An impressive structure has emerged at remarkable speed in Karlskrona. Standing at a height of 200 metres, the NKT Tower 3 is the second tallest tower in Scandinavia. Two Liebherr cranes, a 542 HC-L 12/24 Litronic and a 258 HC-L 10/18 Fibre, are a key part of this ambitious construction project. The tower which is built by Skanska will be an integral part of the world’s largest high-voltage submarine cable factory, which will supply wind turbines and solar parks with essential components. Weighing 28,000 tonnes in total, the NKT Tower 3 is a feat of engineering.
Liebherr Tower Crane Center and Tower Crane Solutions provide implementation support
A high-performance crane solution was needed to meet the exceptionally tight construction deadline of just 90 days. The Liebherr Tower Crane Center (TCC) provided the Liebherr 542 HC-L and 258 HC-L cranes from its rental fleet to facilitate rapid construction progress.
“To secure 24/7 operation, we moved key spare parts such as a new fibre rope and various modules directly onto site in advance so that time isn’t lost if these are needed,” says Stefan Gröber, Head of TCC Used & Rental.
In addition, Tower Crane Solutions (TCS), Liebherr’s project department for large and special projects, provided detailed calculations for optimal tie-in geometry and made the required tie bars available through the Tower Crane Center. The climbing steps were also carefully planned beforehand to ensure an efficient construction process. An optimal crane configuration, including hoist rope lengths, power supply and tower bracing, was put together specifically for the project. TCS also provided the structural data for foundation loading and tensioning forces and worked closely with the Tower Crane Center to coordinate tie-in geometries. This custom solution successfully met the project’s challenging requirements.
The project was successfully completed within the timeline because of the excellent collaboration between TCC, TCS and the corresponding side in Sweden, Head Of Tower Cranes Skanska South District, Fredrik Funke and Project Specialist Anders Ekström from company Ekström Lyftkonsult AB.
Fast construction progress with a four-shift system to achieve spectacular heights
Two luffing jib cranes, a 258 HC-L 10/18 Fibre and a 542 HC-L 12/24 Litronic, were used on site and reached a final tower height of 213 and 210 metres respectively. The tower was constructed at an extraordinary speed. In just three months, the structure grew by an average of 2.6 metres per day thanks to a four-shift system and round-the-clock operation. The entire structure covers an area of 23 x 23 and will boast a total volume of 112,445 m³, roughly the equivalent of 45 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
