Latest generation Potain cranes bring new Egyptian mall to life

• First Potain MDT 389 cranes arrive in Middle East.

• CCS technology improves productivity for contractor.

The first Potain MDT 389 cranes in the Middle East are being used to construct one of the largest retail malls ever built in Egypt—the Almaza City Centre project in the capital city, Cairo. A joint venture between Hassan Allam Sons and Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) is managing all construction work.

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Hassan Allam Sons purchased the four Potain MDT 389 cranes for the job after the model was launched globally at the bauma 2016 show in Germany. The cranes were purchased from International Development Programmes (IDP), the exclusive dealer for Potain in Egypt and one of the country’s leading suppliers of heavy construction and industrial equipment. IDP managed the assembly of the cranes on site with assistance from the local Potain technical support team. The first crane was erected in June 2016, while the fourth was completed in August of that year.

For the project, the MDT 389 cranes are lifting concrete and steel to heights of up to 40 m, with loads weighing up to 3.5 t. Engineer Atef Ramzy, plant, machinery and vehicles manager for the joint-venture organization, said the company was especially pleased with how the cranes have been performing. 

“Compared to other tower cranes we used in the past, the MDT 389 is much easier for our operators to control, because it has the Crane Control System (CCS) technology,” he said. “We are very pleased with the performance of the cranes. They can easily handle the required work within the timeframe, which is crucial for a project of this scale—where time means money.”

Mahmoud Anees, sales manager at IDP, said getting the cranes assembled on the project had been much easier with the MDT 389 models.

“The new MDT 389 models are very easy and quick to set up, and we assembled all of them with the assistance of a Grove RT770E rough-terrain crane,” he said. “In particular the jib and counterjib design on the new MDT 389 is really nice and user-friendly, making it easier and faster to put the cranes to work. Our after-sales team are visiting the site every week to check the cranes and ensure they are in top operating condition.”

The cranes on the mall project have been fitted with 75 m jibs and are set with working heights of around 50 m. The inclusion of CCS on the MDT 389 delivers significant benefits in both installing and operating the cranes. CCS is a revolutionary, user-friendly operating system that will eventually feature on all new Potain tower cranes, helping users enjoy the highest levels of comfort, flexibility, ergonomic control and improved lifting capacity.

There are two versions of the Potain MDT 389, one with a 12 t maximum capacity and the other with a 16 t maximum capacity. Both have up to 75 m of jib available, and the 12 t version can lift 3.4 t at its jib end, while the 16 t version can handle 3.3 t. On the Almaza City Centre, the cranes are the 12 t version.

Christophe Simoncelli, vice president, tower crane sales, Asia and the Middle East, Manitowoc, said the delivery of the first MDT 389 units in the Middle East reflected the advances in the region’s construction industry.

“It is great to see the first MDT 389 cranes delivered into the Middle East,” he said. “We welcomed many customers from Asia and the Middle East when we unveiled these cranes at bauma 2016, and many were impressed with the productivity advantages that CCS brings to them. Across the Middle East ambitious construction projects are underway and contractors recognize that advanced lifting technology can play an important role in bringing these impressive developments to life.”

Hassan Allam Sons Construction is one of the largest general contracting companies in Egypt, with rapidly growing divisions in Algeria and Saudi Arabia. Established in 1952, CCC is one of the largest construction companies in the Middle East and today has branches in more than 30 countries.

When completed in 2017, the Almaza City Centre complex will house major anchor brand shops, a state-of-the-art 16-screen IMAX cinema complex, a parking lot for over 4,000 cars and numerous restaurants and cafes, making it one of the most vibrant commercial centers in Egypt.