Marr and Mirvac remove first sections of TV tower

Marr’s Favco M310D luffing jib tower crane about to remove the first section of the Sydney TV tower. Photo: Harris Photography

Australian crane company, Marr Contracting, in partnership with Mirvac, has removed the top section of one of Sydney’s highest structures, the former TCN-9 TX transmission tower at Willoughby.

The entire dismantle is expected to be completed by 2022

Built in 1965, the lattice ‘Eiffel Tower’ was Sydney’s first television tower and one of three towers known as ‘the Artarmon triangle’ that broadcast television on behalf of major media companies before being decommissioned in February 2021.

Mirvac gained approval to remove the tower and redevelop the site into a residential community.

Specialized solution

Two of Marr’s cranes will dismantle the tower piece by piece in the coming nine months starting with a Favco M310D luffing jib tower crane which has already removed the top parts of the tower supported by more than 200 metres of tower sections and guy cables attached to four independent foundations anchored into the bedrock.

Having completed the lighter lifts at maximum height, the crane will be climbed down to a freestanding height of approximately 90 metres. Marr will then replace the M310D with an M1280D heavy lift luffer which will remove the heavier modules of the tower weighing up to 60 tonnes.

“From a design perspective, this has been one of the most complex and unique projects that I have ever been involved with,” said James Hiley, Marr design manager.

Simon Marr, Marr managing director, added, “The decommissioned tower was not structurally sound enough to attach lateral supports, [we had] to find a way to get the crane hook height above 233 metres without the need to build expensive and complicated temporary structures to support the crane.”

Introducing guy wires to laterally support the tower crane allows it to climb to the required height to dismantle the tower.

With assembly of the first crane complete, the entire dismantle is expected to be completed by early 2022.