A new bridge is being built across the Rhine river near Kehl, linking Altenheim on the German bank and Eschau on the French side. The structure consists of a 216m approach span on the French side, a 457m main bridge with a 205m span across the Rhine, and a 295m approach span on the German side.
The new bridge, when completed in 2003, will relieve the Europa bridge in Strasbourg which currently carries 25% of the traffic between Alsace and Baden Württemberg. The $60m project was originally conceived in 1959 and work finally began on site in September 2000. Main contractor is Bilfinger+Berger in joint venture with Max Früh.
A pair of Terex-Peiner TT 311 flat-top tower cranes, with 75m jibs, have been erected to heights of 30m and 32m respectively and positioned on either side of the river to aid construction.
The crane on the German side was fixed, using rock plates, to an auxiliary bridge that would later become one of the bridge piers. It was erected in three days by Wehr-based hire company Shünke. A floating dredger was needed to assemble it.
As part of the enabling works last year a Terex-Peiner SK 126/1 with a 50m jib was used for embankment filling and consolidation on the French side. A fourth Peiner, a self-erecting SMK 206, is working on one of the piers for the French approach span.
The TT series of cranes was developed by Peiner in collaboration with its sister company Comedil of Italy, but using many Peiner components. The 45kW lifting winch comes from Peiner. The TT 331-12 can lift a maximum 6t to a height of 40m. Out at 75m radius it can lift 2.6t. The TT assembly is mounted on Peiner TS 211 or TS 212 towers, according to the height required.
According to Terex-Peiner sales manager Hans-Jürgen Hellerman, the TT series is “the logical completion of our range”. The TT flat-top series is made up of the TT 331-12 with 75m reach and 12t maximum lifting capacity and the larger TT 561 with jibs up to 85m and capacity up to 20t.
