Singapore’s first Potain MCT 1005 helps advance prefabricated construction

• The Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) method increases productivity on-site but depends on powerful and reliable tower cranes.

The first Potain MCT 1005 topless crane in Singapore is helping the country’s Housing & Development Board (HDB) continue its pioneering work around innovative building techniques. It was erected in October and boasts all the necessary strength to complete the Yishun Central 1 (N9C3) housing development using Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC). 

PPVC takes precast construction to the next level, through the onsite assembly of modules that are transported to the site complete with internal fixtures and fittings. It’s a method of construction that greatly accelerates the timeframe, however, it requires tower cranes with the speed, strength, and reach to position the precast modules, which can typically weigh up to 25 t.  It’s exactly the type of application the Potain MCT 1005 was designed to handle, with its 50 t capacity, 80 m jib and up to 1,070 m of rope on the drum. For added versatility on-site there’s also a choice of counterjibs from 15 m to 20 m to fit even the tightest jobsites.

Main contractor Debenho has rented the crane from local equipment supplier Manta Equipment, which purchased the landmark unit. It is expected to remain onsite until the end of 2024, and its arrival in Singapore was celebrated at a special handover ceremony at Manta’s offices in Tuas. Leading the ceremony were: Brian Wang, SVP Emerging Markets at Manitowoc; Paul Hui, director at Manta Equipment; and Wong Heng Ming, sales operations director for Asia at Manitowoc.

The MCT 1005 at Yishun will reach a final height under hook of 55 m and has been configured with a jib length of 35 m, supported by a 15 m counterjib. This will allow it to lift and place all the heavy PPVC sections as the jib can support over 34 t at almost 35 m in this configuration. With a full complement of 80 m jib, the MCT 1005 can handle 50 t between 3.5 - 16.8 m, and 6.5 t at 80 m. The MCT 1005 is the second largest topless tower crane to be manufactured at Manitowoc’s Zhangjiagang facility in China, after the MCT 1105.

Manta Equipment is one of the largest tower crane suppliers in Singapore and has been a partner of Potain for several decades.