< PreviousT he Demag AC 80-4 features a main boom that is 60 meters long and that, with some confi gurations, makes it possible to have the longest main boom reach in the class of up to 120 tonnes. The AC 80 4 can lift 5.4 tonnes at a radius of 14 meters. It also raises the bar with its main boom extended to 50 m: at a radius of ten meters, it can lift 9.7 tonnes. If the main boom length of 60 meters is not enough, the reach can be expanded with a 6.5 meter main boom extension that can be off set by 25° and 50°. Its capacity is 23.8 tonnes, meaning that it can be used to lift heavy loads over obstacles. Since the extension can be folded and carried on the main boom, it can be ready for use particularly quickly. In addition, there is a 1.50-meter runner with a capacity of 26.6 tonnes available for the Demag AC 80-4. Accordingly, the AC 80-4 is also recommended for indoor projects. The main boom can be lowered up to 3° below its horizontal position so that potential work at height can be easily eliminated and the jibs can be installed quickly and safely. "Demag already had an 80-tonne crane at one point: The AC 80-2. The worldwide success that this model had, showed that there’s signifi cant interest in a crane with this kind of lifting capacity. In fact, a large number of customers kept confi rming this time and time again. That’s why we decided to add the AC 80-4 to our product portfolio in the segment of up to 100 tonnes,” said Michael Klein, the product marketing manager. The AC 80-4 is equipped with a Mercedes- Benz engine with maximum power of 340 kW (462 PS) and maximum torque of 2,200 Nm. The diesel engine conforms to EU Stage V emission requirements. A Mercedes-Benz G230- 12 transmission, together with a drivetrain from the same manufacturer, is in charge of transmitting the engine’s power to the road. With twelve forward speeds and two reverse speeds, all-wheel steering as standard, and two or three driven axles, this makes the AC 80-4 suited to the challenges of rough terrain at work sites as well as fast travel on highways and long- distance drives. Once at the work site, the new Demag Surround View makes it easier for crane operators to position the AC 80-4. This patented system uses the four crane cameras to show a computer-assisted diagram of the possible outreach of the outriggers, as well as the counterweight tailswing radius at the crane’s current location. The AC 80-4 also comes with the Demag IC-1 Plus control system, which calculates the crane’s lifting capacity for every boom position as a function of the superstructure’s slewing angle during operation. In addition to the IC-1 Plus control system, the crane is available with the IC-1 Remote telematics solution, which makes it possible to remotely read and diagnose all important crane data and enables owners to integrate the AC 80-4 into their fl eet management system. 20 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comMARCH 2021 CRANES DEMAG LAUNCHES 80-TONNE ALL-TERRAIN CRANE, THE AC 80-4HEAVY LIFTING IN CONFINED SPACES Mammoet’s Focus30 is a 2,500t crane that can be assembled vertically, allowing it to operate with a small footprint in areas with complex infrastructure and space limitations such as petrochemical plants and inner cities COVER STORY 22 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comMARCH 2021COVER STORY 23 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comMARCH 2021T wo major heavy lifting and heavy transport challenges faced by contractors in cities and industrial complexes infl uenced Mammoet’s product development strategy and led to the development of the Focus30 crane. Firstly, as population growth and urbanisation increase pressure on infrastructure planning and construction, complex lifting and transport operations need to be executed in highly congested areas without disrupting daily life and public transport networks. Secondly, with increase in demand for energy, governments prioritising sustain- ability are imposing restrictions on permits for new industrial complexes and emis- sion and noise limits for existing facilities. Nevertheless, industrial complexes such as petrochemical plants need to be maintained, rebuilt and upgraded periodically without loss of production. Like cities, refi neries and chemical plants face the problem of conges- tion. As they expand over time, they tend to operate beyond their intended life cycle, often within the same footprint. Refi neries across Europe and the US between 50 and 60 years of age are reaching the end of their design lives. This presents owners with two choices: to shut down existing facilities and rebuild, or to expand and revitalize them. Until recently, both these options would result in a signifi - cant downtime, and therefore, costs. While maintaining and upgrading such facilities, the biggest challenge faced by heavy haulage companies is the lack of space to transport and lift oversized loads. Contrac- tors can overcome regulatory and logistics challenges by reducing civil preparation work, utilising fewer equipment to do more work, and planning for just-in-time transportation. However, none of these approaches can be adopted with crawler cranes. Jacques Stoof, head of global market devel- opment and innovation, Mammoet, elabo- rates on the challenges facing plant operators and contractors, particularly during refi nery upgrades. “Maintaining and upgrading refi neries require cranes. While this is good for our business, it comes with the risk of disrupt- ing production as a result of transporting, The total area required for assembly of the Focus30, including assisting cranes and support equipment, is 35m x 35m. COVER STORY 24 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comMARCH 2021erecting and operating a large crane at a fully operational refi nery. Conventional crawler cranes need a large laydown area during as- sembly with