Spanish cranes sales and rental firm Grúas Cerezo, along with the construction department of the Sagrada Família, are utilising two Liebherr luffing jib tower cranes to help finish construction of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona – the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world.
The two cranes being used are a 710 HC-L 32-64 Litronic and a 125 HC-L. The 710 HC-L 32-64 Litronic is primarily being used to finish building the Tower of Jesus Christ. The tower currently stands at 135 metres high and is set to reach 172 metres.
The Liebherr 125 HC-L crane, meanwhile, is working on the Chapel of the Assumption and adjacent cloisters.
“We chose these cranes because their folding design minimises the impact on surrounding buildings and they can adapt to the area’s specific requirements,” said Fernando Villa, director of construction and technology at the Sagrada Família. “
Project challenges included the assembly of the Liebherr 710 HC-L and 125 HC-L luffing jib cranes in such a space-restricted location in central Barcelona where there are also lots of visitors and tourists.
To ensure the greatest possible safety the erection of the cranes was conducted under specific wind speeds. It also had to be done as quickly as possible to minimise disruption. This required extensive planning which was aided by Liebherr Ibérica and Liebherr’s specialist engineering division: Tower Crane Solutions (TCS).
TCS also developed a special bracing structure, measuring 20 metres long, 10 m wide and weighing 27 tonnes, to anchor the 710 HC-L to the Tower of Jesus Christ at a height of approximately 130 m.
“We specialise in planning large and demanding projects worldwide,” concludes Jochen Wille, project manager at Liebherr Tower Crane Solutions (TCS). “We’re the go-to experts for complex solutions and challenging applications.”
