Dockside cranes

Despite being more than 60mi along the Elbe from the Baltic Sea, Hamburg is Europe’s second biggest port, after Rotterdam, and the biggest city in Europe that isn’t a national capital. It rose to prominence in the middle ages as a member of the Hanseatic League, the alliance of cities that controlled trade in the Baltic for four hundred years. Joining united Germany in the 19th century, it remains a centre of world trade.

The HafenCity (harbour city) redevelopment covers 157ha of Hamburg’s docks, with a land area of 123ha. Over twenty years, the city plans to build offices, homes, and other buildings, with a total floor space of almost two million square metres. The development will provide 5,500 new homes for 12,000 people, and business premises employing 40,000. Unlike many European redevelopment projects, such as London’s Docklands, HafenCity is being built close to the established centre of the city. It will increase the size of the city centre by 40%.

The development is being built from west to east, and from north to south. One of the first major projects was the Elbphilarmonie concert hall (Cranes Today March 2008). Liebherr and Wolffkran now have more than 30 cranes contracted to work on the development.

At Brooktorkai, HafenCity’s eastern access point, four Liebherr Series EC-H and EC-B top slewing cranes with load moment ratings between 110tm and 280tm are at work, together with a Series K fast-erecting crane. On this site, Germanische Lloyd is building its company head offices and a boarding house with a total gross floor area of 54,000 square metres. Nearby, at the Ericusspitze, the Spiegel-Verlag publishing house plans to group its media companies together on a site area of 30,000 sq m.

Liebherr has supplied 13 of the top slewing cranes currently in use across HafenCity; eight of these cranes, from the EC-H and EC-H Litronic series, have load moment ratings of 112tm, 180tm and 280tm. There are also five flat-top cranes from the new Liebherr EC-B series, with load moment ratings between 71tm and 160tm. The cranes are able to lift loads from 5t–12t, at working radii between 50m and 75m.

Liebherr top slewing cranes always operate double-reeved, the company says, so that no time is lost in re-reeving the hoisting gear. They are driven by motors of Liebherr’s own manufacture, with continuously variable speed control.

Liebherr also has six fast erecting K?Series cranes at work on HafenCity, with load moments between 56tm and 71tm. At Stockmeyerstrasse, three Type 71 K cranes, are at work. These cranes operate at greatly different hook heights, an advantage that maintains high handling rates without any restrictions on the individual cranes’ work areas. The crane’s versatility is increased by provision for the jib to be raised to a 30° working position, or to 45° to avoid collisions. Four different jib lengths, from 31m–45m, are available. Other K cranes, of Types 56 K and 63 K, are in operation at Versemannstrasse, Brooktorkai and Sandtorkai.

Wolffkran has 14 cranes working in one eight hectare section of the development, in the Überseequartier district. The cranes are working on a mixed use, business and residential project, with homes for 1,000 people, and commercial buildings employing up to 7,000 workers.

Wolffkran offered the consortium developing the project what it calls a ‘one stop master plan’, using a wide range of different crane models. The first three cranes were erected at the start of the 2008, with 11 more following between February and July 2008. The first sections of the project will be completed in May 2009, but construction is scheduled to continue on other parts of the site until at least 2011.

Wolffkran supplied cranes from its Cross (with top), Compact (compact top) and Clear (topless) series. As the cranes would be placed tightly together, Wolffkran was able to plan an erection schedule that minimised the need for mobile cranes, and instead made use of the tower cranes already at the site. For example a 4517city was set up by a 6531.12cross, and 71 SL could be assembled by a 5520.6. Using a truck-mounted crane would have been quite complex, Wolffkran says, as the set up of the 500t of equipment could have only been performed over the weekend, in order to minimise traffic disruption.

The assembly of the tower cranes took place in six stages. In the first assembly phase in January, two 6531.12cross cranes and a 4517city trolley jib crane were erected. Wolffkran says that, due to its compact dimensions, the 4517city is particularly suitable for small space construction sites in the inner city. The crane can lift a load of 1t at jib end, and a maximum load of 6t.

In the second phase, in February, a 71 SL, a 5520.6, a 6522-6/12 and a second 4517city followed. In March, a 5515compact started work on the site, followed by a 6023.6clear (without top) and a further 6522.12 in April. The counter jib of the F 6023.6clear could be transported in one truck in one piece. The entire rotating part was transported on the road by only four standard trailer trucks, saving time and ensuring safety for the customer when loading and assembling, Wolffkran says. In May, a topless tower, a 6023.6clear, was installed, followed by a 6522-6/12 and a 5520.6.