The new Liebherr MK 120-5.1E mobile construction crane from Zaugg AG Rohrbach had its first job above the rooftops of Bern’s old town.

Last summer Rohrbach, Switzerland-based timber and steel construction specialist Zaugg AG Rohrbach, which also provides crane and transport services, used the first Liebherr MK 120-5.1E to roll off the Liebherr production line, to lift temporary metal roof structures at two construction sites in the centre of Bern, Switzerland. This was the crane’s debut job.

The mobile construction crane had to place large roof structures at distances of up to 45 metres.

The crane is equipped with a 400 kW diesel engine. It can, however, also be powered by electricity using site power or mobile 63 Ampere power sources. As the jobsites were in Bern’s busy old town Zaugg opted to use electricity – powering it via a Liebherr mobile Liduro Power Port LPO 100 for quiet, emissions-free lifting.

“Luxurious and superbly equipped.” This was the comment from Adrian Sommer, who used his new machine for the first time in Bern. The infinitely height-adjustable cab really does offer the crane operator a great deal of comfort as standard: automatic air conditioning, a cool box, a USB charging socket and a modern touch display. And a small “balcony” at the rear of the cabin to catch a breath of fresh air to boot.

The temporary roofs being lifted were up to 20 metres long and weighed up to 2.5 tonnes. They were lifted to a height of around 20 metres and placed at a maximum distance of 45 metres. This was no problem for the MK 120-5.1E which can lift loads weighing 2.1 tonnes at the tip of its 52-metre boom.

A small auxiliary crane made it possible to quickly lay out the load distribution plates at all four support points when setting up the mobile construction crane.

The jobsite was in the narrow streets of Bern’s old town. Access was facilitated by the five-axle crane’s all-wheel steering.

The crane completed the job emission-free and quietly in electric mode. A mobile battery storage unit from Liebherr was available as a power source. In the afternoon shortly before the work was completed, 68 per cent of the original amount of energy was still available.

Setup and dismantling was fast, reports Zaugg, aided by a small, optional, auxiliary crane attached to the lower end of the telescopic tower and operated via remote control.

Stefan Stettler, head of the crane department at Zaugg, lent a hand at the première of the new crane. “The ideal crane for this job because it requires little space on the ground. The crane closes the gap between the MK88-4.1E and the MK140-5.1E.”

“The crane is ideal for this work and provides us with the required performance parameters,” said Stefan Stettler, head of the crane department at Zaugg AG Rohrbach.

Liebherr says the crane was Ideal for use in narrow alleyways with high interfering edges
A full closure was not necessary. Because the supports on the side facing away from the construction site were only 50 per cent extended, there was enough space for passers-by.
At the handover of the first MK 120-5.1E delivered to Liebherr in Reiden, Switzerland: Marc Bollinger, Dominic Bannholzer, Sophie Albrecht (all Liebherr), Stephan Zaugg, Stefan Stettler, Christian Geissmann, Verena Bernasconi (all Zaugg AG Rohrbach)