WOLFF 1250 B US Cranes Build New UCSF Hospital Beside Active Patient Care
30-Second Takeaway
Two WOLFF 1250 B US luffing jib tower cranes are supporting construction of the UCSF Health Helen Diller Hospital in San Francisco while the neighbouring hospital remains operational. Positioned around the perimeter of a confined triangular site, the cranes use 65 metre jibs and freestanding towers to reach the construction area. Their work includes handling 32 tonne steel columns and lowering a 38 tonne mobile crane into the basement. The project also requires a carefully planned dismantling sequence, with one tower crane removing the other before a large mobile crane completes the final removal in early 2029.
WOLFF 1250 B US
Two WOLFF 1250 B US cranes are constructing a new 15-storey hospital at the University of California San Francisco’s Parnassus Heights campus. Wolffkran says the pair are among only five examples of the model operating in the United States and represent the first deployment of two together on a US construction site.
The UCSF Health Helen Diller Hospital will provide approximately 83,600 square metres of gross floor area. Construction is taking place directly beside active patient care areas, including operating rooms and the Emergency Department. The US$4.3 billion project is expected to complete construction in 2029, followed by hospital activation and opening in 2030, according to UCSF’s latest project update.
Perimeter Positions Cover a Confined Site
The triangular plot is bounded by the existing hospital, residential neighbourhoods and a forested area, with access available through a single road. Those constraints placed the tower cranes at the site perimeter, rather than within the centre of the construction footprint.
Each crane has a 65 metre jib, allowing the pair to cover most of the working area from their positions.
Their 3.3 x 3.3 metre tower footprint was an important selection factor. The compact tower dimensions preserved space within a site where access, material movement and construction activity compete for limited room.
Freestanding Towers on Engineered Foundations
Both cranes stand freestanding on specially engineered foundations incorporating pipe piles and steel grillages. California seismic requirements and neighbouring utilities ruled out conventional foundation arrangements. One crane has a tower height of 79 metres, while the other reaches 85 metres. With their jibs raised, both extend to an overall height of approximately 152 metres. The freestanding arrangements provide the height and reach needed to serve the building from the perimeter positions.
Handling Steel Columns and Basement Equipment
The cranes handle most material movements across the site, including steel box columns weighing approximately 32 tonnes. For some columns, the two cranes work together to turn the components from horizontal to vertical before installation. The site’s access restrictions also required an unusual equipment delivery. With no feasible ramp into the basement, a tower crane lowered a 38 tonne mobile crane to the lower level.
Both tower cranes are expected to remain through interior fit-out after completion of the structural shell. Once construction encloses the site, there will be insufficient room for mobile equipment to take over their material-handling role.
Lifting Beside an Operational Hospital
The existing hospital continues to provide care throughout construction.
The cranes may swing over occupied hospital buildings only with an empty hook, making load routes and lifting coordination central to the work.
Activities near patient care areas require advance coordination with hospital departments on noise, dust, vibration and exhaust. Some clinical operations temporarily relocated during particularly disruptive phases.
Drew Szabat, construction manager for the project, said:
“The construction site conditions here are significantly more challenging than on those projects in downtown San Francisco. The ongoing hospital operations, combined with the geological challenges and the extremely limited logistical possibilities that San Francisco presents, meant that the two Wolff 1250 B US cranes were the only machines that could meet the requirements of our project.”
Dismantling Planned Years in Advance
The removal sequence is another major engineering requirement. One WOLFF crane will dismantle the other, following the approach used when one assembled its counterpart. Although familiar in other markets, this arrangement is highly unusual in California.
According to the project account, the procedure required Cal/OSHA approval three years before crane erection.
The remaining tower crane will be dismantled using a 600 tonne mobile crane, operating from several positions along the adjacent emergency vehicle access road. That work is scheduled for early 2029 and is expected to take several weeks, reflecting the restricted access and the need to coordinate removal with hospital operations.
About Wolffkran
Wolffkran is a tower crane manufacturer and rental specialist whose origins date to an iron foundry established in Heilbronn, Germany, in 1854. The company introduced a mobile, fast-assembly tower crane in 1913, establishing the lifting equipment business that developed into its current operation.
Its activities combine tower crane design and manufacturing with rental and supporting services. Its cranes serve projects where lifting capacity, reach, tower configuration and restricted working space influence equipment selection.
Wolffkran’s principal manufacturing and research activities are based in Heilbronn, with a second manufacturing location in Luckau, Germany. Its international operations support customers in markets including the United States.
Official website: www.wolffkran.com
About UCSF Health
UCSF Health is the clinical health system associated with the University of California San Francisco. The new Helen Diller Hospital forms part of a wider programme to transform the Parnassus Heights campus and expand its capacity for complex patient care. The 15-storey hospital is being developed beside existing clinical facilities, requiring construction and hospital teams to coordinate access and disruptive activities. UCSF expects construction to finish in 2029, followed by activation and the first patients in 2030.
Official website: www.ucsfhealth.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Which cranes are building the hospital?
Two WOLFF 1250 B US luffing jib tower cranes are supporting the project.
Why are the cranes positioned at the perimeter?
The triangular site has limited space and is bordered by an operational hospital, residential areas and a forested area.
What are the jib lengths and tower heights?
Both cranes have 65 metre jibs. Their freestanding tower heights are 79 and 85 metres.
How will the cranes be dismantled?
One tower crane will dismantle the other. A 600 tonne mobile crane will then remove the remaining crane from positions along the adjacent access road.
When will the new hospital open?
UCSF expects construction to finish in 2029, with the hospital opening in 2030.
