Cranes in Motion
By Seth Skydel
Two Scopes, Two Cranes, One Campus
Potain tower cranes support major hospital-campus build in Milwaukee
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For two distinct but coordinated construction efforts at the Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, central to both jobsites are two Potain tower cranes. The major campus expansion at the sprawling medical facility includes a new sixstory parking garage and an addition to the facility’ s main hospital building. Included are four elevators, three stair towers, and a skywalk.
The Manitowoc brand Potain tower cranes for the dual hospital jobsites are being supplied by Reynolds Rigging & Crane Service out of Deforest, Wisconsin, which is also providing in house planning, assembly, disassembly, and crane operations for both projects.
With limited laydown area inside an active healthcare campus, noted Nathanael Reynolds, vice president of Reynolds Rigging & Crane Service, the Potain tower cranes reduce reliance on ground staging and minimize the site footprint.“ The overriding goal is to complete construction with zero disruption to hospital operations,” he said.“ From the start, we understood the importance of sequenced trucking, assembly, and dismantle to protect day-to-day hospital activity.”
Project One
The new parking structure at the Froedtert Hospital site is being served by a Potain MD 559. The tower crane has a maximum lifting capacity of 22 tons, a maximum reach / radius of 262 feet, and a peak hook height of 218 feet.
The garage was designed, and its construction sequenced around a centrally placed Potain MD 559 so one crane could cover its footprint, Reynolds related. This approach reduced the number of cranes and
On the Froedtert Hospital parking structure site, a Potain MD 559 tower crane is lifting and setting large precast planks, heavy rebar bundles, curtain wall frames, and site elements such as light poles and masonry. When the structure is complete, the crane pad will be repurposed to house a snowmelt system.
equipment on campus and simplified site circulation.“ Once the MD 559 was erected at the heart of the garage footprint, it became the workhorse of the project, supporting every stage of construction from early concrete work through finishing tasks,” Reynolds said.
On the parking structure site, the MD 559 is lifting and setting large precast planks, heavy rebar bundles, curtain wall frames, and site elements such as light poles and masonry. When the structure is complete, the crane pad will be repurposed to house a snow-melt system.