Liebherr tower crane treads carefully in church

The Liebherr 250 EC-B carefully positioned on the site of the 12th Century Reichenhall church for renovation work. Photo: Liebherr

Overcoming difficult ground conditions led to an unusual gantry mounted tower crane solution on a church restoration project in Germany.

As with many churches the 12th Century listed parish church of St. Zeno in Bad Reichenhall, Germany, is surrounded by graves, making the ground unstable and tricky in terms of crane placement for renovation work.

Construction equipment supplier and Liebherr dealer Tradler-Baumaschinen worked with the crane manufacturer to develop a suitable solution. The 250 EC-B flat top tower crane and its base had to be positioned on the pathways running between the graves.

Careful construction

After building a concrete foundation with cement grout-injected micropiles, the 6 by 6 metre steel gantry was set in place on top. Only the pathways in the church carried the foundations. The tower crane was assembled on the 21 HC tower system.

Commenting on another partnership project, “Liebherr and Tradler-Baumaschinen have enjoyed a successful and trusted partnership for decades,” said Konrad Kracher, Tradler-Baumaschinen sales representative.

The 12 tonne capacity 250 EC-B was erected with a hook height of almost 51 metres and a 65 metre jib. It lifts 2,850 kilogrammes at the end of its jib. The Micromove electronic assistance system was useful in helping the operator to accurately place construction materials to avoid damaging the church or surrounding graveyard.

Renovation work is expected to continue for about a year, starting with scaffolding and a temporary roof over the job. Structural steel will then be added to reinforce the existing roof.