Grand Paris Express: the first two 1000 EC-H 40s have completed their mission
– The 1000 EC-H 40 crane is the largest tower crane model to be delivered to France
– Ten 1000 EC-H 40s are in operation for the Grand Paris Express project
– The first two 1000 EC-H 40 cranes began work at the start of 2019
– One of the two 1000 EC-H 40s had previously been on display at Intermat 2018 before it was deployed on the sites of the Grand Paris Express project
– Both 1000 EC-H 40s have been used by Groupement CAP (comprising Vinci and Spie Batignolles) for the construction of the 15 Sud metro line
The first two 1000 EC-H 40 cranes delivered by Liebherr to the Grand Paris Express site have reached the end of their two-year service.
Their job was to lower 8-tonne precast concrete tunnel lining elements into the tunnel structure, setting them down onto material handling wagons to supply a tunnel-boring machine situated 40 metres below ground. The 8-tonne tunnel lining segments were moved individually or in pairs with the aid of a segment grab. During excavation, the tunnel-boring machine placed the lining segments to assemble rings, each consisting of 7 parts. These rings form the arched ceiling of the underground railway tunnel.
The first crane was erected at the Parc Robespierre site in Bagneux to supply tunnel boring machine “Ellen”. This TBM excavated a 3.9 km section towards Fort d’Issy Vanves Clamart (1,954 rings) and then a further 700 m towards Arcueil-Cachan (349 rings). The second crane was erected at the Arcueil-Cachan station site to supply tunnel boring machine “Amandine”. This tunnel boring machine excavated a 3.4 km-long section in the direction of Villejuif Aragon (1,648 rings).
In total, the two cranes moved 27,657 tunnel lining segments to produce 3,951 rings. To operate the TBM, around 100 people were mobilised 5 days a week via a 3-shift system.
During this work, the two 1000 EC-H 40 cranes had to withstand heavy mechanical stresses whilst operating at considerable speed. The two cranes were able to demonstrate their performance capacity and excellent reliability, which enabled the mission to be completed within the given time frame. Line 15 Sud will be put into service in 2025.
About the Grand Paris Express
With 200 km of additional automated transit lines, the Grand Paris Express is doubling its current network and, as a result, is the largest inner-city project in Europe. With a total of 420 km of mainly underground lines that will gradually be put into service between 2024 and 2030, the Grand Paris Metro will become the third largest subway network in the world, after Shanghai and Beijing. From a total of 6 million daily rail passengers, 2 million will eventually use the Grand Paris Metro on a daily basis. In addition, the city will see transformation and increased density along the entire network. The construction of 71 new stations is already being accompanied by numerous urban projects. New neighbourhoods will be created, bringing together a variety of housing, shops, offices and other facilities.
