Raimondi flat-tops at work on Toronto building cluster

JESS Equipment, the Canadian equipment management company operating under the Straw Construction Group, supplied two Raimondi flat-top tower cranes to a new building cluster in the Greater Toronto Area. The jobsite, situated in North York, is for the construction of three new rental buildings across the street from Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

Straw Construction Group put one Raimondi MRT234 and one MRT294 (pictured) onsite for an urban redevelopment project in Greater Toronto Area. 

“The decision to utilize these two Raimondi’s on this important project, is based on the superior lifting capacity of the machines, as well as the fast lifting and loading speeds,” said Sante Paglia, director, Jess Equipment Inc.

Paglia added that due to the dimensions of the site and the project’s tight completion deadline, it was essential to choose high performing machines with significant hoist speed.

The MRT234 presents a maximum lifting capacity of 13.2 tons (12 tonnes) and is freestanding at a height of 116.8 feet (35.6 meters). The machine has been configured with a jib length of 158.8 feet (48.4 meters) and a tip load of 6.2 tons (5.6 tonnes). Equipped with a 55kW winch and a drum capacity of 2,297 feet (700 meters), the flat-top maximum lifting speed is 72 feet (22 meters) per minute.

The MRT294, which freestands at a height of 118.8 feet (36.2 meters), is at work with a jib length of 139 feet (42.37 meters) and a 8.40-ton (7.6-tonne) tip load. The 17.6-ton (16-tonne) maximum lifting capacity crane is fitted with a 75kW winch and 700-meter drum boosting a maximum lifting speed of 85 feet (26 meters) per minute.

The machines had a staggered installation schedule, in line with the jobsite progress. Both cranes, erected by Total Crane Hoisting & Rigging, will remain onsite for a total of approximately 18 months.

“With the jobsite located in close proximity to Yorkdale Shopping Centre, one of the busiest centres in Toronto, as well as the Highway 401, one of the most trafficked highways in Canada, the biggest challenges of the project were to ensure smooth operations when accessing the site and to guarantee that the cranes do not swing outside the boundaries of the site,” Paglia explained.

Upon completion, the site will feature three contemporary towers hosting 760 residential rental units, commercial spaces, and several modern amenities.