A team of 19 Potain tower cranes are helping to build the 1,285MW Xayaburi Dam in Laos.
The cranes are working 24-hours a day, seven days a week to support the project, which will result in an 820m-long dam across the Mekong River. The project is scheduled to complete in 2019.
“Potain provided the best solution for us, and the company’s lifting solution department has a wealth of experience in successful dam construction,” said Thamnoon Surarat, project manager at main contractor CH Karnchang.
“Manitowoc’s lifting solution department and Potain’s dealer, SB Siam, worked closely with us to design, implement, and maintain a unique setup that will work consistently in harsh and humid conditions with tight deadlines and a demanding work schedule. Everything is moving ahead as planned, and we are delighted with the cranes,” he added.
The cranes’ primary task is to place roller-compacted concrete (RCC) at a rate of 250m3 per hour. Two Potain MD 1600 units are being used to handle the majority of this work. The 64-tonne-capacity behemoths are fitted with Potain’s top-belt concrete placing system, which was created in conjunction with Nippon Conveyor. This system extends 25m beyond the jib end, enabling each crane to pour up to 600 tonnes of concrete per hour at a radius of 105m.
Potain is no stranger to dam builds; several of its cranes are currently playing a central role in the construction of China’s Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest in terms of installed capacity. Potain units were also enlisted to support China’s Longtan Gravity Dam and Vietnam’s Sesan Dam.
Located 100km downstream of Luang Prabang in Laos, the Xayaburi dam will be 820m long, 150m wide, and 35m tall. The dam is owned by Xayaburi Power Company and is expected to produce 7,400GWh annually when it becomes operational. The dam will be used to support the grid systems of both Laos and Thailand.
