OUR PROJECTS
8 CHIFLEY SYDNEY

8 CHIFLEY SYDNEY

A revolutionary crane solution for Sydney’s iconic ‘sky village’

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PROJECT OVERVIEW

When internationally renowned architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners teamed up with the Lippmann Partnership to design 8 Chifley by Mirvac, they created the vision for Australia’s first ‘sky village’ concept. The iconic tower design also inadvertently created an engineering challenge that would even test Marr’s unwavering belief that anything is possible.

Client
MIRVAC
Project
8 CHIFLEY SYDNEY
Location
SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA
Sector
HIGH RISE
Date
APRIL 2011 – MAY 2013
Cranes

1 x M860

THE CHALLENGE

The architectural design required lifting 12 x 40 tonne steel beams 100 metres above street level onto a construction site within Sydney’s busy CBD – but the real challenge was how to do the heavy lifting when there was nowhere to put the crane.

OUR SOLUTION

Mirvac wanted to build a crane that would hug the external face of the building as it climbed but needed an innovative solution to erect the base within the site perimeter. Our answer was a customised offset grillage system that allowed the crane to come out from under the building at the ground-to-fifth storey level and then go up again to a freestanding height of over 60m.

THE RESULT

Two years later the job that ‘couldn’t be done’ was completed exactly as Mirvac had imagined it – and Marr had another world first solution to our name.

2011

As the developer of Australia’s first ‘sky village’ concept, 8 Chifley in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, Mirvac was faced with a number of engineering challenges. They had a construction methodology to apply to building the iconic 34-storey building, but needed our help to develop a cranage solution to achieve it.

The building extended to the boundary of the site, but without being able to establish a tower crane from the street frontage or footpath, the task of lifting the twelve 40 tonne steel beams that made up the distinctive external bracing of the building was seemingly impossible without putting the crane through the building structure.

Mirvac wanted to build a crane that would hug the external face of the building as it climbed, and needed an innovative engineering solution to do it. We engineered an offset grillage solution that we believed would work – but it was not without its challenges. After an independent design review and rigorous finite element analysis to test the engineering solution, we were given the all clear to install the crane.

From the 3.5 m x 3.5 m M1280D crane base sitting inside the boundary of the building, we built a customised offset grillage between the lower and upper parts of a Favco M860D tower crane. It allowed the centre line of the crane foundation to be offset 5 metres from the centre line of the crane tower. This effectively allowed the crane to come out from under the building at the ground-tofifth-storey level and then go up again to a final freestanding height of over 60 metres.

As the crane climbed the tower it was ‘tied’ to the side of the building. 2013: Two years later the job that ‘couldn’t be done’ was completed as Mirvac had imagined and Marr had another world first to our name.

LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW WE COULD ADD VALUE TO YOUR PROJECT

We work with our clients to find a craneage solution that works – no matter how big or complex the job is. If the right crane doesn’t already exist, we’ll build one to suit the needs of your project.

ABOUT US

We’re not just a crew and cranes for hire. We’re big thinkers and problem solvers who love a challenge. No problem is too big for us.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

We believe that the crane needs to suit the job, not the other way around. We don’t just hire cranes – we design craneage solutions.

OUR HERITAGE

We’re a third-generation family-owned and run business with a strong sense of tradition and loyalty engrained in what we do and how we work together.

OUR PEOPLE

We think of our team as ‘one big family’ of problem-solvers who love cranes and the challenge of working on complex, large-scale projects.

OUR APPROACH

We work with you to find an engineering solution that works. Delivering value through the unique combination of our knowledge, experience, proven service delivery and people.

OUR SERVICES

We’ve worked on some of the most complex and challenging large-scale construction projects across Australia and around the world.

OUR CRANES

We don’t just hire cranes – we design them. So, if the right crane for your job doesn’t already exist, we’ll build one.

OUR PROJECTS

With almost 100 years’ experience, we have a reputation for taking on projects that others can’t or won’t.

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We take on the jobs that many others can’t or won’t – but we always put good business practices first.

SUSTAINABILITY

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As problem-solvers who love a challenge, we are never shy of tackling the big issues.

DIVERSITY

We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and flexible workplace that reflects the clients and communities we work with.