At The Governor congested site conditions make a Luffer crane a necessity, as the site does not allow enough clearance for the horizontal boom of a typical Hammerhead crane to circulate.

The adjacent building on Bishop Street is 20 meters from the site and The Alexander is 35 meters away. By using a Luffer crane Marco is able to service all parts of the site without concern of the proximity of neighboring buildings, both during construction working hours and during off-hours. When the crane is working it is designed specifically to work in confined spaces and when parked in a vertical position it can rotate freely with the wind with no danger of colliding with neighboring buildings.

A Luffing jib tower crane (or Luffer crane) is recognizable by the diagonal arm that extends out from the top of the mast (tower) on an angle. Unlike the Hammerhead crane, the hook point of the Luffer crane is located off the end of the jib. The diagonal arm of the Luffer can move in and out (from vertical to a 30 degree angle). Jibs can be “Luffered” to near-vertical position and can attain over 50 M of underhook height, while at the same time avoiding neighboring obstacles.

The Luffing Jib Tower Crane used on The Governor Site is a Potain 225. It has a maximum lift capacity of 14T, a maximum radius of 55 meters and a maximum hook height of 56 meters, making it an ideal solution for working within the congested confines of the urban core of downtown Halifax.