23.06.2020

Specially modified Kobelco for Epping

The Epping Rohrvortrieb subsidiary of German contractor Kramer group is using a new specially modified 100 tonne Kobelco CKE900G-3 crawler crane to install gas, water and utility services - electricity and fibre optic cables - pipe sections at Duisburg inland harbour in Germany, as part of the area’s redevelopment.

Kobelco designed and manufactured a special boom and heavy duty offset jib combination in cooperation with a local engineering company prior to the crane being delivered to Epping’s base just north of Duisburg earlier this month.
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The new crane on test

Once in Epping’s yard the Stage V compliant CKE900G-3 was assembled by Kobelco engineers and a series of test lifts were carried out before the crane was transported to site ready to start work. Main contractor Zueblin had specified the custom jib in order to provide a minimum of two metres clearance between the main and auxiliary hook blocks regardless of boom angle, along with an elevating cab
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The special jib ensures that the two host lines/hook blocks are kept at least two metres apart regardless of boom angle

The crane, special boom and heavy duty jib, which were designed to be easily self assembled on site, offers a maximum lifting capacity of 55 tonnes at six metres radius, or 20 tonnes at 12 metres on the heavy duty jib.

In order to carry out the work, the crane has been rigged with 24 metres of main boom and the custom designed and fabricated heavy duty 2.8 metre offset jib. It is operating with two hook blocks to lift the 2.5 metre diameter, six metre long, 20 tonne pipe sections into a series of 27 metre deep shafts. Once lifted into the shaft, the horizontally positioned pipes are hydraulically pushed to form an underground pipeline running underneath the harbour basin.
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The 2.5 metre diameter by six metre long pipe sections weigh 20 tonnes

When lifting the pipes into the shafts the cab is elevated to five metres above ground, 1.6 metres higher than the conventional cab, and approximately 1.4 metres closer to the load. The extra elevation and forward position gives the crane operator an excellent view of the pipes as they are lowered into the shafts, helping the pipes to be lowered safely and positioned accurately for the jacking/pushing process. Please register to see all images

The cab can elevate to a height five metres and a position 1.4 metres further forward than the standard crane