Two Grove all-terrain cranes team up to repair historic Italian church

• An Italian crane rental and transport company deployed its Grove cranes in tandem to repair a local church after it was struck by lightning.

• The entire project was completed in one day with the help of a Grove GMK4100L-2 and Grove GMK4100L-1.

Italian crane rental and transport company Santoni Autogrù called on two of its high-performing all-terrain cranes to help repair a local church: a Grove GMK4100L-2 and Grove GMK4100L-1.

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Located in Pinzolo, Italy, the San Lorenzo church’s 100 kg cross was struck by lightning and detached from the building’s bell tower last year. The bell tower, built between 1865 and 1867, reaches 72 m, and is the tallest bell tower in the Trentino-Alto Adige region. The two Grove cranes worked in tandem to repair and replace the fallen cross – all in just a single day, despite major space limitations.

“We had to position our cranes very close to the bell tower and extend their reach to 75 m to replace the cross,” said Giacomo Santoni, manager at Santoni Autogrù. “There was minimal room for the cranes to operate in the square, so they were forced into a tight space. But we still managed to complete the job in less than 24 hours.”

Santoni Autogrù acquired its GMK4100L-2 in February this year and has been operating its GMK4100L-1 since purchasing it in 2018. Santoni says the company and its operators are highly satisfied with the Grove cranes.

“We are very impressed with our Grove cranes. They operate efficiently and are very easy to set up. We’ve reached the peaks of ski slopes and ski lifts several times with our beloved GMK4100L-1, always without any problems. Our crane operators also praise our Grove cranes because they have cabs that can be tilted to 20° for peak visibility and their comfort levels are unmatched. Comfort is especially important for operators when they have to spend six or more hours a day with the crane.”

Santoni Autogrù is so pleased with its Grove cranes that it continues to expand the fleet. The Company will next receive a GMK5150XL, which arrives at the end of this year. This was chosen for its class-leading features, including a boom that’s almost 3 m longer than its rivals and very favorable load charts in comparison to others.

Grove GMK4100L-2 and GMK4100L-1

Grove’s GMK4100L-2 all-terrain crane is a four-axle, 100 t capacity crane that delivers both compact size and power. It has a width of only 2.55 m and MEGATRAK® suspension, allowing it to maneuver well into and out of position on jobsites. It also boasts the best load charts in its class and is capable of carrying 6.8 t of counterweight in its taxi configuration, for an overall vehicle weight within 12 t per axle.

The predecessor GMK4100L-1 also has a 100 t capacity and impressive taxi crane capabilities combined with a compact design. With a vehicle width of just 2.55 m, it can easily travel to even the most confined city center jobsites. The GMK4100L-1 can carry up to 6.7 of counterweight within 12 t per axle and has a towering 60 m main boom.

Santoni Autogrù is a family-run, crane rental and transport company based in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy. It was founded in 1952 and offers mobile crane rental as well as transportation services.