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CONNECTING WORLDS: Terex® CC 2800-1 lifts FOOTBRIDGE in Metz, FRANCE
METZ, FRANCE, March 28th, 2012 – The Sarens Group, a Belgian crane and transportation service provider, recently set a steel footbridge on its foundations for the city of Metz. By doing so, the footbridge connected the city areas east of the river Seille to the city center, enabling both pedestrians and cyclists to conveniently access the city’s train station, Amphitheater, and parks. In order to complete the project, the company relied on a Terex CC 2800-1 and its powerful performance characteristics.
Many residents of Metz made sure not to miss out on the show. On December 19th, 2011, a large crowd gathered to watch as the Sarens Group team lifted an entire footbridge from a lowbed trailer and then proceeded to turn the 60 meter-long (196 ft.) steel structure by 90 degrees and place it on the foundations that had already been set up – all with perfect accuracy. Although the structure appeared to be light as a feather – the result of a style reminiscent of the Centre Pompidou-Metz and steel beams that look as if though they had been gracefully braided – the bridge was much heavier than it looked, weighing a full 102 tonnes (112 US tons). In fact, once the cables and hook block were added to the picture, the load increased further to a total of 109 tonnes (120 US tons). In order to be able to perform the lift operation safely, the Sarens team set up the CC 2800-1 with an SSL configuration, a main boom length of 66 meters, and 180 tonnes (198 US tons) of counterweight and 60 tonnes (66 US tons) of central ballast. The Superlift counterweight weighed 300 tonnes (330 US tons), while the Superlift radius used was 15 meters (49 ft.). This setup enabled the CC 2800-1 to easily lift the bridge to the required height of 9.25 meters (30,3 ft.) and swing it into position while working with a radius of 51.6 meters (169 ft.).
“We decided to use the Terex CC 2800-1 on this project after careful deliberation. On the one hand, it had all the performance characteristics that were needed in order to successfully lift the bridge. On the other hand, it was compact enough to maneuver around the site, where space was quite tight,” explains Sarens project manager Karel Maesfrancx. Yet another key advantage within this context: The Terex crane was also able to move with the equipped 300-tonne (330 US ton) Superlift counterweight. “Slowly, but with laser-like precision,” crane operator Robert Pawlowski points out. Pawlowski performed the lift with the help of signalman Jerry Couvreur in four steps: first, he lifted the footbridge while working with a radius of 46 meters (151 ft.), after which he proceeded to increase the radius to 51.6 meters (169 ft.) by lowering the main boom. Once he had increased the radius, he swung the load while deftly avoiding a lamp post that at one point came very close to the Superlift boom, and finally moved the crane—while under load—to a position that enabled him to set down the bridge with pinpoint accuracy.
Short setup time – extraordinary cost-effectiveness
Although the CC 2800-1’s technical specifications were ideal for the lift at hand, they were not the only factor involved in the company’s decision. Budget considerations also played a key role: after all, the fact that none of the crane’s components weigh more than 20 tonnes (22 US tons) - with the exception of the crawler tracks - meant that setting up the crane at the site would be a highly cost-effective process, as it would only require a 100-tonne auxiliary crane. And what of the 45-tonne (49 US ton) crawler tracks? Not a concern: the Terex crane itself would be able to lift them off from the lowbed trailer. For this particular project, the CC 2800-1 came from Flamanville, which is about 800 kilometers from Metz. “We disassembled the crane there on Monday and then transported it to Metz. Once in Metz, three mechanics and our crane operator reassembled it so that it was ready for operation within two days, which is even more impressive when you consider the fact that the space conditions at the site were extremely tight,” comments Karel Maesfrancx, who was able to hand over the bridge to the residents of Metz on schedule thanks to a perfect combination of powerful technology and specialized know-how.
About the Sarens Group
The Sarens Group, which is headquartered in the Belgian town of Wolvertem, employs around 3,000 people and is one of the world’s leading providers of crane and heavy-load transportation services. Its customers include companies from the petroleum and gas production industries, the energy industry, the petrochemical industry, and the mining industry. In addition, the company has a separate business unit that specializes in the erection of onshore and offshore wind turbines. Sarens enjoys an outstanding reputation as an unrivaled business partner in every single one of these industries, and all the more so when large-scale, complex lifting projects are involved. The family-run enterprise, which was founded in the 1930s, now boasts 101 branch offices in 51 countries.
For more information, please visit www.sarens.com.
The Terex® CC2800-1
The Terex CC 2800-1 is a lattice boom crawler crane with a remarkable level of versatility. For instance, it can be converted from a standard crane to a special-purpose crane for wind turbine projects — and back — with only a few special components. These special components include specially reinforced main boom segments and a rigid luffing fly jib (LF2) with a length of 12, 24, or 36 meters that was developed specifically with wind power-related applications in mind. The crane’s rated lifting capacity is 600 tonnes with a reach of ten meters, while its maximum load moment is 7,710 mt.
The undercarriage is available in two different models: the standard version and a narrow-track version, the latter allowing the crane to move through 5 meter-wide roads. The narrow track kit can be used with either 1.2 meter-wide track pads (for a smaller total width) or 1.5 meter-wide track pads (for reduced ground pressure). In addition, the crane can also be supplied with a chassis designed for road travel. The basic machine, including all winches and the A-frame, can be transported within a 12 tonne axle load limit.
The high level of flexibility provided by these options and features saves time and money during transportation, setup, and disassembly, providing for a high level of cost-effectiveness in the process. Moreover, the time-tested Terex IC1 control system, featuring remote radio control capabilities, makes it possible to operate the Terex CC2800-1 easily, safely, and comfortably in almost any operating condition.
About Terex
Terex Corporation is a diversified global manufacturer of a broad range of equipment that is focused on delivering reliable, customer-driven solutions for many applications, including the construction, infrastructure, quarrying, mining, shipping, transportation, refining, energy, utility and manufacturing industries. Terex reports in five business segments: Aerial Work Platforms; Construction; Cranes; Material Handling & Port Solutions; and Materials Processing. Terex offers financial products and services to assist in the acquisition of equipment through Terex Financial Services. More information can be found at www.terex.com.
