Mammoet’s SK Crane Enables Safe, Efficient Modular Installation at Zayed National Museum, Abu Dhabi

As the centerpiece of Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Cultural District, the Zayed National Museum was designed to honor the legacy of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and share the story of the United Arab Emirates with the world. Developed by the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, the museum strengthens the cultural district’s position as a global destination and adds another architectural landmark to Saadiyat Island.

Its outer structure is defined by five distinctive wing-shaped towers inspired by falconry, shaped to support the building’s climate performance by drawing cooler air through the museum. To deliver this complex structure safely and efficiently, the construction team adopted a modular approach to reduce work at height, accelerate build time, and limit disruption across an active construction site with multiple trades and tower cranes operating simultaneously.

On the first floor, four pod-shaped gallery units form the base of the wings and sit above the top-lit central lobby, which is set into the ground to support thermal performance. These pods were prefabricated at ground level on site, then lifted and installed onto their foundations inside the museum. This modular construction approach improved safety and quality while keeping the wider construction program moving.

The main contractor, JV BESIX and Trojan General Contracting, initially considered using a large crawler crane. However, the museum’s elevated construction area and surrounding site constraints meant this option would require significant backfilling and could disrupt ongoing civil works and tower crane operations. Mammoet engineers proposed an alternative method using the Mammoet SK series crane, one of the world’s largest capacity land-based cranes. With its high lifting capability and long outreach, the SK crane could be positioned away from the busiest construction zones, staying clear of tower cranes while still reaching the lift points inside the structure. This reduced congestion, supported safer lifting operations, and allowed other work fronts to continue with minimal disruption. The approach accelerated the project by keeping key lifts on the critical path under control while enabling parallel construction activities.

The crane’s large operating radius also allowed the pods to be picked from their fabrication position and installed onto their foundations with fewer relocations, improving efficiency and reducing risk. To suit site constraints, the SK crane was rigged at two locations: first in the SK350 configuration and then relocated and reconfigured into the SK190 configuration, which required a smaller footprint. In both setups, the crane was equipped with a 135-meter main boom. Lifts were executed with wind speeds limited to 14 m/s and only under a decreasing forecast, following strict engineered lift plan criteria to protect people, the load, and the structure.

The heaviest lift reached 612 tonnes with a working lift radius of over 150 meters, demonstrating the crane’s ability to perform complex heavy lifts in a congested environment. Ground pressure was carefully managed, with the SK crane maintaining a worst-case bearing pressure of 26.9 t/m² during these lifts, ensuring stable operations without excessive ground preparation. Mammoet engineered bespoke adjustable rigging using strand jacks, enabling controlled tilting, fine adjustment, and rotation from fabrication orientation to final installation orientation. This precision was essential to safely install large, irregular-shaped pods within a tight footprint. Such adjustable rigging, also applied on other complex roof and architectural module installations including stadiums and airports, makes bold architectural designs practical to build.

With Mammoet’s early engineering support and the SK series’ lifting performance, the BESIX–Trojan JV was able to install the museum’s key modular components efficiently while minimizing disruption across the active construction site.

Now open to the public, the Zayed National Museum offers permanent galleries, special exhibitions, and outdoor spaces that connect visitors to the UAE’s heritage and its place in the world. Jack van den Brink, Managing Director AMEA at Mammoet, said: “Since the UAE was established in 1971, the country has grown at an incredible pace and continues to lead through long-term vision and innovation. Mammoet has been active in the UAE for almost 50 years, supporting customers across major energy and infrastructure projects, as well as landmark developments such as Burj Al Arab, Ain Dubai, and many more. We are proud to continue contributing to projects like the Zayed National Museum that celebrate the nation’s identity and cultural heritage.”