Two Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 mobile cranes have completed a critical lifting operation for the reconstruction of the Landgrafen Bridge in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany, marking an important milestone in the recovery of the Ahr Valley following the devastating floods of July 2021.
The cranes, operated by Richter Kran und Schwerlast GmbH, were deployed to install major bridge elements and steel structures for the new crossing, which replaces the original bridge destroyed during the flood disaster.
Working on behalf of construction company Leonhard Weiss GmbH & Co. KG and heavy haulage specialist Dietmar Floßdorf GmbH & Co. KG, the two cranes performed a complex tandem lift of a 105-tonne bridge segment. The operation was carried out at a maximum radius of 38 metres, with both cranes configured with 28-metre luffing jibs and 204 tonnes of counterweight.
Due to limited space along the banks of the River Ahr, the cranes had to be positioned close together. A triangular spreader beam was used to ensure even load distribution throughout the lift.
To achieve maximum precision, the main lift was scheduled for 4 a.m., when lower temperatures reduced the risk of thermal expansion affecting the steel structure’s fit within the bridge abutments.
“The team and everyone involved did an excellent job. The operation went ahead without any complications or incidents, exactly as planned,” said Thorsten Mahlberg, Project Manager at Dietmar Floßdorf GmbH & Co. KG.
The operation required meticulous planning and coordination from the initial crane assembly through to the final positioning of the bridge section.
“A specialised operation in very confined spaces. A major challenge, but in the end everything went to plan,” said Manuel Bergmann, crane operator of one of the LTM 1750-9.1 cranes.
Following completion of the main lift, one crane was dismantled while the second was repositioned to the opposite riverbank to carry out the remaining construction work.
