Reinforcement in Milan – Polita Autogru takes delivery of a Liebherr LTM 1300-6.2

“We have added the new LTM 1300-6.2 to our fleet to meet the requirements of our customers working on major construction sites in Milan. Over the past 20 years, urban developments have presented us with opportunities to overcome new challenges – our 300-tonne crane with its 78-metre boom and lattice extensions enables us to reach impressive heights of 114 metres,” says Fabio Polita, the owner of Polita Autogru.

Polita Autogru is currently working with its new LTM 1300-6.2 and an LTM 1120-4.1 on the construction of the new state hospital. It is scheduled for completion by 2026. “This crane job was commissioned by SIS SCPA, an Italian company that is responsible for major national infrastructure projects,” explains Fabio Polita. The new LTM 1300-6.2 mobile crane is erecting a tower crane and installing air conditioning systems.

Working on the construction of a hospital

For the assembly of the tower crane, the 300-tonne crane was ballasted with 96 tonnes of counterweights and fitted with a 49-metre luffing jib, while the main boom was extended to 34 metres. This configuration ensured that the 10-tonne tower crane jib was in the perfect position – at a height of 87 metres and at 42 metres from the centre of the mobile crane slewing ring.

The LTM 1300-6.2 featured a 35-metre luffing lattice jib and a 46-metre telescopic boom for installing the air conditioning systems. This boom system enabled it to position the 12-tonne systems at a height of 46 metres. Despite areas on the construction site that were difficult to oversee, the new 300-tonne crane was able to carry out its work with ease, benefiting from its good handling.

Job in Milan city centre

The new LTM 1300-6.2 was also used at night in the centre of Milan. The job there was to replace an air conditioning system in a branch of French sporting goods manufacturer, Decathlon. With a 39-metre boom and a 59-metre luffing jib, the crane hoisted a weight of five tonnes from 74 metres to a height of 50 metres.

“As the site is near the famous Castello Sforzesco – one of Milan’s most attractive sights – the crane was erected and deployed at night to avoid crowds and make the job as straightforward and simple as possible. We were able to reach the special, traffic-calmed site in the city centre because our LTM 1300-6.2 is so compact,” continued Fabio Polita.

Crane operator’s view

Crane operator Massimo Garlaschelli, who has over 30 years of experience in the job, is particularly enthusiastic about the new LTM 1300-6.2: “The 300-tonne crane has enormous lifting capacities. We also have a great deal of freedom for operating the crane thanks to its remote control. The crane can also be set up quickly. And the crane control means that it operates very sensitively, particularly with long boom systems.”