The MC305 was flown to the sixth level, where it will work for six months as the sole material-handling crane onsite.

A new luxury hotel is coming to downtown Houston. Located next door to George R. Brown Convention Center, the $370 million Marriott Marquis Hotel will have 1,000 guest rooms, more than 104,00 sq. ft. (9,662 sq m) of meeting space, Houston's largest ballroom, an infinity pool and a rooftop lazy river — shaped like the state of Texas.

A specialty commercial pool contractor is using a Maeda MC305 crane to build the lazy river and outdoor pool area on sixth level overlooking Discovery Green. The MC305 is able to handle various materials such as steel beams and pumps to construct the large pool.

The MC305 was selected for its capacity of 6,560 lbs. (2,975.5 kg); overall weight of 9,100 lbs. (4,128 kg); small footprint; and ability to travel around a very confined workspace on rubber tracks. The MC305 was the solution for the contractor to have a light enough piece of equipment to work on the sixth level deck, with the capacity to handle various weights of steel beams and materials.

The tower crane onsite was in the process of being taken down, since the main hotel structure was complete. Prior to the tower crane being removed, the MC305 was flown to the sixth level, where it will work for six months as the sole material-handling crane onsite.

Precise placement and handling of materials is required on the congested job site. The MC305, rented from Inman Texas Company of Houston, Texas, is right at home on the central "island" structure in the shape of the state of Texas. The river structure is constructed around the perimeter of the "island", so the MC305 can lift, place and hold materials while they are welded or bolted in place.

Another key requirement of working on the project was having a crane that is fully compliant with the safety requirements of the general contractor. Maeda mini cranes have the same safety features, such as a moment limiter safety system and load display programmed with load charts; anti-2-block; outrigger interlock safety system; and other features similar to conventional larger mobile cranes. There are no issues with using a Maeda mini crane on a commercial job site, according to the manufacturer.

The MC305 is a cost-effective solution that eliminated the need for an expensive big mobile crane, blocking the street below.

For more information, call 713/715-1500 or visit www.maedausa.com.

This story also appears on Crane Equipment Guide.

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