Eight Gold Medals for GEDA

Eight GEDA 2 PK crane operator hoists play their part in the construction of the National Stadium in Baku

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Long before spectators from across the world surge into the stands to excitedly follow Europe's first Olympic Games, eight crane operator hoists from Bavarian hoist manufacturer GEDA-Dechentreiter GmbH & Co. KG have been at work on-site playing their part in the construction of the National Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The first spade hit the ground back on 6 June 2011. Since then 2,200 employees with 300 construction machines have been busy on the National Stadium construction site where 235,000 m³ of concrete and 41,000 tonnes of reinforcing steel have been installed. The schedule has been tight as from 12 - 28 June 2015 the Stadium is to host the first ever European Games. Accommodating 69,870 seats, the impressive USD 710 million build costs for the National Stadium can clearly be seen, with one real highlight being the stadium façade. Its 35,000 m² of external surfaces have been lined with ETFE-membrane covered parallelogram-shaped panels.

However, despite all the euphoria, the start of the construction work was difficult as only in November 2011 were the necessary earthworks completed. As the building site is located on a former oil field, the first task was to remove all poisonous waste water and any residues from the former oil extraction. Work on the foundations then started in spring 2013. In order to stabilise the foundations, a total of 1,720 piles had to be inserted into the site.

However, due to the deadline pressure it was essential that operations on the construction site ran smoothly. To avoid unnecessary crane downtime on the construction site and to ensure the safety of the crane operators, the Turkish construction company responsible, Tekfen İnşaat, took the decision to deploy crane operator hoists from the Bavarian manufacturer GEDA-Dechentreiter GmbH & Co. KG.

Eight GEDA 2 PK in Baku – Safety and efficiency eight times over

The GEDA 2 PK crane operator hoists provided valuable transportation services to eight tower cranes on the National Stadium construction site. 
This rack and pinion lift has now consigned those reckless and arduous climbs to the past and the crane operator can now reach his workplace quickly and above all safely in all weathers come rain or shine and even in stormy conditions, snow and ice.

The GEDA 2 PK is designed to transport two persons and has a load capacity of 200 kg. Therefore, any materials required for maintenance tasks can also be transported upwards. The hoisting speed is 25 m/min with a maximum lifting height of 150 m with higher lifting heights possible on request.

Once the base unit is assembled and anchored, the aluminium ladder sections, weighing 22 kg, are installed through the open cabin roof and, using the patented quick-release connections, easily assembled without any screws. Special rail anchoring provides tension-free attachment to the crane mast. The lift is operated from the control panel in the car.
The flexible system of the GEDA 2 PK is suitable for all types of cranes from all manufacturers.

Most important discipline: Safety

The car of the GEDA 2 PK has an entry ramp, so that access to the crane is completely safe. When opening the car door, the small ramp with side protection folds down and, in conjunction with the access barrier on the crane, ensures safe access. 
Two GEDA landing level safety gates guarantee the safe transition from the cabin to the crane.
Another important point to note is that the crane operator hoist can also act as a life saver in an emergency. The emergency rescue of unconscious or ill crane operators can be carried out very quickly by the GEDA 2 PK. Without a crane operator hoist a helicopter is generally needed, which takes a huge amount of valuable time and generates additional costs.

GEDA: The stadium builder specialist

It has been known for years that GEDA hoists provide reliable assistance in sports stadia with several GEDA 1500 Z/ZP transport platforms having been used in the construction of the new Allianz Arena in Munich. The two Munich-based football clubs FC Bayern München and TSV 1860 München have played their home matches at the Allianz Arena since the 2005/2006 season.
Also during the construction phase of the Arena Națională in the Romanian capital of Bucharest, which is in fact the first and only elite stadium in Romania, GEDA cable working platforms performed outstanding work.
In 2012 GEDA equipped the sports venues at the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games with a total of 22 hoist solutions.

Let the Games begin!

The next great sporting events in the Baku National Stadium are now about to kick off. UEFA has awarded BAKU three qualifying games and a quarter-final game in the 2020 European Football Championship. The Azerbaijan national football team will also contest their games in the new National Stadium.
Despite the tight schedule the construction works in Baku were completed on time. There is nothing now standing in the way of the première of the highly anticipated European Games and once again the GEDA height access specialists have proven their expertise and unique know-how when it comes to stadium construction.