In Milan, a mid-sized façade-restoration crew led by site manager Luca was stuck on a job that should have been routine: replace damaged cornices and repair window frames on a narrow, six-story apartment block. Traditional cranes couldn’t position themselves between parked cars and street cafés, and scaffolding would take days to erect — time the landlord didn’t have and neighbors wouldn’t tolerate.
Luca explained the dilemma plainly: “We could either close the street for three days or figure out a way to reach over balconies and around cornices without blocking traffic.” That’s when the project’s rental partner suggested trying an articulating (knuckle) boom lift for the first time.
Why the knuckle worked
Unlike a straight telescopic boom, the articulated boom has multiple hinged segments (the “knuckles”), allowing precise “up-and-over” movements. The unit they rented had a compact chassis, full 360° turret rotation, and an articulating arm that could bend to swing the platform around obstacles while keeping the base in a tight footprint on the street. Diesel-powered for extended run time, it also featured a smooth joystick control and a high-capacity platform that could hold two technicians and their tools.
The first day on site
The lift arrived mid-morning. With minimal setup — outriggers deployed and a quick safety briefing — the operator parked the machine on the sidewalk. Within minutes, the platform nose-over the balcony, the locksmith and stoneworker accessed the repair point, and work began without disrupting pedestrians or café service. What would have been a full three-day scaffolding project finished in under a day and a half.
Real results
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Street closure time: reduced from 3 days to 1.5 days
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Crew size for the task: reduced from 4 to 2 (operator + technician)
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Neighbor complaints: none; business hours unaffected
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Safety incidents: zero, thanks to harness anchorage and stable platform
Luca’s verdict:
“The articulating boom let us reach places we couldn’t before — precise, fast, and without the chaos of scaffolding. It saved time and kept everyone happy.”
Quick takeaways for project managers
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Use an articulating boom when job sites have obstacles, narrow access, or require “overhang” reach.
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Choose electric or diesel based on runtime needs and indoor/outdoor restrictions.
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Check platform capacity and outreach charts — two-person platforms are a huge time-saver.
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Always include a short operator safety briefing and pre-shift checklist.
Closing
For jobs where precision and access matter more than pure height, the knuckle boom is often the smarter tool. It won Luca the project, saved the landlord money, and kept the streets of Milan flowing — all because the right machine showed up at the right time.
