At the construction site of the international FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) project, Riga Mainz GmbH & Co. KG has once again demonstrated its expertise in complex lifting operations. The family-run company, specializing in crane and transport work, has been a long-standing presence at the site, which will soon host one of the world’s most advanced particle accelerators.
Recently, Riga Mainz tackled the installation of massive media bridges — steel pipeline structures weighing up to 87 tonnes and stretching 32 meters in length. Transported over 500 meters across a narrow site road using a Scheuerle SPMT combination, the modules were then lifted into place by Liebherr cranes.
Due to extremely tight space constraints next to a building wall, the LTM 1650-8.1 mobile crane proved indispensable. With Liebherr’s VarioBallast system, the crane adapted its ballast radius from 6.40 to 7.40 meters, enabling the lift in confined conditions. “This crane uses the tiniest corner of available space,” said Andreas Webler, Project Planner at Riga Mainz. “Its compact support base and flexibility are decisive advantages.”
The operation was supported by an LTM 1110-5.2, Riga Mainz’s first crane equipped with Liebherr’s new LICCON3 control system. Webler noted the benefits: “LICCON3, combined with our CAD planning, ensures precise execution of complex jobs.”
Riga Mainz operates a fleet of nearly 50 Liebherr mobile and crawler cranes, complemented by heavy transport equipment, SPMT axle lines, and specialized lifting systems. The FAIR facility, a multinational research project, aims to advance global knowledge by accelerating particles to near light speed for groundbreaking experiments in physics.
