UNIC MINI CRANE AT GLASGOW’S SSE HYDRO ARENA

UNIC mini cranes were recently hired to lend a helping hand at Scotland’s biggest and newest music and sports venue, the SSE Hydro Arena, before its grand opening.

Inspired by Ancient Roman amphitheatres, this 45 metre tall silver dome on Glasgow’s waterfront is a 12,000 capacity arena which cost £125 million to build. A UNIC URW-506 mini spider crane was used to install internal glazing at the SSE Hydro.

The 3 tonne capacity UNIC crane worked from the confined space at the bottom of an escalator to install angled glass panels to one of the arena’s interior walls. Fitted with a GL-UMC600 glass lifting attachment, the mini crane worked at a 7 metre radius to lift each 520kg panel into position up to a 9 metre height.

The SSE Hydro was opened with a Rod Stewart concert in September 2013 and later on this year it will be used as a competition venue for the Commonwealth Games.

A UNIC spider crane and GL-UMC600 robotic lifting head were also used to fit external façade panels to another major UK venue that opened last year, the Leeds First Direct Arena.