Friday round up: Mini renovations, state of rental, power towers, five year plans

Test installation of the Skyrex crane.

There is increasing pressure on construction teams to renovate and re-use buildings rather than completely demolishing them. This trend promotes sustainable building practices and resource efficiency but has also led to a rise in the use of smaller cranes. For Monday’s briefing, Lucy Barnard reported on how a mini crawler crane helped turn one of the UK’s most historic government offices into a super luxury hotel.

As the crane industry continues to embrace the new year, we thought it would be useful to look back over the last 12 months so that we could then look ahead at what may be in store. Different sources have indicated to us that the crane rental market saw notable activity in 2024, driven by regional construction trends and economic factors. As rental continues to outpace ownership due to its cost-effectiveness, our various experts examined the opportunities and hurdles shaping this evolving market.

In the third and final part of our series on groundbreaking tower crane designs for wind turbine installation, Crane & Transport Briefing special correspondent and global tower crane authority Heinz-Gert Kessel explored another truly innovative concept.

On Thursday, Mike Chalmers looked at the Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association (SC&RA) new five-year roadmap for growth, action and influence in the lifting and transport industry worldwide. Association staff and the group of volunteer SC&RA leaders crafted a forward-facing strategy that centres on three pivotal initiatives. He outlines what the plans are and what to expect in the future.