Liebherr lifts LYFE

Seven cranes are already onsite—the total could reach nine—as lead contractor Ashtrom Construction Ltd. and Dan Real Estate Ltd. approach the latest phase of a three-year project. The highest of the buildings, Tower C, will reach approximately 230m and include 52 storeys. The 34-storey Tower A, the smallest, will be 160m high, while Tower B sits in the middle at 173m with 36 floors.

Cranes have been provided throughout by Top Engineering & Equipment Ltd., the representative of Liebherr tower cranes in Israel. The first crane assembly took place at the beginning of December 2018 and the last one will be dismantled by the end of 2021.

Each of the A and B towers is served by three 16t capacity external climbing Liebherr 190 HC-L 8/16 Litronic luffing tower cranes that were purchased outright by Ashtrom. At the time of going to press, those cranes were currently working at a freestanding height under hook of 71m to 76m, but they will reach 186m on Tower A and 200m on Tower B, with five to eight climbing steps, depending on final heights and jib lengths ranging from 40m to 50m.

Tower C, which remains in the final stages of design, requires the site’s seventh Liebherr crane, a top-slewing Liebherr 280 EC-H 16 Litronic, this time rented to Ashtrom. It will be principally used to build the tower’s basement and floors for a commercial centre. Next, a Liebherr 190 HC-L 8/16 Litronic, also from Top Engineering’s fleet will be positioned on the same tower as the 280 EC-H and climb to build the structure of the building; one or two additional 190 HC-L 8/16 Litronic cranes will work at a height under hook of over 200m, as the programme reaches its conclusion next year.

Izak Rozenberg, head of tower cranes at Ashtrom, confirmed that the operators are company employees, some of which were trained by Liebherr. The fleet is operational 12 hours per day.

He added: “We are very pleased with Liebherr tower cranes and especially with the luffing cranes.

We have very good support from Top Engineering and from Liebherr itself. We can find a lot of advantages of Liebherr tower cranes in comparison to other brands. Using Liebherr tower cranes makes the job site more efficient, more productive, safer to employees and surroundings, and at the end of the day it will cost you less to build a building using Liebherr tower cranes.”

Arik Daskal, of Top Engineering, said: “We defined the cranes’ types and jib lengths, and designed their locations together with Ashtrom's tower crane department engineers, based on site requirements. During the design and planning phase, the engineering team of Ashtrom and Top Engineering was intensively supported and advised by Liebherr's Tower Crane Solution department. Besides the creation of project drawings Tower Crane Solutions provides the complete structural calculations for the foundation loading as well as for climbing sequences for all cranes.

We have received and continue to receive very good support from the Tower Crane Solutions at Liebherr, who we regularly consult with matters related to the cranes’ climbing sequences, as Arik Daskal said.”

Daskal said that the 190 HC-L 8/16 Litronic cranes, with a maximum radius of 55m, deliver high load capacities and outstanding hoist speeds, enabling Ashtrom to add speed and efficiency to the construction process. He added: “As your readers know, luffing jib cranes are designed for working on particularly high buildings and / or in small spaces, so they were the obvious choice for Ashtrom.” The high-top EC-H range, meanwhile, is commonly found on medium to large sized construction sites.

The LYFE project, at the heart of the revitalized Bnei Brak Business Center, is being designed to maximize the area’s potential and create an optimal business environment for tenants. The two initial towers each have floors dedicated to fully equipped conference rooms and an area for restaurants and coffee shops. A lobby that creates a covered passage with an expanse of commercial space will connect the two buildings. Ashtrom Group purchased seven floors in Tower A and plans to turn them into its new headquarters.

Daskal said that Top Engineering, and its sister company Frishman Brothers, has been a Liebherr dealer in Israel since 1950. It oversees crane sale, rental, assembly, maintenance and site planning of the German manufacturers complete range of towers.