Liebherr Fibre Crane shows its strength at Lake Eibsee
In action at the base of Germany’s highest mountain: A Liebherr 370 EC-B 12 Fibre has been involved in a restaurant extension project at the Eibsee Hotel, situated below the Zugspitze. The extension is the biggest structural change undertaken at the four-star hotel in 45 years. The use of a Liebherr Flat-Top crane allowed construction work to go ahead without negatively impacting the picturesque landscape.
“The local conditions were the biggest concern on this job,” says Konrad Kracher, outside sales rep for long-time Liebherr-Werk’s dealer Tradler Baumaschinen GmbH. Assembling the crane directly in front of the restaurant wasn’t feasible due to access difficulties; the laying of a temporary road would have been necessary. The hotel stands on the shores of Lake Eibsee and is surrounded by tall trees; Eibsee is considered one of the most beautiful bodies of water in the Bavarian Alps.
“As the job was in a nature conservation zone, we needed to opt for a solution that wouldn’t encroach on the natural environment,” explains Konrad Kracher. And so it came that the 370 EC-B 12 Fibre was erected near the hotel entrance with the help of two mobile cranes. This area was easily accessed from the main road and car park. Assembly in October 2021 went just as smoothly as the crane’s disassembly in March 2022.
The Micromove assistance system was really useful for a lot of this work because it enabled very precise lifting.
Heavy loads, precise positioning
A jib length of 70 metres was decided on so that the construction site could easily be served from the crane’s position at the front of the hotel. A hook height of more than 40 metres enabled the crane to turn clear of the nearby trees and the hotel roof. The crane was assembled with a 21 HC 290 tower system and had an undercarriage measuring six metres in width.
Structural steelwork and numerous glass elements were used for the hotel restaurant’s extension during the autumn and winter months. Parts of the roof were also renovated and prepared for a photovoltaic system. “The Micromove assistance system was really useful for a lot of this work because it enabled very precise lifting,” says crane operator Anton Feuerecker from the construction company Feuerecker, which is based in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Feuerecker Bauunternehmung GmbH & Co.KG specialises in building construction and civil engineering work, ranging from plastering to renovations and conversions to complex reinforced concrete builds and turnkey projects. The Micromove function enables the crane operator to position heavy loads with exceptional precision.
Fibre rope ensures optimal jib head load capacity
The heaviest loads weighed in at between three and four tonnes. “I really appreciated the crane’s impressive lifting capacity, given that we needed to lift the maximum possible jib head load on several occasions," says Anton Feuerecker. The tower crane has a maximum lifting capacity of twelve tonnes and, with a radius of 70 metres, can lift up to 4,100 kilograms at the jib head.
Such a strong performance is also possible because of the crane’s high-tensile fibre rope, with which the 370 EC-B is equipped. Not only do fibre cranes offer up to 20 percent more jib head load capacity compared to cranes using steel rope, fibre rope also has a four times longer service life than its steel counterpart. Plus, the fibre rope’s lighter weight increases handling performance and reduces energy consumption. “The fast travel speeds were really impressive,” the crane operator adds.
This particular assignment was also something quite special because of its stunning location. “When the weather was good, I had an amazing view from my comfortable cabin,” recalls Anton Feuerecker. The cabin LiCAB offers a well designed interior layout, an individually adjustable control stand and various other features. And even when the weather wasn’t so great – the mountain regions are well known for their rapid weather changes – he always felt safe, “We often had to contend with strong winds, but the crane’s safety system warned us in good time.”
Fibre version
Particular highlights of the new EC-B series are the Fibre cranes. As well as the fibre cranes offering up to 20 percent more jib head load capacity when compared to cranes using steel rope, fibre rope also has a four times longer service life than steel rope.
370 EC-B 12 Fibre
EC-B cranes are an irreplaceable part of the Liebherr product portfolio. Flat-Top cranes have outstanding properties, relating to both their erection and transport, and their special design without tower head also means that multiple cranes can work closely together safely on constricted sites.
Nowadays, Flat-Top cranes are the standard crane on building sites around the world. We have taken the outstanding features of the existing EC-B series as a basis and improved them with a range of highlights to ensure that they remain the crane of choice for the future.
