Grove six-axle mobile crane assists in tower crane disassembly

Mobile-Hubtechnik Kranarbeiten und Transporte (Mobi-Hub) has supplied a Grove GMK6450-1 for the dismantling of Potain MD 120 tower crane.

Supplied by Berlin-based crane rental company Banzhaf Krananlagen, the Potain crane was located in central Berlin. With limited space in which to work, the GMK6450-1 was considered ideal for dismantling job.

The Grove mobile crane is a six-axle model which offers a 450 ton maximum lift capacity and a 60-metre main boom.

Grove GMK6450-1 dismantling tower crane in Berlin (Photo: Manitowoc)

“It was not simply a matter of finding a high-capacity crane,” explains Aicke Grell, crane operator at Mobi-Hub. “We needed a machine that could handle heavy lifts at long working radii of over 70 metres while operating in a highly constrained workspace.”

He added that the project presented other challenges, such as the eight-tonne axle load limit

“The GMK6450-1 gave us the flexibility we needed from mobilization through to completion of the job,” added Grell.

The eight-tonne weight limit was due to the crane having to cross the tracks of the local Berlin metro rail system to reach the site. To comply with this, the Grove’s main boom was removed and transported separately.

At the jobsite, two smaller mobile cranes assisted with positioning the GMK6450-1’s main boom. The crane was then assembled with a 73-metre luffing jib, 115 tonnes of counterweight and an 8.7 x 8.5 metre outrigger base.

This setup allowed the Grove crane to manage the heaviest sections of the Potain tower crane, which weighed up to nine tonnes.

Ballast, counter jib and main jib were first removed before sections of the mast were dismantled in sequence. Lifts were completed at a maximum working radii of 72 metres, with a hook height of approx. 59 metres.