their booms raised over existing workspaces. Assembly of such cranes may require clearing space on the site for lift- ing, demolishing buildings, reinforcing the ground, closing roads, building the boom over existing pipe racks and interfering with the refi nery processes. Sometimes we have to compromise on the crane capacity due to limitations in the available area and ground bearing pressure and the challenges involved in the assembly of the crane. This is not a feasible option considering that such facilities must be maintained or upgraded every fi ve to seven years and that downtime is more criti- cal than ever,” he explains. The product development strategy adopted by Mammoet for heavy lifting in confi ned spaces was centred on vertical assembly. “We asked ourselves why a vertical as- sembly mechanism had not been developed for heavy-duty cranes the way it has for tower cranes. This led to the concept of the Focus30, which we envisioned as a heavy-lift crane that builds itself. We designed the Focus30 to be erected vertically and manoeuvred with fl exibility, while delivering the size of lifts re- quired for modular construction. By enabling heavy lifts with no loss of production, the Focus30 can accelerate refi nery upgrade and maintenance projects with a lower total cost of refurbishment,” says Jacques. FEATURES OF THE FOCUS30 Capacity The Focus30 is a 2500t class crane with maxi- mum load moment of 30,000 tonne-metre. The crane can lift 1000 tonnes at 30m radius with a 90m main boom and 18m jib. The max- imum lift radius is 98m, and the boom angle varies from 30 degrees to 85 degrees. The high capacity of the crane facilitates modular construction: larger modules can be pre-fabricated off -site and then transported and installed in single lifts. Assembly As a vertically self-erecting crane, the Focus30 can be assembled up to a height of 150m. No part of the crane overhangs sur- rounding people, buildings and roads during its assembly and disassembly. The following systems and mechanisms enable vertical assembly: • The main boom mast sections are supplied in sections and erected using a guidance sys- tem that allows vertical mast build-up assembled in its SFSL fi xed jib confi guration and subjected to 125% of its maximum recom- mended load. Next, the crane was re-assembled, this time to its SSL confi guration, with 90m boom but no jib, and again loaded with 1,250t. Testing of the crane in its SFSL confi guration lasted for approximately one week, while testing in its SSL confi guration lasted for three days in total. Side load, swing load and maximum radius testing was performed during both the phases. Repositioning of its superlift between tests took just two hours each time, rather than one to two days, a feature that will reduce plant downtime when the crane starts project work. Following the two phases of testing, the crane is now fully compliant with the EN 13000 standard for mobile cranes, and with F.E.M. 5.004, which governs the design of steel structures of general use. Mammoet has announced the Focus30 will be available in 2021. The Focus30 will belong to a series of cranes that will include the Focus6, Focus8, Focus15, and Focus50 (50,000 tonne-metre) models. • A specifi c masthead enables hoisting or low- ering of the back mast during crane erection or disassembly • A feed system on the crane’s upper structure allows safe and convenient insertion of mast sections • The erection frame allows stable vertical mast erection, based on a proven methodol- ogy for tower cranes. Boom stop cylinders, in- tegrated in the support brace of the erection frame, keep the main boom mast sections vertical and stable. The total area required for assembly, including assisting cranes and support equip- ment, is 35m x 35m. After the assembly, the crane requires an area of only 22m x 22m to operate. The small footprint allows more work to continue around the Focus30, thus increasing productivity on the job site. Vertical assembly also allows the crane erection methodology to be consistent on every project. The Focus30 can be erected within 10–14 days by a crew of six people in- cluding supervisors and riggers and by using locally available 400t and 100t mobile cranes and a 30m access platform. Ground bearing pressure The pedestal design of the Focus30 creates stability and keeps the ground bearing pres- sure of the crane within 6–10t/m2. These low values limit the impact on the surrounding as well as underground infrastructure and reduces the amount of civil work required to start lifting operations. Wind speeds The Focus30 can be erected at wind speeds up to 40m/s and operated at speeds up to 10m/s. An out-of-service crane can withstand up to 35m/s; beyond that speed, several tie-down confi gurations can help the crane withstand severe storms and up to category 3 hurricanes. Relocation The Focus30 has a variable and splittable superlift system which enables swift reloca- tion of the crane without disassembly. Where the surface allows, the Focus30 can also be skidded to additional lifting positions. This allows more lifts to be made using the same crane. TESTING AND AVAILABILITY Testing of the Focus30 took place in two phases, under the supervision of Lloyd’s Register, an independent third-party surveyor that worked alongside Mammoet during design of the Focus30. First, the crane was Jacques Stoof, head of global market development and innova- tion, Mammoet. COVER STORY 25 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comMARCH 2021Mammoet’s 6,000t land-based crane, the SK6,000, allows large and heavy modules to be lift ed directly onto the hull of FPSO and FLNG vessels, without the need to rotate either the modules on land, or the ship. BUILDING FPSOS LARGER AND FASTER COVER STORY 26 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comMARCH 2021COVER STORY 27 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comMARCH 