One of the fastest and most powerful tower cranes on the market is working to its limit on an industrial project in Germany.
The giant red Wolff 1250B is pictured hoisting the numerous heavy parts needed to build the boiler support structure for a new power station in Wilhelmshaven.
The available working space around the supporting structure of the boiler is very constricted and as a result there is very little room for crawler or telescopic cranes.
Thanks to compact dimensions however, the luffing jib tower crane is ideally suited for these conditions. “The tight space constraints necessitated that we pay particular attention to the footprint of the cranes,” said Mr. Löser, a project manager for lead contractor Donges Steeltec.
The design of this particular crane, with low component weights, enabled assembly times to be kept short. That isn’t to say that the crane is a lightweight. With a load moment of 1500 metre-tonnes, a maximum capacity of 60 tonnes and a triple fall working speed of 63m/minute it is the most powerful and fastest luffing crane in its class.
Elsewhere on site, a smaller model 355B crane from the same maker is also toiling at conveying work for its living.
The smaller machine is located on a purpose-built crane track on the roof of the boiler supporting structure at a height of 110m. This enables the luffer to reach all sides of the boiler, and the adjacent assembly areas for the boiler house, without difficulty.
