In Seldensate, near Waalwijk, the contractor Hendriks Coppelmans is building 28 rental properties for housing association Cascade. These houses are located in the new Lommerrijk residential area. In these houses, the energy required for heating, hot water, ventilation and household consumption is generated by the solar panels. The houses are equipped with a heat pump, solar panels and a heat recovery ventilation system (HRV). The houses are prefabricated. Hendriks Coppelmans ordered Samonco for placing the prefab parts. Samonco is an assembly company from Bree (B) and specialized in placing prefab concrete elements for non-residential, industrial and residential construction.
The Sennebogen 5500 crawler crane from Samonco is standing centrally, in the middle of the jobsite. This lattice boom crane performs all common activities, such as lifting and hoisting the prefab walls, floors and roofs. The prefab plates vary in weight from 2.5 tons to 9 tons.
Johan Kerkhofs, the operator of this 180-tonne crane, is in the cabin. We ask Johan about his experiences with the crane.
How long have you been a machinist?
“I’ve been doing this job for 36 years now. After the period of my military service, I started working as a machinist. I have 33 years of experience as an operator and also worked with cranes from another German brand. From 2020 I work on a Sennebogen crane.”
Probably you must have taken some time to get used to. What is your experience so far?
“I was skeptical at first and didn’t have much faith. But that changed quickly. The crane is very flexibel and has a large lifting capacity. The cabin is solid and comfortable. There are no unnecessary buttons and it is simply very complete.”
You have been working as a driver for a long time and are still very enthusiastic. Does that have to do with the Sennebogen crane?
“I am proud to work with this crane and certainly enjoy my work because of the crane. And that is also important because I spend more time in the cabin than in my living room.”
Are there any downsides?
“If I have to mention something, it’s the camera. The ballast includes a camera that was already broken after 3 months. This has been resolved quickly.”
Why was this machine specifically chosen?
“Because this machine can get close to a tall building, which is important for Samonco. You really get a lot of lifting capacity with this machine. I also understand that this machine was very competitive in terms of price.”
How does the crane perform?
“In one word: great! I am very satisfied with it. The crane does not work at full power on this construction because the prefab plates weigh 2.5 to 9 tons and the crane has much more capacity. This jib crane is up to 30% to 40% stronger than other comparable jib cranes. But sometimes you have these projects and you don’t want the crane to stand still.”
Finally, do you want to add anything about the crane?
”If I may give a number from 1 to 10, I give the crane a 9.5. That half point is because of the camera.”
Would you like more information about Sennebogen cranes? Look here or download the documentation of the Sennebogen 5500 Crawler crane.