Dredging in the Swiss Alps

Since summer 2016, a duty cycle crawler crane type HS 8130 HD from Liebherr is operating amidst the Swiss Alps. The duty cycle crawler crane is being used to dredge large amounts of sediment on the filter grids of the Lake Luzzone reservoir in the Swiss canton of Ticino.

At depths of up to 200 m, a total of 125,000m³ of material has accumulated in close proximity to the power station. In order to carry out the dredging work the HS 8130 HD is equipped with a mechanical clamshell bucket from Negrini, which was specially produced by the Italian manufacturer for this specific assignment. Thanks to its large filling capacity of 10 m³, an average hourly handling performance of about 130m³ can be achieved.

The delivery of the HS 8130 HD to Lake Luzzone imposed an immense challenge. On the way to its jobsite the duty cycle crawler crane did not only have to negotiate numerous hairpin bends but also pass through two narrow tunnels and cross a 225 m high dam. The assembly was carried out directly on the shore of the reservoir with the aid of a Liebherr mobile crane. Subsequently the duty cycle crawler crane was driven onto and mounted on a barge, which was also assembled on-site. And so the work could begin.

It is anticipated that the duty cycle crawler crane will be operating on the high altitude reservoir in the Swiss Alps, between May and October, for two years.