‘Sir Pix-A-Lot,’ A Potain MD 3200 MAXI Tower Crane, Builds British Columbian Hydroelectric Dam

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A colossal 88.2-ton Potain MD 3200 MAXI crane is working on a hydroelectric dam to power 450,000 homes in British Columbia, Canada. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

“Sir Pix-a-Lot” is the unofficial nickname of a giant Potain tower crane helping to dam the Peace River in British Columbia, Canada. The 88.2-ton (80-metric-ton) MD 3200 MAXI crane is working on the Site C Clean Energy Project, an 1,100-megawatt hydroelectric generating station scheduled to be completed in 2024.

AFDE (Aecon-Flatiron-Dragados-EBC Partnership), the construction group in charge of the project, acquired the big Potain to move oversized materials including sections of steel penstock weighing in excess of 50 t (45.4 mt).

“The MD 3200 is the tool we needed to perform the work,” says AFDE’s deputy intakes and penstocks manager, Nathan Johnson. “The job would have been far more challenging without this crane.”

The Site C Project

The Potain MD 3200 MAXI is working on the Generating Station and Spillways Civil Works portion of Site C, which is the third hydroelectric dam being built along the river. It is mounted on a custom rail track and travels along the length of the work site. It dwarfs the seven other Potain tower cranes working on the site, which are two MD 689s and five MD 560 models.

The Site C project, which has been under construction since 2015, will ultimately be the fourth-largest energy producer in British Columbia. It will generate about 5,100 gigawatt-hours each year, or enough electricity to power about 450,000 homes.

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The MD 3200 is reported to be the biggest Potain crane in use on the North American continent. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

Crane Specs

The Potain MD 3200 MAXI has a maximum height of 331.7 ft (101.1 m), a jib length of 278.9 ft (85 m), and a full-extension lifting capacity of 28.7 t (26 mt). “We are very happy with the MD 3200’s performance,” Johnson says. “It’s the number one tool on the job site, as it can lift up to eight times more than any other tower crane on site.”

To fit the requirements of the Site C project, AFDE’s crane is set up with a 255.8-ft (78-m) height and a 229.7-ft (70-m) jib. It’s rated at a 70.5-t (64-mt) lifting capacity, or 40.8 t (37 mt) at its full extension length. It’s believed to be the largest Potain crane ever to be used in North America.

“It’s outstanding. It’s definitely part of the skyline,” Johnson says. “When you’re driving into the site, if you don’t know how big it really is from the horizon, it’s massive.”

Source: Manitowoc

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