenities designed to inspire and facilitate creativity and collaboration. The centre is also taking commercial tenants into the building making it truly a business hub.