Potain towers build Italian eco development

Italian construction companies CMB and Colombo Costruzioni are using eight Potain tower cranes on a construction project which the companies said will be the first mixed-use building in Milan with zero environmental impact.

The tower cranes on the Italian site. (Photo: Manitowoc)

CityWave is the final building in one of Milan’s newest districts, CityLife.

CMB purchased a new Potain MDT 319 topless tower crane for the project. (Photo: Manitowoc)

It aims to “stand as a new paradigm for the offices of the future” and features a 63,000 metre squared office and retail complex featuring two towers joined by a 140 metre curved-roof portico.

Equipment purchase

CMB purchased a new Potain MDT 319 topless tower crane for the project, while Colombo purchased an MDT 219. Together, the companies combined these new models with a mix of Potain cranes from their existing fleets.

Manitowoc’s specialist Lift Solutions team helped develop a work plan that optimised the construction schedule as the cranes climbed during the project, ensuring maximum productivity and minimal interference between the high density of cranes.

The team also provided the necessary calculations for building anchorage, while the team in Italy handled the fabrication.

Enzo Macis, jobsite director at CMB, said productivity and reliability were the most important factors in the work, “When we looked at crane planning, we weren’t focused as much on lifting capacity as we were on reliability and productivity.

“It became a question of selecting the right models that would work together as the project changed shape while construction advanced. We needed to avoid interference, ensure operational reliability, and maintain optimal coverage of the site – not an easy task.”

Cranes at height

Two MDT 219 cranes are anchored to the building as they climb and are working with their full jib lengths of 60 metres. One of the units will eventually reach a working height of over 120 metres. The second will reach a final working height of over 80 metres, as will the MDT 319, which is working with a 50 metre jib.

Manitowoc’s lift solutions team helped develop a work plan that optimised the construction schedule. (Photo: Manitowoc)

Stefano Crespi, project manager at Colombo Costruzioni, “We carefully planned the assembly and disassembly, as well as all climbing and lifting. Fitting a high density of cranes into a limited space is a logistical challenge, but we tailored solutions to fit every aspect of the site.”

The building’s defining feature will be its unique roof, which will stand at 53 metres in height once complete and which will be covered with photovoltaic panels to create Milan’s largest solar power installation.

The cranes will remain on site until the end of construction, helping dismantle equipment before CityWave opens in time for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. (Photo: Manitowoc)