Dubai’s Jewel of the Creek project is rising with the help of tower cranes from Terex, with contractor General Construction Company (GCC) deploying 14 luffing jib units on the project.

The stunning new development being built on the banks of Dubai Creek, with Terex Cranes’ CTL140-10 and CTL260-18 luffing jib tower crane models being selected for the massive project.

A mixed use development, Jewel of the Creek sits on a million square metres in the Port Saeed area of Dubai’s Deira locality, occupying a strategic location on the north shore of Dubai Creek. The project incorporates a mix of residential, commercial, hospitality and recreational use, and is designed to transform the location into a vibrant urban centre and prominent landmark in the heart of Dubai.

The development has 17 high-rise buildings housing apartments, hotels and offices, as well as a large space for leisure with event halls, ports and recreation centre, and the longest swimming pool in Dubai. The complex rises partially on land and partially on a man-made island with an inner creek with a promenade, with a waterfront promenade and marina on the Creekside.

Jewel of the Creek is being developed by Dubai International Real Estate and designed by Kling Consult in a joint venture with another German architect, Kieferle & Partner. General Construction Company is building the complex, with the help of a total of the Terex tower cranes.

According to Terex, several challenges were identified for the project, including the hot and humid climate of Dubai. However, GCC said this was not an issue for the Terex Cranes and they handled the extreme climate without any problem. Another complicated issue was the job-site location. Part of the project was constructing the basement areas, which proved difficult due to the confined space to move the cranes from place to place as the project moved forward.

Commenting on why Terex Cranes was the obvious choice for the project, Emam Al Sayed, head of Mechanical Dept at GCC, said: “All the cranes are of luffing jib type, from the CTL 140-10 with its 10t capacity to the CTL 260-18 with its 18t capacity. They are the ideal solution thanks to their high strength capacity, short counterjib and versatility, which allows them to be assembled in a small area. This was necessary on this site with such cramped areas of operation.

“These cranes are very versatile and with quite light components, so you can use a small crane for installation. They have a short counterjibs, helping in manoeuvrability. To manage the activity of so many cranes in a restricted area, an anti-collision system from AMCS installed on the cranes helps to control the movement of each crane in relation with the others.”

The cranes are installed mainly free standing with tower heights up to 110m or with in-shaft installation and feature at least a 50m jib.

Al Sayed added the GCC team is happy with the Terex luffing jib tower cranes, “as you always know you can trust in them”.

“They have zero breakdowns, they work hard 24/7 with high efficiency, and have very comfortable cabs. Here, the weather is very hot and humid and can reach up to 51 degrees, but the Terex cranes continued to work perfectly regardless,” he said.

GCC is a long-time user of Terex cranes, and knows every detail of the cranes, Al Sayed said. The company is “totally able to handle the crane erection ourselves now”, but, when needed, “we receive great, punctual support from the Terex Service Team”.

Alongside the knowledge of the GCC team and expert assistance of the Terex Crane team, the crane selection was essential to get right. There were a number of huge benefits, and Al Sayed explained that, “the fact that once we had assembled the first crane we could then easily install and dismantle any other cranes was a time saving benefit we found very helpful”.

The cranes’ high speed 67kW option helped with time management, and the short counter jib helped with manoeuvrability in the more confined spaces that GCC had to deal with on this project. “The lightweight, premium quality components of even the larger cranes gave us the option of using a smaller crane for installation,” Al Sayed added.

Rashad Haweeleh, area sales manager for Terex Tower Cranes in the Middle East, said the project would not have been possible without the close relationship that Terex Tower Cranes and GCC have.
“It is a relationship forged over time and one that has helped to secure the opportunity to work on a project as huge as this involving so many Terex Tower Cranes,” Haweeleh said.

“General Construction Company LLC is an excellent partner. It’s one of UAE’s most reputable construction companies, as a reflection of the strong relationships they have forged over the years and their personalised approach to client service. They are involved in the most prestigious projects in the UAE and they manage them with great professionality and deep technical and managerial knowledge,” he added.