2021I n 2018, Ale, now part of Mammoet, set an industry record when performing the heaviest ever land-based crane lift using a jib while working on the module integration for Total’s Egina fl oating production, storage and offl oading (FPSO) vessel in Nigeria. The Egina is the largest FPSO built by Total, weighing close to 220,000 metric tons and measuring 330 meters long by 60 meters wide. Designed to hold 2.3 million barrels of oil, the FPSO is connected to 44 subsea wells 1,600 meters deep and produces 200,000 bar- rels of oil per day. Ale was contracted to lift and install six modules ranging from 335t to 3,000t from the yard onto their fi nal positions on the FPSO. The heaviest FPSO module weighed 2,810t and was lifted using ALE’s AL.SK350 crane and heavy duty jib, at the time the world’s largest capacity land based crane. The AL.SK350 crane was rigged in its biggest confi guration with a124m a-frame main boom, 49m ballast radius and a newly developed 38m heavy duty jib for additional outreach, along with a heavy winch system and 4,000t ballast. The jib, with a patented design, was used for the fi rst time on the project. It boosted the overall lifting capacity and extended the outreach so the crane could be strategically positioned to lift from one location. As the yard had restricted space, this confi guration reduced the overall project schedule. The AL.SK350 crane also provided signifi cant time and cost savings to the client as it has allowed them to build less, yet bigger modules locally. Since its launch in 2013 the 5,000t capacity AL.SK350 has delivered several world record lifts for major oil and gas projects. Its capac- ity and 354,000tm load moment, the largest in the world until the launch of the Mam- moet SK10,000, opened new possibilities in Ale’s AL.SK350 crane lifted and installed six modules ranging from 335t to 3,000t on Total’s Egina FPSO in 2018. COVER STORY 28 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comMARCH 2021modular construction. The power and reach of the AL.SK350 al- lows modules to be fabricated at greater size onshore and lifted directly from the yard onto the hull, minimising project time and the need for other equipment and work on site. Outreach is further enhanced by a heavy duty jib, which allows greater scope to perform all lifting from one strategic location rather than reconfi guring and moving the crane multiple times. The unique design of the SK range of cranes also off ers advantages in terms of site optimisation through the compact central ballast format and reduced disruption with the ability to fully rig and operate the crane off -plot. Constructing FPSO and fl oating liquefi ed natural gas (FLNG) modules onshore has allowed EPCs to expedite project schedules and increase cost-eff ectiveness. To increase the effi ciency of production, FSPO and FLNG modules are being manufactured as larger and heavier units. The sheer size of these immense struc- tures, often breaking the 3,000t barrier and thousands of cubic metres, presents new challenges in the construction of FPSO and FLNGs vessels, thus pushing the lifting boundaries of land-based cranes. Given the loads involved, it can be diffi cult to fi nd ad- equate lifting technology close to the project site. This can narrow the execution choices available during each project’s planning stage, and the percentage of the project that can be executed locally. With so many large modules involved, space on the site is also at a premium, with many concurrent operations taking place. This could raise site transporta- tion costs, giving rise to hundreds of time- intensive, intricate movements during the installation phase. In response to these challenges, Mammoet developed the SK6,000 crane by utilising the same proven design of the SK350 and a similar footprint. The SK6,000 allows EPCs to build bigger than ever before, off ering a maximum lift capacity of up to 6,000t. Its design al- lows modules to be lifted directly onto the hull, without the need to rotate either the modules on land, or the ship. The crane has a centralized ballast, which eliminates the need to install a full ring track. This frees up site space by up to 45%, allowing operations around the crane to continue and the FPSO to launch faster. Giovanni Alders, sales director, Mammoet, explains: “As our customers strive for greater and greater effi ciencies, both in terms of construction and production, the capacity of land-based cranes becomes a signifi cant limit- ing factor when developing the FPSO modu- larization strategy. With the SK6,000 crane, our customers can think bigger than ever be- fore, pushing modules beyond the 3,000t and even 4,000 barriers. As FPSO designs scale-up, not only are module designs growing larger and heavier, but fl are towers are also becom- ing taller than ever before. With our SK6,000, we can install fl are towers of up to 1,500t and 150m in height in a single piece.” As the SK6,000 is containerized and can be assembled quickly on site, it can deliver heavy lift capability to wherever it is needed. This provides greater fl exibility in where and how projects are completed. “With its long outreach, small minimum footprint and relatively small site impact, the SK6,000 greatly reduces the topside integra- tion time. Needless to say, with larger build- ing blocks, you spend less time connecting and testing, and more time producing. The SK6,000 allows EPCs to consider construc- tion methodologies involving heavier com- ponents than ever before, stretching beyond 4,000t. This allows new standards to be set in effi ciency, safety, and time to production,” says Giovanni. The Mammoet SK6,000 has a maximum lift capacity of 6,000t. The crane has a centralized ballast, which eliminates the need to install a full ring track. COVER STORY 29 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comMARCH 2021Next >