June 28 - Switzerland based Clausen Kran AG has deployed a Liebherr LTR 1060 telescopic crawler to replace roadway protection structures in the Alps.
The Simplon Pass, located in the Pennine Alps, is open to traffic 365 days-a-year thanks to a number of galleries - structures that are designed to protect routes from avalanches and landslides. Part of one the galleries on the Pass, at an altitude of approximately 2,000 m, needed to be removed and replaced with a new structure.
Clausen Kran's 60-tonne capacity Liebherr LTR 1060 telescopic crawler crane, was suited for the project. Due to a lack of space on the mountain pass, the crane needed to be able to operate of the roof of the gallery, thus had to meet several specifications in terms of weight and size. It also had to demonstrate good maneuverability and adequate load capacity.
Stage one of the project was to saw the concrete of the old gallery into sections. The LTR 1060 was used to hold and secure the blocks during the cutting process. The crane was then used to lift the sections, weighing between seven and 22 tonnes onto waiting trucks. On a single day, between 110-140 tonnes of concrete could be removed from the gallery. The crane was then moved to a lower level to remove the gallery supports.
