Over its many decades in the business, Grove, Manitowoc, Potain and National Crane products have helped build and restore countless places of worship around the world. Check out some of the best below.
No matter how big or how small the task, cranes from Manitowoc are trusted for their reliability, control and accuracy on projects at places of religious celebration. The facilities themselves often have huge historical importance and of course are a point of celebration and community for their worshipers. In this article we take a look at six of the best places from down the years.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Location: Paris, France
Cranes: Potain MDT 809
Following the major fire that devastated the French capital’s Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019, Manitowoc erected Potain’s largest topless crane, a Potain MDT 809 to work on the reconstruction of this globally iconic place of worship. The MDT 809 was erected within the physical constraints of the Île de la Cité, the Seine inlet in which Notre Dame stands, providing unprecedented lift capacity and reach.
Photo credits: Uperio Group, Abaca Press, Envato Elements
Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago
Location: Santiago, Chile
Cranes: Grove GMK5130-2
A Grove GMK5130-2 was used to remove the main bronze statue from the façade of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago, which was damaged in the devastating Chile earthquake of February 2010. The iconic statue, which was at risk of falling, was rescued by the crane, which had its main boom 60 m (177 ft) and completed the sensitive recovery operation at a radius of 28 m (92 ft). The outriggers were fully extended and used substantial cribbing as the crane was positioned over a subway tunnel.
Photo credit: Grove, Tripadvisor.
Angkor Wat Temple
Location: Cambodia
Cranes: Potain HD 16 units and HD 32 A unit
Three self-erecting cranes were installed to assist with the restoration of Angkor Wat Temple, the world’s largest religious monument. The cranes, comprising two Potain HD 16 units and an HD 32 A, were involved with the construction of new supporting walls as part of the rebuild of Baphuon Temple.
Photo credit: Potain, Envato Elements
The Sagrada Familia
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Cranes: Potain MD 235 A, MD 238, MD 175 B, MD 125 B and MC 50 A (and more)
Potain cranes have been used for decades on the world’s longest-running construction project, The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, which is also the city’s largest tourist attraction. Over the years, there have been as many as six Potain cranes on the 12,800 m² (137,778 ft²) site at any one time and they can remain in situ for as long as 20 years. With the final construction of the Sagrada Familia expected in 2026, Potain cranes will remain on this epic site for the years to come too!
Photo credit: Potain, Deezen, Wikipedia.
New temple in the town of Shirdi
Location: Shirdi, India
Cranes: Potain MCT 85
An MCT 85 crane was used to assist with the construction of a new temple in the town of Shirdi, a spiritual centre of India that is famous as the hometown of the Indian spiritual master, Shirdi Sai Baba. The MCT 85 was configured at a working height of 34.1 m (112 ft) with a jib length of 52 m (171 ft) and was used to lift rebar and concrete to assist with building the new temple.
Photo credits: Potain, Times of India
Washington National Cathedral
Location: Washington DC, U.S.
Cranes: Grove GMK7450
A Grove GMK7450 all-terrain crane with a Mega-Wing-Lift attachment was used to restore the Washington National Cathedral following the 5.8 magnitude earthquake suffered by the East Coast of the U.S. in 2011. The GMK7450 was first used to assemble support beams for scaffolding around the upper portion of the cathedral and then picked four pinnacles, each weighing 2.2 t (5,000 lb), from the top of the 98 m (320 ft) cathedral so they could undergo renovation before lifting them back into place once the work was done.
Photo credits: Lifting and Access, Wtop, Washington.org