Storm-hit bridge repaired with Liebherr cranes

8 April 2015 by Daniel Searle

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Five Liebherr cranes were used in a project to repair a container bridge over the river Rhine in Germany.

Heavy load logistics contractor Wasel used two Liebherr LR 1600/2 crawler cranes and three LTM mobile cranes to complete the job, which involved a total load of 560t.

The structure, near Dormagen, was damaged by hurricane-strength winds which pushed the container bridge against its buffers, damaging two supports and dislocating a 109m-long portal crane and its rollers out of its rails. Shipping on the Rhine had to be temporarily halted due to the danger that the whole structure would collapse.

Wasel oversaw the re-installation of the 21m-wide container crane using the two crawler cranes on the bank of the river in a 6m-deep pre-flooder basin, with an LTM 1750-9.1 and LTM 1500-8.1 on land for hoisting and an LTM 1220-5.2 used for erection work.

The projecting portal crane track was initially manoeuvred between the cranes using two SPMT and auxiliary rail systems, before four of the Liebherr cranes lifted the 560t load to a height of 25m. After the new supports and tracks were installed with the LTM 1220-5.2 crane, the bridge was reset on its tracks.

Contractor Wasel positioned five Liebherr cranes by the river Rhine in Germany to repair and reposition a bridge.