Potain cranes help Larsen & Toubro build India’s Statue of Unity

• Three Potain MR 295 H20 luffing jib cranes and MC 205 B top-slewing crane were selected for the historic Statue of Unity project in Gujarat.
• The Potain MR 295 H20 is perfect for work in confined spaces and the MC 205 B is a reliable and proven performer.

Four Potain tower cranes are helping to build the iconic new Statue of Unity in India a monument dedicated to Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel the country’s first deputy prime minister and a prominent leader during the independence movement. Once complete the 182 m statue will be one of the tallest in the world.

For work on this prestigious project contractor Larsen & Toubro (L&T) needed cranes with the capacity and reach to meet the stringent project specifications while also being compact enough to work in the limited space available. For this task L&T selected three of Potain’s MR 295 H20 units a mid-size luffing jib crane with a compact counterjib that had the required free standing height as well as the right capacity and working envelope. It also chose an MC 205 B top-slewing crane to work alongside the MR 295 H20 models supporting material handling duties.

The cranes have been on site since September 2015 lifting rebar concrete and steel and also assembling the bronze fixtures that will form the outer cladding of the statue. This heavy and distinctive cladding is intentionally symbolic given Sardar Patel was known as the ‘Ironman of India’.

Designed to work in confined spaces the MR 295 H20 has a maximum capacity of 20 t and can lift up to 2.7 t at its 60 m jib end. The MC 205 B has a maximum capacity of 10 t and can lift up to 2.4 t at its 60 m jib end. On the Statue of Unity project the MR 295 H20 units have been fitted with 50 m of jib while the MC 205 B is working with 60 m of jib.

The foundation main structure and bridge connecting the statue to the main road are already complete. Some 5 600 t of structural steel 66 000 t of concrete and 1 900 t bronze will be used in the project. Work is expected to complete by October 2018.

Larsen & Toubro Limited is a leading Mumbai-based technology engineering construction and financial services conglomerate with a turnover of $17 billion and presence in 30 countries. Its Potain cranes for the ₹2 989 crore (US$470 million) Statue of Unity were purchased specifically for the project. L&T is handling construction work under the supervision of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam.