Since its early days as a trading post for furs in the early 1600s, Montreal’s Old Port has welcomed millions of visitors.
However, with more than 400 years of history, restoration is inevitable. Last year, a pair of Merlo machines — a Panoramic 50.18HM and a Roto 40.30 MCSS — were recruited to supply hydraulic scaffolding for a masonry restoration project in the historic port.
“They’re quite particular because it’s historical, you pretty much need to put the exact same bricks in the same place,” said Michel Robert, Merlo’s director of marketing and communications. “All the exterior walls needed to be the exact same from before you started to work on it. It’s pretty insane.”
Bordering a 2.5 km stretch of the St. Lawrence River, the Old Port is the most popular tourist site in Quebec, with more than seven million visitors each year. With that amount of traffic, the job had to be completed quickly, which is why the Merlo machines were used, according to Robert.
“The area is tight in size and work had to be completed as fast as possible, so they choose Merlo to work with,” Robert said. “It was a big job inside and out.”
The continuous rotation of the Roto turret also provided an advantage to the masons at work.
“To make sure you don’t reposition the equipment, the Roto is turning 360 degrees without moving,” Robert said. “The machine wasn’t moving at all, but they were able to go around and do everything in that tight area.”
The Roto also includes telescopic boom stabilizers; the largest cab in its category and FOPS approved; an integrated anti-overturn system; and advanced fuel efficiency with the Eco Power Drive system.
As well, the Roto 40.30 MCSS is equipped with a 4,000 kg maximum load capacity; a 176 hp Tier 4 turbo engine; a maximum lift height of 29.2 metres; and a maximum reach of 25.4 metres.
