Potain Igo M 14 increases efficiency for Costa Rican luxury hotel project
- A Potain Igo M 14 is proving ideal for helping to build a five-star hotel in Costa Rica lifting from its compact footprint on a job site with tight working quarters.
- The self-erecting crane enabled the contractor to replace a time-consuming manual labor method it previously used.
A Potain Igo M 14 self-erecting crane is aiding the construction of Azura Hotel a new five-star lodging near the sea in Samara Costa Rica. The crane is acting in a supporting role lifting construction materials and other ancillary loads for one of the project’s contractors Construquick de San Jose (Construquick).
When Construquick first attempted to use another type of crane for the project it found that its dimensions were too large for the job site and the company had to use manual labor to move and lift materials. The work was time-consuming and laborious which led the San Jose-based company to seek out a crane with a compact footprint that could fit onto the job site’s tight working quarters and speed up operations. The Igo M 14 presented itself as an ideal solution.
“The crane replaced 15 workers who used to carry all of the construction materials upstairs ” said Humberto Ramirez project engineer at Construquick. “Now the materials are moved around the job site much faster and those workers have been assigned other tasks. We gained in mobility efficiency and velocity.”
The Igo M 14 has a footprint of just 4 m x 4 m and two counterweight positions—one closer to the mast that reduces swing radius to just 2 m to allow operations in confined spaces and one further from the mast to enable better lifting capabilities. It offers a maximum jib radius of 22 m and can lift a maximum 1.8 t with a 0.6 t capacity at jib end. Since the crane’s jib can be positioned at a 20° angle the height under hook can be increased to more than 25 m at jib end.
The crane has been especially useful for hotel construction projects around the world because of its fast erection and ability to be operated via remote control. Construquick is using the Igo M 14 to lift concrete blocks metal frames joists and other construction materials needed to build the hotel which will top out at three stories. The crane has been lifting loads that weigh up to 0.6 t to a height of 8 m.
“We have been demonstrating that this crane is perfect for the construction of smaller buildings that measure three to four floors as they do not necessitate the lifting of very heavy loads ” explained Stefano Santini general manager of Euromateriales the Costa Rican company that provided the crane for the project. “The Igo M 14 is easy to transport erect and operate. And it has its own generator providing electrical autonomy on the job site.”
The first stage of the construction of the Azura Hotel began in September of 2016 and is expected to be finished by August 2017. It comprises 75 rooms and will cost an estimated US$15 million. The Igo M 14 is the only crane in use at the job site.
According to Santini this Igo M 14 is the first model of its kind being used in Costa Rica. He said that self-erecting cranes are becoming more popular in the country as companies learn more about their low operating costs compact footprints and easy transportability.
Jean Pierre Zaffiro global product director for Potain self-erecting cranes at Manitowoc said that the introduction of the Igo M 14 by dealers such as Euromateriales would contribute to the crane’s success in the Latin American marketplace. Said Zaffiro: “Because of the advantages offered by this crane’s great mobility and simplicity of use it will soon expand to many more Latin American countries.”
