Flying high in Saudi Arabia

Pack of WOLFFs helping to build the highest skyscraper in the world

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As part of the long-standing and proven partnership between Roots Group Arabia and WOLFFKRAN, approximately 200 red WOLFFs have been used in the past six years on construction sites across the kingdom; for example, at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, the Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh or for the ongoing extension of the Holy Mosque in Mecca. But a current prestige project in Jeddah is taking the red giants higher up than ever before. Working on behalf of the Saudi Arabian construction and real estate company, Saudi Bin Ladin Group (SBG), Roots Group is using thirteen WOLFF cranes for the construction of the Jeddah Tower, which will be the tallest building in the world at over 1,000 meters above sea level.

The pack of WOLFFs on the Jeddah Tower project currently consists of twelve saddle jib cranes type WOLFF 7532, which are used primarily for moving loads on the ground and for construction of the podium at the base of the tower. Also in operation is a luffing crane type WOLFF 355 B with a 40-meter jib and a maximum lifting capacity of 28 tons. It is positioned in the triangular shaped core of the Tower, forming the focal point of the Y-shaped building floorplan. A second WOLFF 355 B is to be set up in the very near future.

Top performances in several stages

Both luffing cranes are on 48-meter high towers and are raised step by step with the building, by means of an internal climbing procedure, up to a height of approximately 580 meters. They “jump” between 12 to 15.5 meters higher with every climbing step. According to the project plan in the next phase of the construction, one of the luffing cranes should be moved to a platform especially established for the crane at a height of 538 meters, where it will work on the outside of the building with an anticipated hook height of 734 meters. It is then planned to disassemble it again and reassembled it at 630 meters above sea level, to achieve its expected ultimate hook height of almost 800 meters.

Safe and efficient at dizzying heights

Erecting and operating the two luffing cranes at a height of several hundred meters presents a special challenge with the high wind speeds that can prevail at these heights. This is where the tower combination consisting of the internal climbing tower segment KSH 23 and the HT 23 tower elements come into play. Their sturdy construction made of high-strength steel reliably protects the tower against distortion, while at the same time being very space saving, measuring only 2.3 x 2.3 meters. Another important criterion when working at these heights is obviously the time it takes to lift loads from the ground all the way up. "Our WOLFF 355 B cranes are impressive on these sites due to their very high working speeds of up to 185 m/min and a hook path of 920 meters," says Habib Mikati, Managing Director of WOLFFKRAN ISS in Dubai. "They also have significant lifting capacities when compared with the competition for the compact working radius relevant for this project," says Mikati.

Partnerships in prestigious projects on the Arabian Peninsula

Besides the technical product features of the WOLFF cranes, the proven collaboration between Roots Group Arabia and WOLFFKRAN was also decisive for the cooperation on the Jeddah Tower, in particular with regard to the technical project support provided by the WOLFFKRAN engineers.

Many more WOLFFs are currently at work elsewhere on the Arabian Peninsula: at the largest hotel in the world, the Abraj Kudai, the Saptco bus station, a new hospital in Mecca and at the extension of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina.

The construction of the new landmark, Jeddah Tower, is a project of international significance. The skyscraper will be the center of an entirely new district, which is currently being built along the Red Sea in Obhur – Northern Jeddah. The Jeddah Tower is built on 270 pilings that range between 45 and 110 meters in depth and have a diameter of 1.5 to 1.8 meters. At a height of 538 meters it has one of the highest observation platforms to be installed worldwide. The building, designed by British star architect Adrian Smith, will house luxury apartments, offices, shops, and a Four Seasons hotel over 530,000 square meters.