Tower cranes on site at Wichita's NW Water Facility

7.8.22

Cranes Tower Over Construction of Wichita’s Northwest Water Facility

For the last eighteen months, the construction of Wichita’s Northwest Water Facility (NWWF) has been marked by two huge tower cranes that can be seen from miles away. These tower cranes have been critical to the construction of this $500 million water treatment facility.

A tower crane is a type of crane that is fixed to a single location and has a defined radius, or reach, and is powered by electricity. Whereas a mobile crane can move around a job site and is powered by diesel fuel. Both have been used in the construction of the NWWF.

Each tower crane on site has a dedicated operator certified to operate a tower crane through the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCO). Additionally, operators must be 18 years old, comply with NCCO’s substance abuse policy, pass a written exam, pass a practical exam, and comply with a code of ethics.

At the start of each workday, the crane operators scale their assigned crane, and stay up there for the duration of their shift, before climbing back down at the end of the day. Scaling a tower crane typically takes about 10 minutes. Operators must climb a series of ladders to reach the top of the crane. Heights vary from 115 to 145 feet…that’s like scaling a twelve to fifteen story building!

The tower cranes at the NWWF are referred to as the Terex and the Liebherr. The Terex is 115 feet tall and has a reach of 255 feet. The Liebherr is 145 feet tall with a 230-foot reach. The load capacity of each varies—the closer the load is to the tower, the heavier it can be and as the load moves further away from the tower and closer to the tip of the arm, the load weight decreases.

The work the cranes have assisted with over the last two years includes moving materials throughout the site, setting wall forms, and placing rebar—more than 18 million pounds is needed on site! They have played a key role in the construction of the site’s filter building which spans nearly 125,000 square feet.

With construction of the NWWF more than 30% complete, the tower cranes were dismantled at the end of June. Construction is anticipated to continue into September of 2024. At present time, the project is on schedule and on budget. Learn more about this legacy project at www.wichitawaterworks.com.