High speed rail

An old roadway bridge over the east section of the ÖBB (Austrian State Railways) had to be cleared away near Parndorf. The bridge deck needed to be divided into two parts ahead of the job. The bridge was prepared by means of core drilling, through which the fastening equipment was then passed. The bridge segment was deposited immediately next to the construction site and then properly disassembled and carried away by a specialist company.

With individual loads of 95t, lifted at a boom radius of 22m, Austria’s most powerful 1,000t telescopic crane was the best solution. Any other type of crane technology would have meant longer set-up and dismantling times, Prangl said. Due to the strict time schedule indicated by ÖBB—the job had to be completed in seven hours between 22:00 and 05:00—every minute saved was a tremendous gain. The route was closed and all the concerned lines were de-energised only during this period of time.

Due to the 228t counterweight, the large crane weighed in at 336t. Prangl’s engineers helped find a spot for setting the crane up that did not require any additional preparations. This meant in turn considerable cost savings and a simplification of the project for the customer.