Grúas Rigar at the Sagrada Familia using Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 mobile crane

Spanish crane contractor Grúas Rigar demonstrated a very high level of professionalism in

Spanish crane contractor Grúas Rigar demonstrated a very high level of professionalism in November when tackling a difficult crane job at the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. One of the three massive construction cranes had to be relocated. Rigar used one of its largest telescopic cranes, a Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1, to tackle the job.

Work was started on the construction of the Roman Catholic basilica, Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona in 1882. The church designed by Antoni Gaudi has still not been completed. Current plans are to finish the structure in 2026 to mark the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death. At that point the Sagrada Familia will be 172.5 m high, in other words more than eleven metres higher than the current highest church tower in the world, Ulm Minster.

Despite the fact that the road was closed, the Rigar team had very little space available to deliver the eight-axle mobile crane and its accessories. Using 165 tonnes of ballast and a 70 metre luffing jib, it dismantled the construction crane and later reassembled it at a different location. The Rigar team impressed everybody on site by the precision and smooth way in which they completed the job.

Grúas Rigar, based in Valencia, is chaired by Mr. José Antonio García Marín. Today the company operates more than 40 cranes in its different offices located along the Mediterranean. The company’s main work includes crane work, heavy haulage, work platforms and the assembly of prefabricated concrete components. Additionally, Rigar has an Engineering Department specialized in studies, consulting and load movement control and is also a collaborating center for the internal training of its clients in the field of safety.

The LTM 1500-8.1 was first unveiled at the Bauma in Munich in 1998. The 500th machine of this type left the plant in Ehingen in March 2015.This makes the LTM 1500-8.1 the most successful large crane of all time.