I believe they have already posted the crane is due to come down in the second quarter on their construction website (April), so I think the anticipation of the first quarter is already passed. I think they have most cladding already up there. I believe the building maintence unit support stuff is also installed but the unit itself is not there. Maybe this is the thing holding them up and preventing them from taking down the crane. I can't find any information on why the delay? It can't be weather ... because if you look at pictures from almost a year ago, the top (cladding) looks almost the same.

so they have now removed huge chunks of glass from the top part of the north face/roof of the building and replaced it with plywood. Not sure what is going on here... hopefully someone with a vantage point can get pics unfortunately i was unable to (from CCW)
 
I wonder if it has something to do with removing the crane. Perhaps they will install a small crane derrick where the plywood is.
 
I wonder if it has something to do with removing the crane. Perhaps they will install a small crane derrick where the plywood is.

This crane will not be lowered to the ground via a derrick: this is a self-erecting tower crane, and it will be disassembled simply in a reversal of the way it was assembled. Play the following video backwards in your mind to get the gist of it:

[video=youtube;vx5Qt7_ECEE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx5Qt7_ECEE[/video]

42
 
I wonder if it has something to do with removing the crane. Perhaps they will install a small crane derrick where the plywood is.

I would suspect that they are finally about to receive the equipment that the building has been waiting for - creating the opening to receive the final lifts for which the crane has been kept for.
 
For whatever it's worth this past summer I was doing a job for a lead condo developer in Toronto--not affiliated with the L Tower. His scoop was that there were significant engineering challenges associated with taking down the crane, and that the delay is explained by the fact that they were wrestling with the best and safest way to do it. Supposedly, its removal wasn't planned as well as it should have been.

As to the veracity of this story, well to that I cannot attest.
 
For whatever it's worth this past summer I was doing a job for a lead condo developer in Toronto--not affiliated with the L Tower. His scoop was that there were significant engineering challenges associated with taking down the crane, and that the delay is explained by the fact that they were wrestling with the best and safest way to do it. Supposedly, its removal wasn't planned as well as it should have been.

As to the veracity of this story, well to that I cannot attest.

According to the individual involved in the construction of L Tower I spoke with several months ago, there were four lifts remaining for the crane - equipment that was late - well behind schedule - for delivery.

The crane is a standard type - used frequently in Europe and other parts of the world, but only recently being deployed in Toronto. Their dis-assembly is as routine and straightforward as their initial set up. Sections are lifted in / out of the hydraulically powered frame section, and the top section of the crane moves up or down accordingly.

I am sure, if the developers had known how much delayed the entire process would be, a more economical approach would have been to remove the crane when the principal construction had been completed, and use a helicopter to lift in the remaining components. I suspect the typical happened, however the delays crept up month by month, and at any given time, given the then anticipated delivery dates, it would be less expensive to keep the crane until the remaining components arrived. In retrospect, in hindsight maybe not have been the best course of action. This is of course, assuming that using a helicopter for the lifts would be technically feasible - however a helicopter was used two or three years ago for some very heavy lifts onto the roof of the 145 King Street West building - including a new diesel generator system.
 
Last edited:
This week's info on the L-Tower/Backstage site says this about the crane "◾The L Tower crane continues to be used. As of now we expect it to be taken down at the end of April. We will provide updates as we get them." Of course, their dates have been moving ahead month by month and they do not say 2105! (See: http://ltowerconstructioninfo.com/ )
 
March 27
This is a sign that the end is near for the crane. Came a different route, otherwise would have got a better shot of this.

16954970531_dccf4698fd_b.jpg


16955929775_e1a006de9b_b.jpg


16335832963_bf46b2b5b6_b.jpg
 
Probably seriously OT but it turns out L Tower has a shorter but still bearing a family resemblance sibling in Phnom Penh, of all places.
 
Probably seriously OT but it turns out L Tower has a shorter but still bearing a family resemblance sibling in Phnom Penh, of all places.

Can you post a picture? I spent a few months in Phnom Penh not that long ago and would be interested to see it.
 

Back
Top