City’s tallest crane in place as £250m development moves forward

Infinity Project

Liverpool-based Elliot Group’s £250m Infinity project, set to deliver 1,002 new homes and 10,000 sq ft of commercial space on the northern edge of Liverpool’s business district, has moved to its next phase of construction with the erection of the city’s tallest tower crane.

The 262-foot structure, which will rise to 475-feet part-way through the build, will be on site for 18 months as the first of three towers rises from the ground.

Liverpool-based Vermont is the scheme’s contractor, which will be Liverpool’s third tallest building when complete.

The 39-storey block, designed by Falconer Chester Hall, will provide 416 new homes and top out at 436 feet above sea level. It will be joined by a further two towers of 33 and 27 storeys, respectively.

The crane, provided by Select Plant Hire, has a maximum lifting capacity of 16 tonnes, although the crane driver uses his judgement with regards to the weight of each lift based on prevailing wind conditions.

Work will stop if wind speeds exceed 30 miles per hour, with specialised monitoring equipment on the crane’s cab feeding information to the site managers below.

“This is one of our largest developments to date and the crane going up is a key milestone for the project,” said Elliot Lawless of Elliot Group.

“It’s all systems go now. Sales of apartments in our second tower are ahead of expectations and it’ll be a great day when all three towers are complete.”

The crane driver will enjoy views as far as Snowdon and Coniston Old Man from his air-cooled cab, which is fitted with an ergonomically-designed seat to support his back during nine-hour shifts.

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close