Comansa skyscraper crane builds the Guadalupe Mixed Use tower in Austin

JE Dunn is a national contractor concentrating in commercial construction throughout the United States. At the intersection of two of Austin´s most famous streets — 6th and Guadalupe — the future building will be the Austin´s tallest tower and the fourth tallest in all of Texas at at 840’ / 256 meters. At 66 floors and 2.2 million square feet / 204,386.7 square meters it will be offering a new mixed-use urban experience. The 6X Guadalupe Tower includes an integrated, stacked microcosm of uses and joins multifamily, office, and luxury retail space. The construction of the 6X Guadalupe Tower not only transforms the city´s skyline, but the experience for building tenants and Austin residents at the street level.

Due to site restrictions and existing structures the skyscraper crane needed to be erected at an extremely high free standing hook height to allow for the free swing necessary for all tower cranes. Henry Volante, the Director of tower Crane Operations at Blue Hat, reached out to Comansa for a solution. Comansa commands the highest free standing heights in the industry by using its modular design in crane towers and jib components. The result in the construction of the 6X Guadalupe tower was an amazing 360’/110 meters hook height free standing 21LC400-44,090 lb/20t skyscraper crane with 229.6’/70 meters reach. This was accomplished by standing 6x D56 tower sections then transitioning down to D33 sections for a total of 20 sections and transitions. The skyscraper crane will eventually be climbed to a final hook height of 848’/258 meters.

Note the crew installing a D56 tower section as the tower rises from the foundation. A close look shows the modularity of the tower with the panels connected with the all pin design. The D56 tower is 13.3’ square / 40.5 square meters when assembled but since it can be panelized it is easily shipped on standard trailers. Each section weighs 22,500 pounds/10,200 kg.

Comansa is known for smooth and accurate hoisting with precise control of the hook. All functions are frequency drive to provide precise movement and positioning of loads.

JE Dunn is now set to execute this iconic 6X Guadalupe construction project with safety and precision using Comansa Tower Cranes.