Liebherr 250 EC-B crane on gantry helps renovate historic church

A Liebherr 250 EC-B 12 flat-top crane is currently carrying out much needed work in Bad Reichenhall, Germany, where the 12th-century listed parish church of St. Zeno is undergoing renovations.

How and where should the top-slewing crane be placed to ensure optimal progress at the parish church site? These questions presented experts from Tradler-Baumaschinen and Liebherr with a tough but workable challenge. The problem lay in the fact that the church is surrounded by a cemetery, meaning that the ground lacks stability. As well as this, it was only possible for the crane and its substructure to be positioned on paths running between graves.

The solution involved the use of a gantry, a steel construction that allows the space under the crane to be freely accessible. A concrete foundation featuring cement grout-injected micropiles was set and the 6 x 6 metre gantry was then positioned on top. The micropiles measure less than 30 centimetres in diameter, making it possible to use relatively small and lightweight drilling equipment. Only the paths have foundations set in them – the graves remain untouched. A mobile crane subsequently mounted a 250 EC-B flat-top crane with a 21 HC tower system and undercarriage on the gantry. This concept provides the crane with stability and allows it to work above the graves.

As always, Tradler-Baumaschinen and Liebherr can fully rely on each other for this project. “Liebherr and Tradler-Baumaschinen have enjoyed a successful and trusted partnership for decades,” says Konrad Kracher, sales representative at Tradler-Baumaschinen GmbH. “We have an experienced regional Liebherr dealer in Tradler-Baumaschinen, one who has been providing our customers with a reliable and custom-fit service for decades," says Alexander Beck, Area Sales Manager at Liebherr-Werk Biberach GmbH.

Tradler-Baumaschinen hired out the crane for the renovation work and is also the responsible service partner. Assembly was straightforward because, like its brothers in the series, the 250 EC-B has impressive features when it comes to assembly and transport. LiConnect quick connectors, for example, make it easy to attach the jib and counter-jib to the compact head with slewing platform, cabin, and switchgear cabinet. The 250 EC-B being used at Bad Reichenhall has a hook height of just under 51 metres and a 65-metre-long jib. The top-slewing crane can lift up to 2,850 kilograms at its jib head and offers a maximum lifting capacity of twelve tonnes. Intelligent assistance systems such as Micromove are there to help the crane operator place building materials smoothly and with precision. This is particularly relevant for work on the listed church, so that damages can be prevented from occurring.

The church’s renovation is expected to last for about a year with the crane set to be dismantled in spring 2024. During this time, the tower crane will assist with multiple tasks. To start with, it will help with assembling scaffolding and a temporary roof system. As work on site progresses, the top-slewing crane will remove part of the protective roof each day so that materials can be moved inside the roof truss. Because the existing roof truss is being reinforced with structural steelwork, heavy steel elements and other building materials will need to be moved frequently.