Liebherr cranes support the renovation and extension of the Torre del Agua in Zaragoza

With an investment of around 6 million euros, the regional government of Aragón has launched the renovation and extension of the Torre del Agua in Zaragoza via the public company Expo Zaragoza Empresarial. The aim is to restore this architectural landmark to its former glory. For the challenging construction work, the contracted construction company San José is relying on a Liebherr 110 EC-B 6 FR.tronic tower crane from the rental fleet of the crane company Grúas Cerezo.

After a thorough review of various options, the decision was made to install the crane on the roof of the building at a height of around 80 metres. This solution placed high demands on the technical implementation: “A flat-top crane was required, as a key project specification was not to exceed a total height of 100 metres,” explains Mario Hormigón, Sales Manager at Grúas Cerezo’s Aragón branch.

The assembly of the tower crane was correspondingly complex. “A particular challenge was the structural design and the preparation of the roof to support the crane base precisely at defined points on one of the two load-bearing vertical support pillars,” explains Miguel Cerezo, Managing Director of Grúas Cerezo.

Debut of the LTM 1650-8.1 from Grúas El Portillo in front of the Expo landmark

The new Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 mobile crane from Grúas El Portillo made its debut against this special backdrop during the erection of the Liebherr tower crane. “Following a joint technical site inspection with Grúas Cerezo, the working radii and possible crane configurations were analysed.

“We therefore came to the conclusion that, within our fleet of machinery, our 700-tonne Liebherr crane with a hydraulically adjustable jib was the best option,” explains Manuel García, commercial director of Grúas El Portillo. With a working height of 113 metres and a weight of 6 tonnes at a radius of 54 metres, “the Liebherr machine duo from Grúas El Portillo and Grúas Cerezo worked perfectly,” emphasises Mario Hormigón. The new crane is already the second LTM 1650-8.1 in Grúas El Portillo’s fleet.

The Torre del Agua is one of the most striking structures on the Zaragoza skyline and, together with the Pabellón Puente, is considered one of the city’s most famous architectural landmarks. The current works include both the technical refurbishment and modernisation of the existing structure and its adaptation to regulations that have been further developed since 2008. In addition, a 360-degree viewing platform is being created. Furthermore, the catering areas are being upgraded and new multifunctional spaces are being created on the ground floor.