Case study: how Maxim Crane put 24 cranes to work on Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Maxim Crane Works has published a case study on the US$1.4 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, where the crane rental company fielded 24 cranes of 40 to 2,535 tons capacity across a three-year build topped by a 14.5-acre retractable roof.
The stadium, home to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC of Major League Soccer, broke ground in April 2014 and opened in June 2017. Its defining feature is a retractable roof spanning 14.5 acres in the shape of an oval, flanked by translucent glass walls. Maxim, retained for the project’s lifting requirements, worked alongside 12 contractors for the full three-year duration.
Two dozen cranes, 40 to 2,535 tons
To cover everything from light, precise picks to the heaviest structural work, Maxim assembled a fleet of 24 machines: 12 conventional crawler cranes, one all terrain crane, four hydraulic truck cranes, six rough terrain cranes and a boom truck. Capacities ranged from 40 to 2,535 tons. At the top of that range sat the company’s Manitowoc 31000 crawler crane, which Maxim’s project photography shows placing one of the roof trusses inside the stadium bowl.
The majority of the equipment on site was supplied on an operated and maintained basis, putting Maxim’s own operators behind the project’s most critical lifts. The rental company also assisted with lift planning and engineering, helping to sequence complex picks on a congested site shared with a dozen trade contractors.
72,618 machine hours without a major incident
According to the case study, Maxim’s crews completed more than 72,618 machine hours over the life of the project without a major incident — a record the company attributes to rigorous planning and its safety culture. The roof structure, one of the most demanding elements of the entire build, required sustained heavy-lift capacity across an extended schedule rather than a single showpiece pick.
Stadium work as a calling card
Maxim positions the Atlanta project alongside its other stadium and arena work as proof that it can plan, engineer and execute lifting programmes on multi-year, multi-contractor jobsites. The company notes that fleet depth was decisive: with 24 cranes across five equipment classes, a suitable machine was available for every stage of the build, from steel erection to finishing trades.
Source: Maxim Crane Works — Photos: Maxim Crane Works
Facts
- Project: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Owner: Georgia World Congress Center Authority
- Investment: US$1.4 billion; 71,000 seats
- Retractable roof: 14.5 acres
- Build: April 2014 – June 2017
- Cranes: 24 in total — 12 crawler cranes, 1 all terrain, 4 hydraulic truck cranes, 6 rough terrains, 1 boom truck
- Capacities: 40 to 2,535 tons
- 72,618+ machine hours, no major incident