2 years ago, crane manufacturer, Sarens, unveiled what is considered to be the world’s largest crane, by both size and lifting capacity. Big Carl, as the huge crane was nicknamed, began work a few months later on the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in England. Now, the jobsite boasts an abundance of crane activity, a true site to behold, and it was captured on aerial footage for you to enjoy.
According to KHL, Big Carl will be accompanied by up to 55 tower cranes at the peak of construction, as well as Marr Contracting’s Favelle Favco M2480D Heavy Lift Luffing (HLL) tower crane, which is widely believed to be the world’s largest luffing jib tower crane.
For comparison, Seattle, Washington had the most active tower cranes in the United States with 65 in 2018 across all jobsites. This single project will have 55 by itself.
In the November 2020 project Update, EDF Energy explained that 2 of the reactor buildings and 1 turbine hall have gone vertical on the project that is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
Big Carl, the gigantic yellow crane in the video below, is working in the prefabrication area of the site and recently lifted a 187 ton “liner cup” into place in the second reactor building. “The liner cup is the base for the reactor’s steel containment which is being prefabricated in five parts and lifted into place by Big Carl,” EDF explained in a September 2020 blog post. The second liner cup was completed 30% faster than the first one, showing the potential productivity gains from repetition on such a large scale.
Big Carl can’t rest his weary bones just yet, though, as he’ll have more than 500 prefabricated steel and concrete structures to lift into place throughout the project, the heaviest weighing over 1,700 tons.
Check out the video below for the breathtaking views of power plant project:
Shane is the creator of Construction Junkie and an active construction project manager. In his career, he has managed interior remodel projects, site development, construction safety, governmental project compliance, and facility maintenance. He has a strong passion for construction technology and safety, as well as sharing the knowledge or insights he has gained throughout his career.