French industrial company Groupe Foselev arrived with its brand-new LTM 1250-5.1 to dismantle the upper parts of the heavy scaffolding on the highest church tower (114 metres) in southern France. With its successful maiden voyage, the new Liebherr mobile crane impressively underlined its leading position as the world’s most powerful 5-axle mobile crane. With its 60-metre telescopic boom, a luffing jib and a 22-metre hydraulically adjustable double folding jib, the crane reached a hook height of 81 metres. The massive structure, which had served as the basis for further scaffolding during the renovation of the tower spire built 160 years ago, reached almost to this level.
In the selected rigging configuration and thanks to its high load-bearing capacity, the LTM 1250-5.1 proved to be the ideal piece of equipment for this job – after all, it had to safely overcome an interfering edge caused by the scaffolding structure at a height of around 68 metres. By carefully tilting the lattice tip, the hook block was also able to reach loads that were located far inside the steel structure. With a diameter of around 25 metres, this enclosed the free-standing stone tower, which was not connected to the basilica. This enabled the LTM 1250-5.1 to reach all areas of the scaffolding from just two locations and dismantle it piece by piece.
“From Renault to Mercedes”
However, this required the utmost precision. Crane operator David had to navigate his machine with extreme care. Elements weighing up to over 4 tonnes were attached to the crane hook at great heights by the scaffolders, dismantled and then manoeuvred with great care past the freshly renovated finials and the small side turrets. The professionals on the scaffolding were visibly impressed by the precise load control. “Très, très précis,” commented Thibaut, one of the climbing professionals, on the centimetre-precise guidance of the crane hook. Both individual steel girders and complete scaffolding sections were securely attached and lifted in a controlled manner by him and his colleagues.
Crane operator David was also enthusiastic about the capabilities of the new machine from his cab. It was the first time he had operated a Liebherr crane, having previously only used equipment from other manufacturers. “Switching to Liebherr is a bit like switching from a Renault to a Mercedes for me,” he commented with a wink. Although it was David’s first job with the new crane, he mastered the process of moving the machine with the boom erected and the tip attached safely and expertly. The procedure took him about an hour, after which the machine was fully supported on the opposite side of the tower and ready for use again.
His employer, Foselev, also drew a positive conclusion after the first use of the new LTM 1250-5.1: “A perfect crane for this task,” said Joël Karotsch, head of the Foselev Sud Ouest branch in Bordeaux, after visiting the construction site. “The hydraulic jib is of course particularly convenient and indispensable for this application.”
The Foselev Group has more than 500 cranes, 30 of which are dispatched from Bordeaux. “Around a third of our cranes are from Liebherr,” reports Karotsch, adding: “And the trend is rising. The modern features, the robustness of the machines and Liebherr’s reliable customer service are decisive factors for us.”
