Crawlers in foundation works in Bremerhaven, Germany

The cranes are being used to drive sheet piles on the tidal river Weser. For the construction of the sheet pile wall the joint venture is using two heavy jack-up platforms, the “Odin” and the “Annegret”.

For pile driving done from the “Odin” platform, Hochtief Construction is using a LR 1280 Liebherr lift crane (280 t lifting capacity) equipped with a 51m long fixed lead, type LRH 600, and a Dieseko vibrator, type PVE 110 M with 225 t centrifugal force. It is installing 743 double sheet piles, type Peiner PSP 1000 to 1016, measuring up to 42.5 metres in length.

In a second phase, 743 battered piles are being inserted to absorb the horizontal forces acting on the sheet pile wall. This piling work is executed from the “Annegret” platform (Bilfinger & Berger). This time a Liebherr hydraulic crawler crane, type HS 895 HD, equipped with a 55 metre long swinging lead and a IHC hydraulic hammer, type S 70, is being used. The pile type installed is Peiner PS t 600, with 45 metres length and 7.2 tonnes weight.


Liebherr HS 883 HD duty-cycle crawler drives foundation piles in Bremerhaven

Given the heavy loads which will occur during dockside handling operations, the layer of sand forming the working level is not sufficient as a reliable basis. The reinforced concrete superstructure therefore rests on a triple row of a total of 1380 steel piles. These supports, which are up to 34 metres in length, are first inserted in the ground using vibrators at an inclination of 8 to 1 from the working level and only driven in by a hammer over the last five metres, as with the construction of the sheet pile wall.

For driving the foundation piles a Liebherr HS 883 HD with a LRH 400 lead and a vibrator, type Mueller MS48, as well as a Liebherr HS 895 HD with a LRH 600 lead and a hydraulic hammer, type Menck MHU 150, are being used. Moreover, a Liebherr HS 883 HD and a HS 833 HD are on site as lift cranes.