June 21 - Liebherr Cranes has played a key role in delivering drilling machinery for the construction of Berlin's underground railway network.
A gap of approximately 2 km currently exists between the stations Alexanderplatz and Brandenburger Tor. A tunnel drill measuring 74 m in length and weighing 700 tonnes has been assembled and is preparing to excavate the first tunnel connecting the two stations.
The Herrenknecht drill, which has been assembled in a large construction shaft near the Red City Hall, was delivered as individual components on barges travelling up the River Spree. A Liebherr LR1600/2 crawler crane from heavy haulage firm Riga Mainz completed the unloading and hoisting work.
After one week of preparation the crawler crane was ready for use on the riverbank, with its 72 m lattice boom and ballast trailer. Over two nights, the LR1600/2 lifted the individual modules onto a temporary dock, created specially for the project.
Working at night because the river was busy with excursion boats during the day, the various drill components were lowered 20 m down into the construction trench by the LR1600/2 over a two-week period. The largest unit handled - the front plate - weighed 135 tonnes.
