ALE completes South China Sea project

Heavy lifting and transport specialist ALE has completed an offshore project involving a 13,000t topside in the South China Sea.

The project comprised the load-out, float-over, offshore lifting and leveling of the Lu Feng topside, performed for Chinese offshore oil engineering company COOEC.

ALE used 24 850t-capacity strand jacks to perform the on-shore test lift, before the load-out of the topside onto the transportation and float-over barge was completed at Shekou.

The topside was transported 140m from the build location to its final position on the barge. ALE also elevated the topside by 10m, using its ballast and barge level monitoring systems to ensure a safe operation.

Crawlers assist at Europe’s biggest LNG facility

A team of five Manitowoc crawler cranes are assisting the construction of what is said to be the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Europe.

The cranes are being operated by Dutch crawler specialist Crane House and working up to 24 hours a day at the €1bn project at Dunkirk, France.

With capacities from 250t-400t, the cranes were first used on the site in 2011, when a Manitowoc 16000 and a 272t Manitowoc 2250 were used for six months to install underwater foundations and a floating flat barge.

In mid-2013, another 16000 joined the project, followed by a second 2250 and a Manitowoc 15000 model. The 16000, as the largest crane on the site, is rigged with a 96m boom.

The cranes have worked along the shoreline at the project, with one assembled on an off-shore platform. They were recently used to assist the construction of the terminal jetty, primarily through pouring concrete.

The project, which is being overseen by a consortium lead by French contractor Vinci, is due to be completed next year.

Grove rises above the trees for Hack

A 400t Grove GMK6400 all terrain crane was used by German heavy lift specialist Hack to lift construction materials onto the roof of a 60m-high building.

The project was based in Koblenz, Germany and involved lifting 5t loads at a radius of 86m in an inner-city location. The crane was required to navigate trees which lined the job site, with the jib rigged in mid-air to avoid damaging the recently-resurfaced road.

Using the GMK6400 configured with a 55m boom and 79m luffing jib, Hack completed the job in two days.

The crane was accompanied by four trucks and was fitted on arrival at the site with its full 135t counterweight, before the self-rigging MegaWingLift attachment was installed, increasing capacity by 70%.

Supported by flat-bed trucks, the jib sections were connected at ground level before the full 79m extension was raised.

Since purchasing the GMK6400 in the summer, Hack has also used the crane for projects including wind turbine maintenance and erection, tower crane assembly, and other large-radius lifts on inner-city sites.

Company owner Udo Hack said: “The GMK6400 is fast to erect, easy to use, and can perform lifts that few other cranes of this size can complete. I am delighted with how busy the crane is.”

First MLC165 for Mexico’s plastic industry

A Manitowoc MLC165 heavy-duty crawler crane has been sold into the Mexican market for the first time, to service the country’s growing petrochemical industry.

The 165t crane was purchased by rental company Grúas Villarreal for the Ethylene XXI plastic production project, set to begin in early 2015 and due to produce more than 1m t of polyethylene annually.

General manager Cynthia Villarreal said: “We know we can depend on Manitowoc cranes for complex projects such as the Ethylene XXI. The MLC165 was the best candidate because it’s a crane that’s quick to set up and can work on all sorts of lifting jobs.”

Villarreal also purchased a 600t Manitowoc 18000 crawler crane — now the highest-capacity crane in Villarreal’s fleet.

Sennebogen crane builds harbour wall

German construction company Aug. Prien is using a Sennebogen 6130 HD duty cycle crawler crane on a pontoon at a harbour in Hamburg.

The 6130 HD is working on the creation of the new Elbbrücke quarter, one part of the ongoing HafenCity Project. This involves around 3,500 sq m of the harbour basin being filled in to produce space for a subway station and building development.

This area will be enclosed and protected from the sea by a 160m-long mixed sheet pile wall, with the crane installing the king piles. Conventional ramming was not an option as an installation method, says Sennebogen, due to the vibrations produced and the sensitive caisson foundation of the nearby Elbe bridge.

Liebherr upgrades flat-top crane

Liebherr has introduced its 172 EC-B 8 Litronic flat-top crane, based on the established 160 EC-B model.

Lifting capacity has been increased by 15%, with the 172 EC-B 8 capable of hoisting 2,100kg at the jib head at a radius of 60m, and an 8t maximum capacity.

The new model also features a new jib erection concept. The load hook and trolley remain on the jib pivot section during transport, eliminating erection work for the trolley.

The hoist and trolley travelling ropes can also be easily reeved, a particular benefit when erecting the jib in the air, says Liebherr.