German crane rental, sales, and service provider BKL Baukran Logistik has provided two heavy-duty top-slewing cranes to support the refurbishment of a historic 168m railway bridge spanning the river Sieg in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
The cranes played a central role in enabling contractor Bauunternehmung Albert Weil to lift reinforced concrete components weighing up to 10t across the construction site, which spanned the river.
The equipment included an 800 tonne-metre BKL System Sáez TLS 800 50T crane with a 70m radius and maximum lifting capacity of 50t, and a 1000 tonne-metre 21LC1050 crane offering an 80m radius and identical lifting capacity.
BKL positioned the cranes on opposite riverbanks, setting hook heights at around 37m and 38m, which eliminated the requirement for relocation during the construction phase and allowed for uninterrupted lifting operations.
The crane configuration expedited the main construction works on the 140-year-old multi-span arch bridge, enabling completion of the partial renewal of the viaduct, updates to the river foundations, and refurbishments on existing masonry within a three-month period.
BKL reported that both cranes are part of its large crane rental fleet.
In recent years, BKL has expanded its inventory to include more than 40 heavy-duty tower cranes in the 500t to 1,100 tonne-metre class and over 15 mobile cranes with lifting capacities reaching up to 700t, accommodating a range of infrastructure projects.
The project at the river Sieg forms part of a strategic investment by BKL to provide modern lifting solutions for complex engineering works, supporting contractors tasked with maintaining and upgrading vital transport links.
Last month, BKL deployed a Liebherr MK 88-4.1E self-erecting mobile construction crane to install large scaffolding sections over historic fountains in the Ludwig II of Bavaria palace gardens, located on Herrenchiemsee Island in Lake Chiemsee, Germany.
The crane was ferried to the island and, on arrival at the site, used 25m of its 45m folding horizontal jib to position the oversized scaffolding components.
