Advanced Cranes recently utilised its Liebherr LTM 1450-8.1 to dismantle the Maffra Weir in Victoria. The Liebherr LTM 1450- 8.1 8-axle all terrain crane was the first of its type in Australia.
The restricted set-up area for a crane made this job a real challenge – an LTM 1450-8.1 from Australian crane contractor Advanced Cranes and Rigging dismantled a weir in Maffra. The hoisting equipment on the 60 year old structure and its concrete bridge were replaced. The weir is on Macalister River, around 200 kilometres east of Melbourne.
“Our LTM 1450-8.1 was the first crane of this type delivered to Australia”, says Adam Tuddenham, Managing Director of Advanced Cranes and Rigging.
The 8-axle crane has been part of Advanced Cranes’ fleet since 2020.
“Today it is still the only crane of this type in Victoria and is delivering reliable, valuable services for us,” he said.
The Liebherr 450 tonne capacity crane can be described as a large fast-erecting crane as it combines particularly good mobility with short set-up times on site. At the same time, it delivers incredible capacity with its long, powerful telescopic boom.
Restricted set-up area for the large crane
For the job in Maffra, the constricted area for the crane position and the set-up work posed something of a challenge to the team – the LTM 1450-8.1 had to be positioned so that it could complete the hoisting process over the side whilst remaining within the required working radius. The steep slope, uneven terrain and an underground water tunnel made the search for a suitable crane position even harder. By using additional crane mats, the Advanced Cranes team finally managed to level the LTM 1450-8.1 adequately.
Advanced Cranes set up the LTM 1450-8.1 with a 28 metre luffing lattice jib and total ballast of 134 tonnes for this job. VarioBallast® is one of the special features of the Liebherr crane. The ballast radius can be infinitely varied using a simple hydraulic slewing mechanism. At maximum radius, the lifting capacity is also at its maximum. The radius can be reduced in constricted conditions.
Two core holes had been drilled into the 60 year old bridge before the crane started work. The attachment chains were threaded through these and connected using a 9 metre spreader bar. Ultimately the Advanced Cranes team and their LTM 1450-8.1 completed the hoisting work without any problems. They dismantled the existing gate lifting equipment for the weir and the reinforced concrete bridge. The heaviest load for the 8-axle crane was 32 tonnes plus 4 tonnes for rigging and hook at a 34-metre radius and a maximum hook height of 20 metres.