Liebherr cranes support mega dry dock project in Italy

Undertaken by Salerno-based RCM Costruzioni srl, part of the Rainone group, work on the shipbuilding dock inside the Petroli Port started in 2023 and is projected to finish in 2026.

The three Liebherr machines include an HS 8100.1 crane equipped with an HSG 5-18 L hydraulic grab and two HS 8130.1 types working with mechanical grabs and LSC 8-20 slurry wall cutters.

The construction is regarded as one of the most important maritime building projects in Italy. When completed, the new dock will rank amongst the largest facilities in the Mediterranean, catering for the construction of high-tech cruise ships over 350 metres in length and up to 150,000 gross tonnages.

The steel reinforcements within the quay wall present a significant challenge for the deep foundation equipment used on this maritime infrastructure project, which requires the installation of multiple slurry walls. 

These walls vary in width and depth depending on whether they serve a load-bearing or non-load-bearing function. However, all sections share the same difficulty: the harbour foundations consist of heavily reinforced concrete with large amounts of embedded steel.

To mitigate these challenges, RCM Costruzioni has chosen powerful machines that can penetrate the soil layers. The company is working down to a depth of 10 metres with the new Liebherr LSC 8-20 cutter, which was first presented to the market at Bauma 2025.

“We have relied on Liebherr for many years. In this case, we are using a large-dimensioned slurry wall cutter to speed up the construction process,” explains site manager Leoncio Fortunato.

“The cutter is extremely powerful and reliable. It has a high cutting force and enables an even and efficient excavation without excessive loads,” adds operator Manuel Dazzi.

Two of the duty cycle crawler cranes are equipped with slurry wall grabs for further excavation work. The HS 8100.1 is fitted with a hydraulic HSG 5-18 and the HS 8130.1 with a mechanical version.

This involves digging down to 34 metres into the stable clay layer of the ground to ensure that the slurry walls are securely embedded.

The cutter and the hydraulic grabs are modular, meaning they can be adapted to suit jobsite requirements. Both have a robust base body, high weight and low centre of gravity for better verticality.

All three Liebherr cranes are controlled via the same cabin concept with the same control levers and monitors, making it simple to change between machines and work productively.

Mr Fortunato said that the decisive factors for choosing these machines were their high performance and their reliability.

He also praised the maintenance service and the technical advice provided by Liebherr during the planning and realisation of the individual construction phases.

“This contributes significantly to the successful and timely realisation of the construction work on the quay,” he declared.

“The entire project is characterised by close cooperation between the construction company and machine manufacturer, modern technology and precise planning.

“The aim is to successfully realise an efficient and future-oriented maritime infrastructure project of national importance,” he concluded.