Franmat refurbishment in Paris

Five Franmat Potain MDT 368 tower cranes are helping to tear down the roof and grandstands of the Jean Bouin Stadium in Paris, France, as part of major renovation work.

A new fibre concrete roof and 8,000 additional seats will follow the demolition work at the stadium, in the centre of Paris and home to the Stade Francais rugby team. Contractor Leon Grosse is managing the project and is renting the cranes from Franmat, one of the largest Potain rental companies in the country, according to Manitowoc.

The Jean Bouin Stadium expansion project requires high-capacity cranes working in close proximity. More crane jib overlapping is accommodated by using flat top cranes, in place of the traditional design of top slewing cranes that have a cathead, said Manitowoc.

"These cranes were our first choice because the MDT cranes are compact to transport and then fast and easy to assemble on site. Next, we needed to decide on the number of cranes and what capacity best suited the project. We worked closely with our customer, Leon Grosse, to establish the best solution and opted for the MDT 368 cranes," said Marc Colambani, Franmat president.

The five cranes are set up with different configurations. Four are MDT 368 L16s, with 16 tonne capacity, and the fifth is a 12 tonne capacity MDT 368 L12. The jibs range from 60 to 65 metres, while working heights are between 35.4 and 65.4 m.

When the expansion is complete in 2013, stadium capacity will increase from 12,000 to 20,000 fans. The revamped facility will also have other new features, including an underground parking garage.