New rooftop crane from Pro-Tech

Pro-Tech Rigging & Industrial has designed, engineered and fabricated a crane for use on the rooftops of high-rise buildings. The crane is designed to break down small enough that it can be brought up to the roof via freight elevators.

Jamie Mullen, president of Pro Tech, says the crane is capable of lifting up to 20,000 pounds at a 20 foot radius. The main hoist winch is outfitted with over 2,000 feet of cable. "The crane has a hydraulic hoist winch as well as a hydraulic boom to mast winch for boom control," he said. "We have our own motor and hydraulic pump so we require no services from the buildings we work on. It is not a guy derrick."

The crane was used for the first time in late March in Calgary, Alberta Canada to hoist chiller components and structural steel onto a building rooftop that was about 400 feet high. "Our heaviest lift was only about 8,500 pounds but we will be lifting larger pieces over the next few weekends," said Mullen of the new machine. "The crane is capable as configured to lift 11,200 pounds at maximum radius of 32 feet."

The new crane has a counterweight that is hydraulically controlled and that travels in or out as the crane picks or lowers the load. Mullen explained that as the crane is counterweighted, it is completely free standing and does not require anchoring to a roof. "This is as good thing for older buildings as many do not have anchor points designed into the roof."

Mullen says the crane can also be used for the disassembly of tower cranes.