Press releases | 28/11/2014

Four Liebherr tower cranes building the tallest building in the world in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Liebherr tower cranes help to building the Kingdom Tower
Liebherr 357 HC-L luffing jib crane at approx. 1,000 m building height
Effective crane planning by Liebherr Tower Crane Solutions

The very first building over 1,000 metres in height – the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Liebherr was awarded the order to supply four HC-L series tower cranes for the project. Current plans call for three 280 HC-L luffing jib cranes and one 357 HC-L model to be used. The experts at Liebherr Tower Crane Solutions are providing support to the contractor to ensure economical crane planning.

Four Liebherr luffing jib cranes are to be used on the tallest building in the world, three type 280 HC-L 16/28 and one 357 HC-L 18/32 Litronic. Current plans provide for the cranes to use jib lengths of between 40 m and 45 m. The required lifting capacities vary between 11 tonnes and 12 tonnes at a radius of 35 m. In total six luffing jib cranes will work on the Kingdom Tower, four of which are from Liebherr.

Three Liebherr 280 HC L luffing jib cranes will build the side wings of the Kingdom Tower. These cranes will be anchored on the outside of the building and will reach hook heights of approx. 400 m.

The Liebherr 357 HC-L luffing jib crane will place the top on the building at a height of around 1000 m. To get to this height it will first have to climb up into the air by itself in the central building.

To reach these enormous heights the cranes will have to move upwards in several climbing stages. For this purpose they will be positioned on the sky terrace of the building or on various cantilever platforms mounted on the outside of the building. The tower cranes on the Kingdom Tower site will erect and dismantle each other.

The construction of the Kingdom Tower is a prestige project of international importance. The reliability of the cranes and crane logistics is a major factor in the success of the project as a whole. The good experience which the contractor has had to date with Liebherr cranes on other projects were one of the main reasons for their use on the Kingdom Tower. For example, two 280 HC L cranes worked on a project in the Saudi capital with great reliability, even on a multiple-shift basis. This project was the erection of the CMA Tower in the King Abdullah Financial District in the north of Riad.

The Kingdom Tower will be the first structure in the world to be over 1,000 m high. It will also have the highest ever visitor viewing platform at a height of 630 m. The skyscraper with 170 storeys is part of the "Kingdom City" urban development project in the north of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.