Twins in the Swabian Jura
Two LR 11000 crawler cranes owned by the transport and crane company Felbermayr are operating close to their place of birth. Just 20 kilometres away from Liebherr’s manufacturing facility in Ehingen, they are assembling six wind power turbines with a gondola height of 162 metres. The 1,000-tonne crawler cranes are equipped with state-of-the-art crawler crane technology: V-Frame® and VarioTray®.
Flower power: spring awakenings in Holland
When spring arrives in Holland and the tulip fields are in full bloom, Haarlem – the city of flowers – becomes the venue for a spectacular spring festival. The highlight of the event is the 42-kilometre-long Bollenstreek flower parade. And right in the midst of it is an LTM 1070-4.2 from the US firm Mountain Crane Service. Inspired by a previous visit, Mountain Crane had the multi-tonne crane decked with fresh spring flowers – entirely in keeping with the motto “Faith Can Move Mountains”. The colourful crane drew admiring glances from far and wide, being awarded third place by the jury. It was an unforgettable appearance for the newly acquired crane before it began its journey across the Atlantic.
Tandem lift over the Rhine-Herne Canal
On the A42 near Bottrop, spectacular bridge work is being carried out as part of the road’s six-lane expansion. An old industrial bridge is being replaced by a new one with a broader span. Two LR 11000 crawler cranes from Liebherr are lifting a 220-tonne bridge section simultaneously and rotating it around 90 degrees. Quite a logistical challenge! The bridge section was transported via the Rhine-Herne Canal, although even the harbour basin needed to be deepened for this to happen. During the lifting operations, the canal is closed off so as to avoid wave movements caused by passing ships.
Up, up and away for a birds-eye view
In the Dutch town of Urk, we discovered one of our mobile construction cranes working on a typical assembly job. After the completion of the steel construction, the walls had to be installed for the building of a hall. A Liebherr MK 88-4.1E from our partner Dick ten Klooster was holding a large section of wall on its hook. Thanks to its long boom, the modern mobile construction crane was able to carry out all of the work from just one spot. Even at its maximum radius of 45 metres, the machine – which can also be operated electrically – was still handling loads of up to 2.2 tonnes. The elevating cabin gives the crane operator the best view, ensuring superlative safety on the construction site.
Taking stock from a high viewpoint
St. Magnus Cathedral, which is more than 800 years old, is a true landmark of the town of Kirkwall, the main town of Mainland island, the largest of the Scottish Orkneys. In order to maintain the ageing building, it must be inspected regularly so that any necessary repairs can be carried out promptly. The construction and crane company Heddle Construction Ltd. is using an LTM 1250-5.1 with work platform for the assessment by the specialists.
Graves around the buildings hamper access to the terrain, especially for heavy vehicles. The Liebherr 250-tonner with double folding jib reached the approximately 50-metre-high tower and a large part of the roof area from a single spot, so that the cathedral could remain open to visitors.
Relief of traffic congestion
The Australian crane company Premier Cranes & Rigging is using an LTM 1450-8.1 for the West Gate Tunnel Project (WGTP) in Melbourne. A four-kilometre toll road is being built there, connecting the West Gate Freeway in Yarraville with the Port of Melbourne and the CityLink in the Docklands via two tunnels, a bridge and an elevated road section. The residential areas in the inner west of the city are to be relieved of lorry traffic in future this way.
Jingle Bells
At the 2024 Santa Claus Parade in Kamloops, Canada, Cutting Edge Consulting Inc. (CEC) transformed its LTM 1120-4.1 into a magical Christmas locomotive. Under the motto “Christmas movie magic”, the CEC Express travelled through the streets with steam, a horn and a specially built carriage. Fresh snow and the demonstration of the “crab walk” made the event a special highlight.
High-speed for Hokkaido
Sapporo is the capital of the mountainous, northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. The downhill skiing slopes and ski jumps of the 1972 Winter Olympics are located in the urban area. An LR 11350 from the crane and heavy haulage company Denzai is currently assembling components weighing up to 140 tonnes for the new Shinkansen highspeed railway line.
New roof installed in Texas
The final highlight of a church extension in Aryle, a small town in Denton County in the US state of Texas, is the installation of the dome. Crane specialist Davis Crane Service uses its LTM 1450-8.1 with luffing jib to lift the roof structure with high precision.
Fresh components for wind power
Two LTM 1650-8.1 mobile cranes unload giant rotor blades for wind turbines at the Jade-Weser Port near Wilhelmshaven in northern Germany. The two Liebherr cranes have each been set up at the quay with a 28-metre telescopic boom and a 49-metre luffing jib and can lift their loads off board at a radius of up to 53 metres with a ballast of 155 tonnes each. The cranes belong to the Hamburg crane companies Knaack and Thömen (Hüffermann Group). The 230 metre long transport ship KMAX RULER, sailing under the Liberian flag, was built as a bulk carrier, but can also transport blades with a length of 80 metres stacked in racks on deck.