Five Potain Cranes Tackle Tight Marseille Site

Five Potain tower cranes from UPERIO are working on the 30,000 m² Mistral development in Marseille, France, where a dense urban setting and overlapping crane operations required detailed planning before installation.

The fleet comprises two MDT 269 cranes and three MDT 319s, all configured with 45-metre jibs. Hook heights range from 42.3 to 60.6 metres, with the tallest MDT 319 mounted on a reinforced 6-metre base.

BEC Construction Provence, part of FAYAT Bâtiment, is delivering 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 demanding lifting requirements across the site.

One of the main challenges was positioning five cranes within a confined area while managing unavoidable interference between their working zones. Engineers from BEC Construction Provence, UPERIO and Manitowoc’s Lift Solutions team worked together to define crane positions, hook heights and configurations before erection.

Three machines – 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, alongside site monitoring technology.

Despite the restricted city-centre conditions, UPERIO erected all five cranes in just 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.

UPERIO operates around 2,000 tower cranes worldwide, including nearly 800 units in France, where it has 11 operational locations.

The Mistral development is scheduled for completion in January 2028.