At the peak of High Gothic

Tadano ATF 220G-5 used for work on important church tower

Some churches look like they are built to last forever. But even these edifices, such as the tower of the Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Oberwesel, need to be renovated from time to time. Indispensable for the job: the right crane – in this case a Tadano ATF 220G-5 – and trained operating personnel. These specifications were completely fulfilled by Scherer Kran- und Bergungsdienst GmbH from Neuerkirch, so nothing stood in the way of safe and regulation-compliant renovation at a great height.

The Liebfrauenkirche is part of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the west tower, which was completed in 1351, the lightning conductor needed to be reconditioned and slate tiles needed to be replaced. Quite a task – the tower reaches a height of 76.30 meters, not including the cross. This was a challenge for the company hired to perform the electric and roofing work. But it was an ideal task for the Tadano ATF 220G-5 in the Scherer crane fleet. For the experienced crane operator Peter Blatt, only the ATF 220G-5 with its optimal mast length came into consideration for this special job. In addition, the compact all terrain crane is extremely suitable for working in confined spaces and boasts high lifting capacity and optimal operating comfort. Being familiar with the crane, he was able to fully meet his responsibility towards all the people involved and the surrounding area. Frank Lenz, owner of the commissioned roofing company, Lenz, from Niederburg said: ‘You don’t work at such a height in a man basket every day. But the crane operator, Peter Blatt, guided us delicately and safely around the tower.’ The use of a man basket was due to a risk assessment carried out beforehand, which suggested that this would be the least risky option due to the lack of space and the working height. For this job, the workers were also secured with climbing harnesses and could therefore work without any problems. 

The Liebfrauenkirche project was planned over a long period of time and carefully prepared after being commissioned by the company Scherer GmbH, which, in addition to its crane service, rents out working platforms, forklifts and truck-mounted loader cranes as well as special transportation. In consultation with the architect Hubertus Jäckel, the renovation took place from the end of October 2019. After travelling to the site and setting up the crane there, which went quickly, despite the additional installation of a necessary 36-metre-long lattice boom extension, the renovations started the next day. The man basket, with a dead weight of 280 kg plus two to three people, was brought to the required height and guided around the tower for the work. In order to be able to access all sides of the tower from one crane location, a system length of 104 meters – including the lattice boom extension – was necessary. The other key figures in this demanding deployment: a maximum radius of 50 meters, a maximum lifting height of 85 meters and a counterweight of 71 tons. Overall, driver Peter Blatt is very satisfied with the handling of this job: the use of the ATF 220G-5 ran smoothly, communication and coordination between the crane operator and his colleagues in the man basket worked perfectly and during the six working days on site, it was only necessary to run the performance-optimized superstructure engine, thanks to the dual-engine concept.