Terex CTT flat top tower cranes build temple in West Bengal

  Terex Cranes has supplied, through its dealer Harsadhan International in India, customer Gammon India with two Terex CTT 331-16 flat-top tower cranes – one freestanding with a height under hook of 92.6 metres the other using a special single tie-in collar to achieve an under hook height of 120 metres. The cranes will help complete the new $75 million Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (ToVP) currently taking shape on the banks of the Ganges in the holy town of Mayapur, West Bengal. When finished the ToVP will be the largest Vedic temple in the world.

The ToVP is an ambitious project representing the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) – or the Hare Krishna movement – now globally recognised as an authentic spiritual tradition. Combining modern technology, ancient science, timeless wisdom and lively culture, the Temple promises to be a popular spiritual destination.

The two Terex cranes have another year or so on site before work at the temple is finally complete and in particular its main centrepiece dome which will stand at a height of 113 metres – two metres taller than London’s St Paul’s Cathedral and 40 metres higher than the Taj Mahal, Agra.

This main dome houses the Vedic Planetarium providing visitors with a tour of the various regions of the cosmic creation. Beginning at the lower planets, pilgrims travel up through the earthly realm and then onto the higher planetary systems before passing beyond the boundary of the material universe. Within the spiritual realm, visitors view the various planets, before finally arriving at the topmost abode of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna.

Construction of the ToVP had certain restrictions making it more difficult to complete the contract. The main challenge was that the cranes were not allowed to be fixed to the temple structure. This meant specifying one freestanding crane and one with a collar which is fixed into the ground using ground anchors. The pre-tensioning equipment for the collar has been specifically designed in-house by Goverdhan Bhutada, Head of Plant, Gammon India. Tower cranes with collars tend to be used when constructing curved structures such as cooling towers, but rarely on regular shaped buildings.

The Terex CTT 331-16 with HD23 tower was chosen because of its impressive 92.6 metres free standing height which can be extended to 120 metres when fitted with just one collar. The collar is located at a height of 70 metres allowing the crane a further 50 metres to climb before reaching its maximum operating height. The free standing crane uses four slightly larger 2.32 metre square HD23 26.6 tower section at the base. Above these, eleven 2.28 metre square cross-section towers were used. All are six metres long, the smaller sections weighting 4,823 kg including ladders, platforms and assembly equipment.

Both cranes have 70-metre jibs capable of lifting 3.5 tonnes at the end of the jib. The CTT-331-16 has a maximum jib length of 75 metres and can lift up to 16 tonnes at a maximum radius of 22.4 metres. On site the cranes have been lifting re-bar, concrete, stainless steel formwork panels which form the shape of the dome and finally a Kalasa which will be at the dome’s pinnacle.

As well as being unable to tie the cranes into the structure and having to design the collar and pre-tensioning cables, the site was difficult to reach being surrounded by water on three sides – Mayapur is on the Ganges river the confluence point with the river Jalangi. Many of the materials and equipment used has been transported by water boats which are often used to move items in this part of India.

“Given the specific tower crane requirements and restrictions, the great 93 metre free-standing height of Terex CTT 331 enabled us to complete the contract,” said Lucia Canali, Application Engineering Manager, Tower Cranes. “Both cranes have performed faultlessly since the start of the contract and the contract should be finished on schedule.”