The methods of removing a crane from a construction site can vary depending on the crane and job site. Typically, a crane will need to be transported via truck due to their heavy weight. Cranes such as tower cranes can be extremely large so often have to be disassembled by other smaller cranes or they will disassemble themselves. The parts of the crane will then be placed on a truck and transported to their next location.

However, for mini cranes, which weigh 10 tonnes or less, crane removal methods can vary as their versatility means they are often used in a range of unusual projects.

UNIC URW-706 Mini Spider Crane being lifted onto The Shard.

How Are Mini Cranes Removed from Construction Sites

Before a crane is even delivered to a construction site a plan is created on how to get the crane in and out safely. If there is no way of getting the crane in or out, creating an entire lift plan around an unusable crane is pointless.

Mini Cranes Removed by Truck

This is one of the more common ways that mini cranes can be removed from a construction site. As mini cranes are often mobile you can easily use the controls or remote to simply drive the crane through the construction site and up a ramp onto an awaiting truck.

Some cranes such as the Pick and Carry Crane can be loaded onto transport as is. However, with cranes that have outriggers like a Mini Spider Crane, you must first retract the outriggers for safe transportation. This is because leaving the outriggers out is dangerous as they can potentially hit people or objects.  Retracting the outriggers allows the crane to be as compact as possible for safer transportation through busy construction sites.

In this video, we demonstrate how simple it is to put away your outriggers. When put away the crane can now easily be put on a truck and taken to its next job.

Disassemble Your Crane

Sometimes mini cranes need to be taken apart to get off a construction site. This is often because of restricted access. As mini cranes are so small taking them apart can often be easier than taking apart a tower crane. These lighter parts can easily be shifted by other cranes to where the crane needs to be.

As a company with over 25 years experience in lifting solutions, our cranes have featured in many projects like this. These jobs typically require strength but have space or access restrictions. For jobs like this, we would typically send a Mini Spider Crane – a machine with impressive compactness and lifting power.

An example of this is our 706 which was purchased by a nuclear site management contractor and used for the decommissioning of the primary containment within the Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor. The 706 was dismantled into two pieces and lowered several floors down a nuclear site building. To remove the crane these actions were reversed.

Note: not all mini cranes can be disassembled. Always check with the manufacturer if you are unsure.

Remove It by Crane

Oftentimes cranes can only be removed from construction sites by other cranes due to being used in restricted access areas. This is because mini cranes provide lifting solutions where larger machinery cannot. They may be lowered through several floors, flown by helicopter to a mountaintop, or lifted onto a roof.

Mini cranes are regularly used in these locations due to their light weight and small size. This means they can be used on roofs as they are unlikely to be heavier than the roof’s load bearing capacity. They are also more cost-effective, especially when lifting the pieces of the crane via helicopter. With better fuel economy and less staff needed for operation, they are better for one-off and unusual jobs.

GF42 Pick and Carry Crane arriving at a glazing job.

One of our most notable projects included a 706 lifted by crane. The URW-706 Mini Spider Crane was sent to the top of The Shard to provide an extra helping hook. For 11 weeks the 706 fitted 440 glass panels. The use of the extra crane allowed the project to be completed in time for the 2012 Olympic Games. The 706 was then removed by crane in two pieces before being returned to the Haddenham depot via van.

Mini cranes are essential in construction to their unique abilities and compact size. Mini cranes are also much more easily removed from construction sites. As no.1 for lifting solutions, we always push ourselves to provide cranes and equipment that can do the unexpected. With so many extraordinary projects under our belt, our products and expertise can be combined to provide an answer to almost any lifting challenge. If you need specialist machinery and advice contact GGR Group by phone or by clicking here.