Five Potain Tower Cranes Support Marseille’s Mistral Development
30-Second Takeaway
Five Potain tower cranes supplied by UPERIO are supporting the 30,000 m² Mistral mixed-use development in Marseille, France. The fleet comprises two MDT 269s and three MDT 319s, each configured with a 45-metre jib and working at hook heights from 42.3 to 60.6 metres. Planning focused on fitting the cranes into a confined urban site and managing overlapping working zones. BEC Construction Provence, UPERIO and Manitowoc’s Lift Solutions team coordinated crane positions and configurations before erection. All five cranes were installed in two days.
Crane Fleet Planned for Confined Urban Site
BEC Construction Provence, part of FAYAT Bâtiment, is building the mixed-use development and multi-storey parking structure. The project includes raw concrete façades, prefabricated elements and wall panels reaching up to eight metres in height, creating varied lifting requirements across the site.
UPERIO’s fleet includes two Potain MDT 269 cranes and three MDT 319 cranes. Each has a 45-metre jib, with hook heights ranging from 42.3 to 60.6 metres. The tallest MDT 319 is mounted on a reinforced six-metre base.
Placing five tower cranes within the available space required detailed coordination. Their working zones overlap, so engineers from BEC Construction Provence, UPERIO and Manitowoc’s Lift Solutions team planned crane locations, hook heights and configurations before installation.
Crane Safety and Site Coordination
Three cranes, two MDT 319s and one MDT 269 received additional engineering input from Manitowoc to meet the project’s structural and operational requirements.
All five cranes are equipped with anti-collision systems, cameras, aviation warning lights and GEDA 2PK mast operator lifts. Site monitoring technology supports coordination as cranes work within overlapping zones.
Despite the restricted city-centre setting, UPERIO erected the five cranes in two days.
“By combining the technological excellence of Potain cranes with the operational expertise of our teams, we are able to support our customers on the most demanding projects,”
said Eric Delbecq, Sales Director at UPERIO France.
About UPERIO
UPERIO provides tower crane rental, sales and related services for construction and civil engineering projects. The company operates around 2,000 tower cranes worldwide, including nearly 800 units in France, where it has 11 operational locations. Its work includes supplying equipment and supporting customers with crane planning and site operations.
Website: https://www.uperio-group.com/
About Potain
Potain is a tower crane manufacturer and brand within Manitowoc. Its range includes topless, luffing jib and hammerhead tower cranes for construction, infrastructure and urban projects. The MDT 269 and MDT 319 are top-slewing cranes designed for lifting and distributing loads across large or constrained jobsites. Manitowoc’s crane systems include control and anti-collision technologies for coordinating equipment on multi-crane sites.
About BEC Construction Provence
BEC Construction Provence is a regional construction company within FAYAT Bâtiment. The company carries out building projects in the Provence region, while FAYAT Bâtiment operates through regional agencies and subsidiaries across France. At Mistral, BEC Construction Provence is delivering the mixed-use development and multi-storey parking structure.
Website: https://becprovence.fayat.com/
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Potain cranes are working on the Mistral development?
Five cranes supplied by UPERIO are on the project: two Potain MDT 269s and three MDT 319s.
What are the cranes’ jib lengths and hook heights?
All five cranes have 45-metre jibs. Their hook heights range from 42.3 to 60.6 metres. The tallest MDT 319 is installed on a reinforced six-metre base.
What lifting work is required at the Mistral site?
The project includes raw concrete façades, prefabricated elements and wall panels up to eight metres high, as well as construction of a multi-storey parking structure. These elements create varied lifting requirements across the site.
How was crane interference managed?
BEC Construction Provence, UPERIO and Manitowoc’s Lift Solutions team planned the crane positions, hook heights and configurations before erection. The cranes are also equipped with anti-collision systems and site monitoring technology.
How long did it take to erect the five cranes?
UPERIO erected all five cranes in two days, despite the confined city-centre site.
