MSG Lifts 44t Arch Section from 75-Year-Old Bridge

MSG Krandienst deployed a Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 mobile crane in Lauffen am Neckar, Germany, to dismantle a 75-year-old arch bridge in a tightly constrained riverside location.

The single-lane bridge, built in 1951, crossed a canal between the historic town centre and a small island. Its condition meant the structure had to be completely removed and replaced.

Space for the crane was extremely limited. Two of the LTM 1650-8.1’s outriggers had to extend beyond the normal working area and were supported on large steel cylinders connected to concrete foundations around four metres below the crane level.

“Thanks to its compact design, the LTM 1650-8.1, with its high lifting capacities, was the perfect machine for this job,”said Christian Spreuer, Project Planner for Large Cranes at MSG Krandienst.

The 700-tonne mobile crane was configured with a 35-metre luffing jib and 175 tonnes of counterweight.

Before demolition began, the crane installed a temporary pedestrian bridge across the 40-metre-wide canal. It also transferred construction machinery to the island, working at radii of up to 50 metres.

The bridge deck and superstructure were then removed section by section before the main concrete arch was cut into five segments.

A pontoon positioned beneath the bridge supported the structure during cutting. Its height could be adjusted by flooding or draining internal chambers as required.

The heaviest section was the arch apex, weighing just under 44 tonnes. The LTM 1650-8.1 lifted it at a radius of more than 36 metres.

Liebherr’s VarioBallast system allowed the crane to adapt its ballast radius throughout the work, covering lifts performed between 26 and 50 metres.

MSG Krandienst operates a 55-crane fleet, including two LTM 1750-9.1s and a second LTM 1650-8.1, across crane hire and project logistics operations in Germany and France.